Headlands Chiaro Award 2026

About the Open Call

The Chiaro Award is intended for painters whose work reflects long-term commitment, originality, and a clearly developed artistic language. Headlands defines “mid-career” artists as those who have built a sustained body of work over several years, established a recognizable voice, received notable critical or institutional recognition, and are approaching major professional milestones such as surveys, publications, or expanded visibility. Applicants are evaluated based on artistic merit, maturity of practice, exhibition history, and the uniqueness of their vision. The residency programme offers artists the opportunity to work within the Headlands community, located in a historic former military site within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California. Residents gain access to studio space, peer exchange, shared meals, and professional development opportunities within a highly competitive and interdisciplinary environment. The application also allows artists to express preferences regarding residency season, residency duration, live-in or live-out participation (for Bay Area artists), and family housing needs. Applicants who are not selected for the Chiaro Award may also opt to be considered for a standard Headlands residency.

Requirements

Applicants must be mid-career painters currently residing in the United States. Only painting-based practices are eligible, and submitted work samples must reflect a painting practice exclusively. Artists who have previously received certain Headlands awards—including the Tournesol Award, Chiaro Award, Chamberlain Award, McLaughlin Award, Palimpsest Award, Bay Area Fellowship, or Alumni New Works Award—are not eligible to apply. Applications require a letter of interest addressing the artist’s interest in Headlands and the significance of the residency to their current career stage, descriptions of recent projects or bodies of work, a résumé or CV, website links, and contact details for three professional references. Applicants may submit up to 12 portfolio images, with additional uploads available for PDFs such as statements or CVs.