About the Residencies


Discover the Saltonstall Arts Colony in Ithaca, New York

Time for inspiration, a quiet studio, a beautiful setting, and a stimulating community of artists working in diverse disciplines. The categories for 2012 are:

  • Poetry
  • Creative Non-Fiction
  • Painting/Sculpture/Visual Arts
  • Photography (digital or film)

Artists and writers who are New York State residents are invited to apply for month-long summer residencies at the 200-acre Saltonstall Arts Colony in Ithaca, New York. There are five artists in each session: one photographer, two writers, and two painters, sculptors or other visual artists. The Colony is located in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. The Summer Residency competition is statewide and is open to all New York State residents (including NYC). Former residents are eligible to re-apply after four years.

A delicious communal vegetarian supper is served on weeknights and the kitchen is kept stocked with basic supplies so that residents may make other meals for themselves.

The two houses of the Saltonstall Arts Colony are situated above a valley providing a wide vista of meadows, cultivated fields, and forested hills. The colony's three miles of hiking trails traverse a number of different habitats: fields, old growth forests, streams, and wetlands.

The Carriage House has private apartments, baths, and studios for two painters or visual artists. The Main House has spacious studios for two writers and one photographer, a full kitchen, and the comfortable common spaces. Each studio includes a balcony or a patio. Both buildings are contemporary style architecture and feature stunning panoramic views of the property.

The two studios for visual artists are approximately 25 x 12 ft. with excellent light and ventilation. There are utility sinks, easels, and work tables. The living quarters include a sitting room, bedroom, and private bath. Each writer at the Saltonstall Arts Colony is provided with a large studio/bedroom that includes a writing desk, extra tables, and a sitting area with comfortable couch and chair, and a private bath. The photographer's studio space includes a black-and-white darkroom equipped with two enlargers (a Beseler 45MXT and an Omega D-2), a 10 ft. utility sink, and other equipment.