RESIDENCIES &
ORGANIZATIONS
RESIDENCIES
Artists’ residencies (also known as communities, colonies, or retreats) are programs that support artists by providing time and space for the creation of new work. There are over 500 residency programs in the United States, and approximately 1,000 worldwide. These programs provide an estimated $40 million in support to independent artists each year.
Many offer not only the resources to do artwork, but also to have it seen by the public. While some communities are isolated in rural areas, others are located near urban centers and may provide public programming such as workshops and exhibitions. Spending time as a resident at an artists’ community is a great way to network and cultivate relationships with other artists.
Alliance of Artists Communities: www.artistcommunities.org
Offers an extensive list of international artists’ communities and residencies.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center: www.andersonranch.org
Nonprofit visual arts community located in Snowmass Village CO.
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts: www.arrowmont.org
Nationally renowned center of contemporary arts and crafts education located in Gatlinburg TN.
The Bogliasco Foundation/Liguria Study Center for the Arts & Humanities: www.liguriastudycenter.org
Located on the Italian Riviera in the village of Bogliasco, the Liguria Study Center provides residential fellowships for creative or scholarly projects in the arts and humanities.
Fine Arts Work Center: www.fawc.org
Nonprofit institution devoted to encouraging and supporting young artists, located in Provincetown MA.
Hall Farm Center: clients.digitalemily.com/hallfarm/wp
A 221-acre retreat in Townshend VT, that offers residencies, workshops, and other resources for emerging and established artists.
Kala Art Institute: www.kala.org
Located in the former Heinz ketchup factory in Berkeley CA, Kala provides exceptional facilities to professional artists working in all forms of printmaking, photography, digital media, and book arts.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council: www.lmcc.net
Creative hub for connecting residents, tourists, and workers to Lower Manhattan’s vast and vibrant arts community. Provides residencies, studio space, grants, and professional development programming to artists.
The MacDowell Colony: www.macdowellcolony.org
A 100-year-old artists’ community consisting of thirty-two studios located on a 450-acre farm in Peterborough NH.
Santa Fe Art Institute: www.sfai.org
Located on the College of Santa Fe campus in Santa Fe NM, SFAI is a nonprofit organization offering a wide range of programs to serve artists at various stages of their careers.
Vermont Studio Center: www.vermontstudiocenter.org
The largest international artists’ and writers’residency program in the United States, located in Johnson VT.
Women’s Studio Workshop: www.wsworkshop.org
Visual arts organization in Rosendale NY, with specialized studios in printmaking, hand papermaking, ceramics, letterpress printing, photography, and book arts.
Yaddo: www.yaddo.org
Artists’ community located on a 400-acre estate in Saratoga Springs NY, offering residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds.
ORGANIZATIONS
There are numerous organizations for artists that provide resources and information about everything from industry standards and marketing tips to contest announcements and legal advice. Included here are just a handful of groups that we at Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market have found useful.
American Institute of Graphic Arts: www.aiga.org
AIGA is the oldest and largest membership association for professionals engaged in the discipline, practice, and culture of designing.
Art Dealers Association of America: www.artdealers.org
Nonprofit membership organization of the nation’s leading galleries in the fine arts.
The Art Directors Club: www.adcglobal.org
The ADC is the premier organization for integrated media and the first international creative collective of its kind. Founded in New York in 1920, the ADC is a self-funding, not-for-profit membership organization that celebrates and inspires creative excellence by connecting visual communications professionals from around the world.
Artists Unite: www.artistsunite-ny.org
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality arts programming and to helping artists of all genres collaborate on projects.
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists: editorialcartoonists.com
Professional association concerned with promoting the interests of staff, freelance, and student editorial cartoonists in the United States.
The Association of Medical Illustrators: www.ami.org
International organization for anyone interested in the highly specialized niche of medical illustration.
The Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists: www.asfa-art.org
Nonprofit association organized for artistic, literary, educational, and charitable purposes concerning the visual arts of science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and related topics.
Association International du Film d’Animation (International Animated Film Association): www.asifa.net
International organization dedicated to the art of animation, providing worldwide news and information on chapters of the group, as well as conferences, contests, and workshops.
Association Typographique Internationale: www.atypi.org
Not-for-profit organization run by an elected board of type designers, type publishers, and graphic and typographic designers.
Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications: www.capic.org
Not-for-profit association dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the rights and interests of photographers, illustrators, and digital artists working in the communications industry.
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers: www.canscaip.org
This organization supports and promotes all aspects of children’s literature, illustration, and performance.
College Art Association: www.collegeart.org
CAA promotes excellence in scholarship and teaching in the history and criticism of the visual arts and in creativity and technical skill in the teaching and practices of art. Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in art, art history, or a related discipline.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: www.cbldf.org
Nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community.
Friends of Lulu: www.friends-lulu.org
National organization whose main purpose is to promote and encourage female readership and participation in the comic book industry.
Graphic Artists Guild: www.gag.org
National union of illustrators, designers, production artists, and other creatives who have come together to pursue common goals, share experiences, and raise industry standards.
Greeting Card Association: www.greetingcard.org
Trade organization representing greeting card and stationery publishers, and allied members of the industry.
National Cartoonists Society: www.reuben.org
Home of the famed Reuben Awards, this organization offers news and resources for cartoonists interested in everything from caricature to animation.
New York Foundation for the Arts: www.nyfa.org
NYFA offers information and financial assistance to artists and organizations that directly serve artists, by supporting arts programming in the community, and by building collaborative relationships with others who advocate for the arts in New York State and throughout the country.
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: www.scbwi.org
With chapters all over the world, SCBWI is the premier organization for professionals in children’s publishing.
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada: www.gdc.net
Member-based organization of design professionals, educators, administrators, students, and associates in communications, marketing, media, and design-related fields.
The Society of Illustrators: www.societyillustrators.org
Since 1901, this nonprofit organization has been working to promote the interests of professional illustrators through exhibitions, lectures, and education, and by fostering a sense of community and open discussion.
Type Directors Club: www.tdc.org
Organization dedicated to raising the standards of typography and related fields of the graphic arts through research, education, competitions, and publications.
United States Artists: www.unitedstatesartists.org
Provides direct financial support to artists across all disciplines. Currently offers one grant program: USA Fellows.
US Regional Arts Organizations: www.usregionalarts.org
Six nonprofit entities created to encourage development of the arts and to support arts programs on a regional basis. Funded by the NEA, these organizations—Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, Southern Arts Federation, and Western States Arts Federation—provide technical assistance to their member state arts agencies, support and promote artists and arts organizations, and develop and manage arts initiatives on local, regional, national, and international levels.