Dear Friends,
We just announced our 2017 Call for Entries, and we are excited to start receiving applications, to reach out to new artists and writers, and to see new work.
This year, we are making a significant policy change: eliminating our residency application fee. (Artists will no longer have to pay to apply for our summer residencies.) This decision puts us at the center of an important conversation about greater inclusivity, accessibility, and affordability. It also puts us in a position of leadership: Saltonstall is now one of the only arts colonies in the country not charging a fee to artists and writers who apply for a residency.
We made this decision because we believe an application fee can be a barrier for many people. We don’t want anything to stand in the way of an artist or writer seeking the opportunity of a two- or four-week residency at Saltonstall. We want to be accessible to as many artists and writers across the State as possible, regardless of their personal finances.
Further, we no longer want to be earning income from the very people we’re trying to serve. While Saltonstall is in a fortunate financial position thanks to our founder Connie Saltonstall’s original gift, we are committing ourselves to fundraise for the income we will no longer be receiving through application fees.
There is still more work to be done, of course. This is a first step towards greater inclusivity, and in the coming years we will use accessibility as a guiding principle for the Foundation.
To our alumni and community: we hope you will support this effort – with your own charitable gifts, encouraging words, or by sharing our Call for Entries with your friends, neighbors, and community. It is all deeply appreciated.
For the artists and writers yet to discover us: we hope this makes a difference for you.
Sincerely,
Lesley Williamson
Executive Director