The Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 50 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel and living expenses. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, and architecture.

Program Details

  • Fully sponsored 6- to 10-week residency
  • Paid roundtrip airfare and up to $1,000 a month of either a stipend or reimbursed expenses
  • 100- to 2000-sq.-foot studio
  • Private bedroom in shared house
  • A maximum two week stay for families in the Family House (by request only and subject to availability)
  • Five chef-prepared meals per week
  • Access to vehicles on-site
  • Facilities access: Basic woodshop; audio/video equipment; artists’ library with computers, scanner, and printer
  • Wi-Fi in designated spaces
  • Up to 15 Artists in Residence living on-site
  • Up to 8 other local Headlands artists working in studios on-site
  • Participation in monthly “Show & Tell” nights
  • Participation in seasonal Open House
  • Access to Headlands Public Events
  • Field trips to Bay Area museums, galleries, and cultural venues
  • Become part of Headlands Alumni Network

Read more about the program.

Artist in Residence FAQ

Apply link:

Link to application in SlideRoom

Submission Requirements:

A full application includes the following: (Please note that all applications and work samples must be submitted in, or translated to, English.)

● Resume or curriculum vitae
● Letter of interest, outlining your specific interest in working at Headlands and how program participation will affect your practice
● The names and email addresses of three personal or professional references; please note, we do not want letters of reference.
● Documentation of recent work (see specifications below for guidelines according to discipline)
● Please note: we’ll start accepting applications for 2026 residencies on April 1, 2025.
● Documentation of recent work (see specifications below for guidelines according to discipline)

**Artist collaboratives should apply together by submitting ONE application per group, specifying the number of individuals on the application form. For live-in Artists in Residence, Headlands can accommodate no more than three total artists in a collaborative group.

Eligibility:

● Artists not currently enrolled in an academic program at the time requested residency would take place. Eligibility of artists enrolled in PhD programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
● Former Headlands’ Artists in Residence (AIR), and any recipients of Chamberlain, Chiaro, or Tournesol Awards may not apply within five years of previous Residency.
● All other Alumni of Headlands’ Programs are eligible to apply for the AIR Program at any point.
● Must be able to speak basic English.

Application Fee:

Early Bird (April 1–May 5, 2025): $35

Regular (May 6–June 2, 2025): $45

Website link: https://www.headlands.org/program/air/

AccommodationResidencyStipendTravel costs