About the Open Call

Millay Arts invites 6-7 multidisciplinary artists for two-week to month-long stays from April through November at Steepletop, the historic estate of poet/activist Edna St. Vincent Millay, located in the Hudson Valley. Group/collective week-long residencies are offered in December. The Core Residency is fully-subsidized and includes private bedrooms and studios, shared living spaces, laundry room, workstation, B&W darkroom, libraries, groceries, and communal dinners. The Steepletop Residency is partially-subsidized ($4000/month or $2000/two-weeks) and offers a similar experience without the blind jury process. Applications for Core Residency are accepted twice a year (March 1st and October 1st deadlines), while Steepletop Residency has a rolling deadline. Both require an online application via Submittable. Fellowships, some with stipends, are available including the Charm City Fellow (for Baltimore/BIPOC applicants), Robert Black Foundation Fellow (composing applicants), Institute of American Indian Arts Fellow (Native American artists), and Vincent Prize Fellow (trans*/genderqueer artists). The selection process for Core Residency is blind, focusing solely on merit. Work samples are required and vary by discipline (composing, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, poetry, screenwriting, visual arts).

What is Offered

Private bedrooms and studios, shared living spaces, laundry room, workstation, B&W darkroom, access to Alumni and Nancy Graves Memorial libraries, groceries, communal dinners (for Core and Steepletop Residencies), and potential stipends for fellowship recipients. Transportation assistance to/from train and bus stations is included in Core Residency.

Requirements

Artists must submit an artist statement (one page maximum), work samples appropriate to their discipline (e.g., 2-3 compositions, 15-20 pages of writing, 6-9 visual art images), and a biographical statement (one page maximum). For Core Residency, a blind jury process requires removal of all identifying information from submission statements and work samples. Applicants must indicate scheduling preferences. Collaborative pairs and groups/collectives are welcome, with specific application forms and requirements. Eligibility for named fellowships may include specific demographics or artistic focuses.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete and assemble their artist statement, work samples, and biographical statement. For Core Residency, additional information regarding named fellowships and scheduling preferences is required. Applications are submitted via the Millay Arts Submittable portal. After signing in or registering, applicants will upload their documents (often combined), add contact information, biographical statement, scheduling preferences, and enter payment information before pressing 'Click Here to Apply'. Specific instructions for combining documents and removing identifying information for the blind jury process are provided within each application form (e.g., Artist Statement on Page One, Work Samples on Page Two).