The Emerging Artist Residency supports artists residing in the Northwest region who are at pivotal and early stages of their professional careers. Artists may be recent graduates, have a limited exhibition history, or come from a non-traditional path in the arts.
Artists must be residents of British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington, and have a demonstrated commitment to artistic practice. We recommend exploring our previous residents to see examples of the diverse practices and focuses of previous residents. Six finalists are selected by an independent panel of jurors.
Finalists receive a $1500 stipend, a month of private studio and lodging space, and access to studio visits by regional curators and artists.
This residency is primarily focused on supporting regional emerging artists with time and space to self-direct projects. Residents are not required to produce or exhibit any particular body of work, and are encouraged to use the time to reflect, slow down, and dive deep into their practices. The residency encourages immersion in the landscape, history, and community of Fort Worden State Park, which hosts dozens of forest and beach trails. Fort Worden State Park is situated on the ancestral lands of the S’Klallam peoples, and Native people have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial and continue to do so today. The park is also host to several partner organizations that have previously collaborated with Centrum residents; these include Rainshadow Recording Studio, the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, Northwind Art, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, the Coast Artillery Museum, and the Jefferson Historical Society.
In 2020, the residency adjusted for the pandemic and was able to offer each artist private lodgings and studios and shifted to support the residency with several virtual studio visits from curators and artist-selected guests. In place of our traditional open studios, we produced a series of podcast conversations among the artists.
Applications open for the 2021 Emerging Artist Residency between March 1- April 30, 2021.