Residency at Sitka

Facilities

Each resident is provided with private living and, if needed, studio space. Residences include living, sleeping, bathroom and kitchen areas, equipped for basic cooking. Laundry facilities are available on campus. Wi-Fi is provided in both residences and studios. Residents are responsible for their own transportation, food and supplies.

The Sitka Center is a non-smoking and non-vaping environment. Please avoid strong scents, as some individuals have allergies. Candles and incense are not permitted. Pets are not allowed on Sitka’s main campus or at our 80 acre nature preserve.

Sitka is family-friendly, and partners are welcome to stay or visit. Please inform the Sitka office if you have overnight visitors.

We are located about seven miles from the nearest grocery store, in Lincoln City, a small coastal town. The area receives about 98 inches of rain annually, so rain gear is essential for outdoor activities.

Cost

Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge. There is a $30 application fee to cover administrative costs. Residents are responsible for their own travel, food, supplies and other expenses. If the application fee is a barrier, please contact Sitka at info@sitkacenter.org for a fee waiver.

Accessibility

Sitka’s studios, office and library are ADA accessible, with one ADA-compliant cabin. Some areas on our steep campus may be less accessible. Please contact us with any specific needs or concerns. Certified service animals are welcome with prior disclosure and permission. Please indicate that you need a service animal in your application.

Collaborations

Collaborating teams should submit individual applications, noting in the essay section that they are working together. Each team member must provide their own contact, bio and survey information. If multiple application fees are a barrier, please contact Sitka for a waiver.

Studio Supplies and Materials

Sitka provides basic studio equipment, including easels, task lights, tables, and chairs, as well as a printing press and a small ceramics studio. Residents must bring their own materials for their work, and we can discuss specific needs ahead of time.

Solitude and Engagement

Residents can engage with other residents and the local community in their own ways. We host a Zoom Resident Talk event where each resident shares their work. Participation is encouraged but not required.

Expectations

Residents are asked to present at a Resident Talk event, complete an exit survey and leave their assigned residence and studio clean and in the same condition as when they arrived. There are no expectations regarding creative or scientific productivity and no culminating report or presentation is required.

Commitment to Equity

The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology affords equal opportunities to applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to equity and inclusion and believe different voices and perspectives strengthen our organization and amplify Sitka’s impact. 

Special Residencies at Sitka

Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency

Established in 2002, the Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency provides mid-career and established artists the opportunity to explore a new creative medium with guidance, instruction and technical assistance from Printmaking Program Director, Julia D’Amario. 

Julia D’Amario, worked at Pace Editions in New York City for seventeen years, before moving to rural California. D’Amario first came to the Sitka Center as a resident artist in 1997. She has led the Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency (JSPR) program at Sitka since 2002.

Blue Sky Photography Residency

The Blue Sky/Sitka Center Photography Residency is a collaboration with Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Each year, two Blue Sky Gallery artists are awarded residencies (up to 1 month). 

Recorder Residency

Residency of up to six weeks offered to professional recorder musicians. To be eligible for the residency, applicants are required to earn part of their income from recorder performance, composition or education.

Indigenous Place Keeping Artist Residency

‍In 2022, Grand Ronde Cultural Resources established a new Indigenous Place Keeping Artist Fellowship program (IPKA). As part of these fellowship awards, selected Indigenous artists with an Indigenous connection to Western Oregon from the Lower Columbia River to the Klamath River receive annual stipends of $20,000 commensurate with a season of work to allow for full artistic immersion. 

As part of their awards, IPKA Fellows receive residencies at Sitka. 

The desired outcome of this partnership between the Grand Ronde IPKA Fellowship Program and Sitka is Indigenous Place Keeping: the creation of new work by Indigenous artists exploring ecological, historical, and cultural relationships to place through their creative practices with future-looking focus. 

“Art by Indigenous people is one of the most effective and recognizable ways that we as Indigenous people can hold a place in our homelands and further our own recognition and persistence.” -David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department Manager, Grand Ronde

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Sitka residencies provide time and space for self-paced work and reflection in an inspiring natural setting