Organizer Information
Ucross Foundation is a well-established nonprofit arts organization based in northern Wyoming, on a historic 20,000-acre working ranch in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Founded in 1981, Ucross has, for decades, provided uninterrupted time, studio space, and living accommodations to professional artists from across disciplines. Its mission combines creative support with land stewardship: residents work in private studios while immersed in the High Plains landscape, and Ucross operates with an ethos that caring for the land mirrors caring for one’s artistic practice.
Title & Description
Ucross Residency Program
This residency offers artists, writers, composers, choreographers, performance artists, and interdisciplinary creatives a rare opportunity for deep, sustained work in solitude and community. Selected residents receive two to six weeks at Ucross, where they live on a working ranch, free from daily distractions, enabling focused experimentation and development of new work. The residency program combines private studio time, shared meals, and intentional community: weekday lunches are delivered to studios; group dinners foster exchange among residents. The setting—vast, quiet, and elemental—serves as both refuge and inspiration, allowing artists to retreat deeply into their practice within one of the most iconic landscapes of the American West.
Categories
Visual Art, Writing / Literature, Music / Composition, Dance / Choreography, Performance, Interdisciplinary Arts
Eligibility
- Open to professional-level artists, not currently enrolled as students.
- Includes emerging and established artists.
- Disciplines accepted: visual art, writing, composing, choreography, performance, and interdisciplinary practices, including collaborative teams (up to three).
- For specific fellowships, there are dedicated residencies for Native American visual artists and writers.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Fully funded residency: housing, private studio space, and meals are provided.
- Stipend: Ucross offers a $1,500 travel stipend to help with travel costs.
- Uninterrupted time to work: residents are freed from day-to-day obligations, enabling deep creative work in a quiet, remote environment.
- Community engagement: weekly group dinners, open studios, and public programming such as artist talks or workshops.
- Professional peer review: selection is by a rotating panel of arts professionals, adding prestige and peer validation.
Application Fee
There is a $40 nonrefundable application fee to apply. Ucross does not waive application fees. Accepted residents are asked to pay a $50 refundable deposit.
Application Requirements
- A project proposal describing what you plan to work on during residency.
- Work samples: portfolio or artistic samples aligned with the project proposal.
- References: typically two professional referees.
- For collaborative teams: one lead applicant applies, and collaborators submit supplemental forms.
- Reapplication: artists may reapply after ~3 years.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Fall 2026 Session: Application opens November 1, 2025
- Application Deadline: 15 January 2026
- Residency duration: Residents stay for 2 to 6 weeks.
Location
Clearmont, Wyoming, United States
Additional Details
- The program does not accept students; applicants must be professional practitioners.
- Couples/partners: Two artists may apply individually for concurrent residencies, but only the accepted artist receives a studio.
- While in residence, artists bring their own materials; Ucross does not provide art supplies.
- The setting is immersive: weekday meals, linen, housekeeping, internet, and a strong sense of community are all part of the experience.
- Ucross also emphasizes land stewardship, connecting creative practice with ecological responsibility.
Website Link: https://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program.html
