Art & Water Residency

Two residencies connected by one watershed.

Stillwater, MN

An intimate residency supporting artists working at the intersection of creativity, environment, and community.

The Art & Water Micro Residency offers artists short-term use of the Art & Water Space in downtown Stillwater to develop new work, explore creative ideas, or engage deeply with place. Residents receive a small stipend, administrative support, and access to a flexible studio environment suited to installation, research, material exploration, listening practices, choreography, or multidisciplinary experimentation.

Residency Dates: November 14 – December 13, 2026
Length: 1–4 weeks, based on project needs
Who Should Apply: Artists from the Twin Cities metro and St. Croix River Valley; inquiries from Greater Minnesota and the Midwest welcomed.

As part of the residency, artists are required to host at least one public engagement activity—such as an open studio, workshop, performance, or facilitated conversation—making artistic inquiry accessible and participatory. Culminating projects or bodies of work are encouraged but not required.

Rooted in A House Unbuilt’s values of whole-body listening and site-responsive creative practice, the Micro Residency supports artists whose work engages environment, ecology, movement, memory, or community storytelling.

Application Timeline
• Call for Applications: Deadline September 26, 2026
• Residency Period: November 14 – December 13, 2026

How to Apply
Please email the following materials to victoria@ahouseunbuilt.com.

• Resume or CV
• Short artist bio
• Portfolio or work samples (links preferred)
• 1–2 page proposal describing how you would use the residency period

For questions, contact: victoria@ahouseunbuilt.com.

Download residency agreement HERE

Lake Charles, LA

A House Unbuilt + The Art Factory

An immersive residency supporting ceramic artists engaged in material exploration, place-based inquiry, and contemporary studio practice.

A House Unbuilt, in partnership with The Art Factory, is pleased to launch the Gulf Coast Materials Residency — a short-term residency supporting artists working in clay and ceramic-based practices within the cultural and ecological landscape of Southwest Louisiana.

Hosted through The Art Factory’s ceramic facilities in Lake Charles and facilitated by A House Unbuilt, the residency offers dedicated studio time for artists interested in experimentation, sculptural process, material investigation, and research-informed making. Residents are encouraged to engage the unique conditions of the region — its waterways, industrial edges, coastal ecosystems, weather patterns, and layered cultural histories — allowing these influences to inform the development of new work.

• Support Includes:
  • Studio access
  • Ceramic equipment and facilities
  • Administrative and curatorial support
  • Public programming opportunities
  • Artist stipend

This inaugural Fall/Spring cycle will prioritize artists with connections to Southwest Louisiana, including McNeese State University alumni and regional artists whose practices demonstrate strong material and conceptual engagement.

Public Engagement

As part of the residency, the selected artist will participate in:

• one community workshop, and
• one artist talk or facilitated discussion

These programs are intended to create opportunities for dialogue, exchange, and greater public access to contemporary ceramic practice and artistic research.

Who Should Apply

Artists working in ceramic, clay-based, or materially driven sculptural practices are encouraged to apply. Emerging and mid-career artists are welcome to apply.

Application Requirements

Please submit the following materials as a single PDF to victoria@ahouseunbuilt.com:

• Resume or CV
• Short artist bio
• 5–10 portfolio images or links to work samples
• A brief proposal (1–2 pages) describing how you would use the residency period and why this opportunity resonates with your practice
• Preference/availability for Fall or Spring cycles

Application Timeline

• Call for Applications Opens: July 1, 2026
• Application Deadline: September 18, 2026
• Residency Periods:
  • November 30 – December 13, 2026
  • April 5 – 18, 2027

For questions or additional information, contact:
victoria@ahouseunbuilt.com