Short Description

Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat in Laceyville, PA, provides a serene environment for visual artists, writers, composers, and instrumentalists to focus on their creative work from mid-May to mid-September. The retreat has no fees or administrative demands, allowing artists to work undisturbed in a farmhouse and adjacent studio, with only a few residents at a time. Artists are encouraged to apply as groups but individual applications are also welcome. A car is recommended due to limited public transportation, though transport is available for arrivals, departures, and errands. Residents are responsible for their own meals and cleaning, with a weekly communal dinner provided. The retreat maintains a no-children, no-pets, and no-overnight-visitors policy to ensure a focused atmosphere.

 

Residency Duration: from mid-May to mid-September for three weeks

Benefits: 

FARMHOUSE AND STUDIOS

The property features a spacious farmhouse and a separate studio building on twenty-three acres. The farmhouse includes a main floor with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and two living rooms, as well as four bedrooms, a study, and an additional bathroom upstairs. It also has a basement laundry room. The adjacent studio building contains two 750-square-foot studios on separate levels. The farmhouse can accommodate four to five artists, depending on their work requirements.

 

CHURCH / STUDIO

The remodeled church, built in 1910 and located ten minutes from the farmhouse, offers living and working spaces for one or two residents. The downstairs includes a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom with twin beds, and living room, while the upstairs features two studios: an outer studio (14 x 28 feet) and an inner studio (14 x 26 feet) with a queen-sized sleeping loft. The Residency Manager lives downstairs, and artists share the kitchen and bathroom. The studios can function as work or living spaces, making the church ideal for one artist or two comfortable with sharing the loft.

 

Eligibility
Actively working visual artists, writers, instrumentalists, and composers with at least two years’ professional experience may apply.

 

requirements

 

create a single PDF document including the following, organized in this order

  1. Samples of your work
  • Visual Artists:
    • Six numbered images, including specification captions. Please have one large image per page.
    • Thumbnail image list including: title, media, dimensions, and year.
    • If you work in film or similar media, please provide a separate link to three works, totaling no more than fifteen minutes.
  • Writers:
    • A sample of your writing, totaling no more than fifteen pages.
  • Composers:
    • Provide links to three samples of your compositions. Acceptable platforms include Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, and any comparable platform. Please do not use a platform that would require a subscription  of any kind (e.g., Spotify).
    • If possible, include the written score of one of your samples with the measures that correspond to your sample. Please indicate to which link the score belongs.
  • Instrumentalists:
    • Provide Links to four performance samples, each no more than five minutes in duration.
    • Repertoire list
    • List of performances within the last two years.

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  1. Project Proposal (no more than 200 words, single-spaced) Provide a description of what you would like to accomplish in your residency. If you are applying as a group, each member of your group and their discipline should be listed after your project proposal.

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  1. Resume/Curriculum Vitae. Your resume or CV needs to include two years professional experience.

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Entry Fee: none

Location: Laceyville, PA, USA

Deadline: March 23rd, 2025

Website link: 

https://www.oralermantrust.com/soaringgardens

 

Apply link:

https://www.oralermantrust.com/apply

 

Residency