Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program Open Call (Due Mar. 15)
Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program Open Call
Deadline: March 15th, 2026
For over fifty years the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program has provided talented artists a year-long opportunity to focus on their creative work. The Roswell Residency is not project-based nor engagement driven, providing the artist an opportunity to look inwardly.
The program is solely dedicated to the development of the individual artist. RAiR is perfectly geared to provide unobstructed studio time. Successful residents are self motivated and able to work happily with extended solitude. The nature of the RAiR Fellowship is informal. There are virtually no obligations on the part of the grantees except to respect the facilities and the privacy of the other artists.
The Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art (AMoCA) invites fellows to have a solo exhibition of their work toward the end of their stay, however, this opportunity is optional. AMoCA then offers to purchase a piece from the artist for permanent display.
2026 applicants will be notified with results in late May, 2026.
Six residencies will be staggered throughout the year with start dates between February 1 and September 1, 2027.
There is a $26.32 application fee.
Artists considering applying to the RAiR Program should think carefully about what is actually involved in a year-long residency. Especially if:
1) You have or expect to have numerous or time-consuming commitments outside of Roswell during the next year. We support our artists' efforts to develop professionally but we ask that you do not attend other residencies, live part-time elsewhere, or be gone more than six weeks total during the year. While we have no specific expectations of an artist’s social activities in Roswell, being present on the compound is a requirement. Exceptions are made from time to time but artists are expected to let RAiR know ahead of time of their plans to be absent.
2) Your partner or family is not ready to live in Roswell for a year. The residency is located on the outskirts of a town of 50,000 people, and there are few employment opportunities. While the Roswell area has some decent schools, no special or 'outstanding' private schooling is available in this part of rural New Mexico. Many partners and children thrive with the open space and free time, but others, understandably, feel that their life is 'on hold'. In an effort to make the residency a productive experience for an artist we ask that they consider whether their family is ready for a year in Roswell.
3) You have life issues that require special resources or support networks. Our local community of like-minded creatives is very small and all cities of any size are at least three hours away. If you have serious outside circumstances, a year in Roswell due to its isolation and relatively low level of financial support can become an obstacle to dealing with other circumstances. Medical situations that require intensive, specialized treatment, for example, might require a resident to do a serious amount of traveling.
4) If you have no means of transportation. While the residency itself is essentially self-contained, the facility is three miles from the nearest retailers. In the past, some residents have managed with only a bicycle but keep in mind that this is the American West and conditions vary considerably. A driver’s license and an automobile are generally considered essential to everyday living. Additionally, numerous destinations of interest can only be accessed by car.
Stipend
A stipend of $1100 per month is offered by RAiR to each artist-in-residence.
The Fredrick Hammersley Foundation has generously provided an additional stipend of $250 per month for artists' materials.
For families and couples, RAiR provides an additional $100 for partner and each child living with the grantee. (For example, a single artist would receive $1350 per month and a family of 4 (resident, partner, 2 kids) would receive $1650 per month.)