SUMMERTIME ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM

 
 

Tell me about Summertime’s Artist Residency Program!

We are currently accepting applications for our Artist Residency program. Our groundbreaking artist residency provides artists who are often excluded from or ill-served by traditional residency programs the tools to thrive and achieve their dreams. We offer time, space, and mentorship, helping artists to hone their crafts, propel their careers, and deepen creative connections with others.

Traditionally, artist residencies are difficult for neurodiverse people to access. They involve profuse paperwork and a convoluted application process, promising access to a creative environment that can feel competitive, pressured, and intimidating. Summertime makes the process intuitive and accessible, so that great artists can be supported according to their unique dreams, desires, and needs. 

We have hosted 38 artists-in-residence to date. Carlo Daleo made the radio show he’d been dreaming up for decades. Dean Millien made a zoo out of tin foil. YAI Arts made a papier mache dinner party honoring their families and home traditions. Many, many more artists have used the container to create exhibitions, museum talks, puppet shows, and more! 

Residents Receive:

  • 3 months of free studio access

  • $600 materials stipend

  • $500 honorarium for participation 

  • Attuned mentorship with weekly check-ins

  • Culminating public-facing display of artist’s work 

  • Opportunities to sell work (artist receives 50% of every sale)

  • Promotion through our social media, website, and newsletter


Residency Goals:

  • Cultivation: Take your practice to the next level in a safe and nurturing setting with focused mentorship from Summertime. 

  • Connection: Focus on what you love and we’ll help you build relationships with other like-minded artists and cultural organizations based on your individual passions and aesthetic. 

  • Spotlight: It’s your time to shine! Each residency culminates in a public-facing exhibition, performance, or event designed to get your work and your name out there.

  • Inclusion: Join Summertime’s flourishing creative community and extensive network who supports, celebrates, and inspires one another. 


What type of person are we looking for? 

  • Passionate artists (or collectives) ready to realize a creative dream and take their careers to the next level

  • Age 18+, based in New York or interested in participating in the residency virtually 

  • Excited to make art independently in your their own studio space and work towards a concrete goal 

  • Have the time and energy to prioritize art making for at least 3 months 

  • Eager to collaborate with Summertime and be part of our neurodiverse creative community pushing for a more inclusive art world

  • Artists who are often excluded from or ill-served by traditional residencies, whether or not they identify as having a disability, are prioritized. All artists are welcome to apply! 

  • Artists enrolled in studio programs are encouraged to apply if they would benefit from a solo studio experience and additional professional mentorship. All sales of artists’ work through Summertime are divided as follows: 50% to the artist, 25% Summertime, 25% Studio (if applicable). 


Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2024 and reviewed by a panel of Summertime artists, staff, and board members in October. Artists will be evaluated via categories including experimentation, accessibility, humor, heart, and clarity of vision. The next artist-in-residence will be selected and notified by the end of October and their residency will begin in November 2024 and last for 3 months. If artists are not selected for this upcoming residency, their application will be kept on file and considered for future opportunities. 

How is this program funded? Summertime’s Artist Residency Program is funded, in part, by two-year awards from The Andy Warhol Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. We are also funded by grants from The Joseph Robert Foundation, The Hillman Family Foundation, and New York’s Cultural Development Fund. The residency also relies on the immense generosity of individual donors.