Organizer Information
The Martin House Creative Residency Program is hosted by the Martin House, a landmark cultural and architectural institution centered around one of the most significant early 20th-century architectural works designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The organization functions as both a historic site and an active cultural hub dedicated to preservation, interpretation, and public engagement with architecture, design, and modernist heritage.
The residency program is supported through the Herer Family Charitable Fund and reflects the institution’s broader mission to expand public understanding of architecture and its intersections with art, culture, and society. By opening its historic campus to contemporary creators and researchers, the Martin House aims to position itself not only as a preserved site but also as a living laboratory for creative inquiry and interdisciplinary production.
Title & Description
Martin House Creative Residency Program (2027 Residency Term)
The Martin House Creative Residency Program is a project-based residency offering selected artists, writers, researchers, and cultural practitioners dedicated time and space to develop new work inspired by the Martin House campus in Buffalo, New York. The residency encourages deep engagement with one of the most influential architectural environments of the 20th century, providing residents with direct access to Wright-designed spaces and surrounding historical landscapes.
Residents are expected to develop original projects that respond to the site’s architectural, historical, and cultural contexts. Themes may include architecture, modernism, urbanism, design history, landscape studies, social history, gender and class, technology, and broader cultural or theoretical investigations.
A core component of the program is public engagement: each selected resident must present a free public program, exhibition, performance, lecture, or other form of creative sharing that communicates their research or artistic process to the wider community.
The residency duration is flexible and project-based, typically ranging from 2 to 4 weeks, and may be scheduled consecutively or in segments depending on project needs and institutional scheduling.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Architecture
- Design
- Literature & Writing
- Research / Cultural Theory
- Film & Media Arts
- Music
- Performance (Dance, Theater, Performance Art)
- History & Archival Research
- Interdisciplinary Arts
Eligibility
- Open to international and national applicants, with legal eligibility to work in the United States (including U.S. citizens, permanent residents, OPT holders, and eligible Indigenous applicants under the Jay Treaty framework).
- Individual applicants only (collaborative teams and collectives are not eligible due to housing limitations).
- Artists, writers, scholars, researchers, critics, and cultural practitioners at all career stages are welcome.
- Applicants from diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Applicants must be able to independently carry out a 2–4 week residency period on-site.
Program Benefits & Awards
- $5,000 stipend (paid in two installments: 50% upon arrival, 50% upon completion)
- Travel reimbursement up to $1,000 for non-local participants
- On-site accommodation at the historic Gardener’s Cottage
- Private bedroom and bathroom facilities
- Access to Wi-Fi, workspace, kitchen, laundry, and basic supplies
- Full access to the Martin House architectural campus and outdoor landscape
- Access to institutional archives and regional research collections, including:
- University at Buffalo archival collections related to Frank Lloyd Wright and Darwin D. Martin
- Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Special Collections
- Buffalo History Museum research resources
- Opportunities for public presentation and community engagement
- Immersive experience within a nationally significant architectural environment
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed application form
- Project proposal describing concept, methodology, and relevance to the Martin House site
- Artist CV or professional résumé
- Portfolio or work samples (relevant to discipline)
- Statement of intent or motivation
- Description of proposed public program or engagement activity
- For researchers: writing samples or publication-related materials
Applications are evaluated based on artistic merit, conceptual strength, feasibility, relevance to the Martin House context, and quality of proposed public engagement.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 24 April 2026
- Residency Term: June – October 2027 (exact scheduling within this window is flexible)
- Residency Duration: 2–4 weeks per selected resident
Location
Buffalo, New York, United States
Additional Details
- The residency is highly competitive and selection is based on jury review by external experts and Martin House staff.
- Residents must deliver a public-facing program as part of their engagement with the community.
- Accommodation is located in a historic building and may not be fully accessible for persons with disabilities.
- Short-term visits by family or partners are allowed only with prior approval; long-term stays are not permitted.
- Residents are encouraged to engage with Buffalo’s broader cultural ecosystem, including museums, libraries, architectural sites, and public spaces.
- The program emphasizes site-specific, research-driven, and contextually responsive creative production.