Our 2024 call for entries season has closed.

Three things to note:

– we only accept applications from artists and writers who are full-time year-round residents of New York State and/or Indian Nations therein

– we only accept applications online via Submittable (you’ll need a Submittable account)

– our wheelchair-friendly, accessible space is for artists or writers and includes a roll-in shower, a large studio, an accessible kitchen, and a private suite for a personal care assistant

A quiet studio. A beautiful setting. Time for inspiration

Saltonstall offers free residencies to artists and writers who are year-round residents of New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. Our residencies are designed for those looking for a quiet, supportive environment in which to focus on their craft.

In 2019, we piloted a new program: a free six-night residency specifically for artist/writer parents with at least one dependent child under the age of 18 at home. This new residency was a huge success, and is now in its fourth year. We are not able to accommodate children, spouses, partners, or collaborators. This residency is designed for the artist/writer parent alone.

Our categories include:

  • Poetry
  • Fiction & Creative Nonfiction
  • Photography (film or digital) & Filmmaking
  • Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts

Each residency session includes the same combination of five artists and writers: one poet, one fiction or creative nonfiction writer, one photographer or filmmaker, and two visual artists. These residencies are designed for individual artists and writers; we cannot accommodate collaborations or partners working together.

All residencies (incl. the residencies for artist/writer parents, and the one-, two-, three-, week, and four-week sessions) function exactly the same way. Each group of five arrives and leaves together, and the application process for all residencies is also exactly the same.

2024 Residency Dates


We are offering one, 7-night residency specifically for artist/writer parents:

  • Thursday – Thursday, May 30 – June 6

(Please note: this residency is strictly for artist/writer parents who have at least one dependent child at home. The residency is designed to be a period of solitude and focus; as such, we ask that children and other family members remain home.)

Four-week residencies:

  • Monday – Monday, June 10 – July 8
  • Monday – Monday, July 15 – August 12

One (of two) two-week residency:

  • Wednesday – Wednesday, August 14 – 28

Our three-week residency:

  • Monday – Monday, September 9 – September 30

Our second two-week residency:

  • Monday – Monday, October 7 – 21

Our one-week residency: 

  • Thursday – Thursday, October 24 –  31

    Note: for our two-, three-, and four-week sessions, artists and writers will be expected to participate in an open house at the end of the residency.

    There is no cost associated with the residency and no cost to apply. Artists and writers who are awarded a residency are provided the following:

    • $100 per-week stipend + additional stipend support based on financial need. This was a new initiative in 2023. We expect the upper threshold to be approximately $1,000 with priority given to those living below the median household income for their NYS County.
    • Artist/writer parents who attend the 7-night residency for parents will receive a $500 stipend.
    • writers: a spacious private apartment with ample desk space
    • visual artists: a private apartment with adjoining studio space on the same level
    • photographers or filmmakers: a private apartment with ample desk space and a fully functional wet darkroom
    • all apartments have private baths and a patio or balcony
    • hearty chef-prepared vegetarian dinners (we always accommodate for allergies but cannot always accommodate very specific dietary sensitivities.)
    • groceries and a 24-hour accessible kitchen
    • washer and dryer in each building

    Saltonstall is located eight miles outside Ithaca, NY in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region.

    The residency competition is statewide and is open to residents of New York State and/or the Indian Nations located therein. Residency alumni are eligible to re-apply two years after being accepted for a residency. (Ex. artists/writers who were in residence in 2022 are eligible to re-apply in 2024.)

    artist Frank Chang sitting in his Saltonstall studio with works-in-progress on tables and walls around him

    It’s so rare that life slows down this much. Regardless of where you are in your [artistic] practice, the amount of time you have here will affect how you think and what you make. I am sure I will continue exploring ideas that started here long after I’ve left.” —Frank Chang, artist (2021)

    poet Joseph O. Legaspi standing on a balcony in dappled sunlight with green lawn and trees behind him

    “My writing process is such that I don’t write daily, rather, cyclically, seasonally, in spurts. I tend to write in autumn and winter, when it’s chilly in the Northeast and I’m prone to burrow like a hibernating animal. Being at Saltonstall in the peak of fall is timely. I’m drafting a poem a day, which I will take back with me to the city. Most will not survive the journey, but the two or three I will return to will remind me of and be indebted to this place where I felt cared for and nourished.” — Joseph O. Legaspi, poet (2022)

    artist Dara Engler sitting in front of a wide multi-paneled painting of a female figure in the woods

    The opportunity for uninterrupted focus at Saltonstall has allowed me to accomplish in weeks what would normally take months.”  —Dara Engler, artist (2018)

    self portrait of photographer Natalie de Segonzac seated in a wheelchair with her mother and Jane Bohan standing next to her in the Saltonstall studio

    My time at Saltonstall has provided me with a space for experimentation in the studio, sky gazing and breaths of fresh air. It has been my return to nature, a place not often accessible. I’m grateful for this opportunity to focus on new ideas and see them come to life.”  —Natalie de Segonzac, artist (2021)

    front of a split level brown house with a white balcony

    Our Facilities

    Saltonstall is comprised of two buildings: the studio building (connected to the new accessible addition) and the main house (seen above) and includes five private individual living spaces.

    The Saltonstall Foundation office is also located on the property, just a short walk from the two residential buildings.

    architectural rendering of new addition

    In 2021 we completed construction of a new 1,500 square-foot accessible addition. 

    This brand new building connects to the lower level of the existing studio building.

    If any artist or writer requires an accessible space, they would live, work, and eat here.

    The ground floor of the studio building + addition includes:

    • a private accessible living space with a roll-in shower
    • an adjoining living space (with private bath) for a personal care assistant
    • a private 600sf studio
    art studio with new addition seen through large windows
    architectural rendering of new addition
    accessible kitchen

    Our accessible space includes a private one-bedroom suite with barrier-free access to an en-suite bathroom with a roll-in shower, a 600sf studio, and a common dining area with an accessible kitchen. There is also an accessible utility room with a washer and dryer.

    art studio with new addition seen through large windows
    visual arts studio with vaulted ceiling, large windows, and a vinyl tile floor

    The upstairs visual arts studio and apartment are seen in the images above. The living quarters include a sitting room, bedroom, and private bath. The upstairs studio is approximately 25 x 12 ft.

    Both the upstairs and downstairs studio have excellent natural light, and each includes a utility sink, an easel, and work tables.

    art studio with new addition seen through large windows
    visual arts studio with vaulted ceiling, large windows, and a vinyl tile floor

    The two writers and photographer or filmmaker stay in the main house, which is comprised of three separate, individual units. (Seen in the three images above.) Each writer is provided with a large live-work space that includes a writing desk, extra tables, and a sitting area with comfortable couch and chair, and a private bath.

    The photographer or filmmaker’s studio/bedroom includes ample desk space and 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.

    The main house also features a full kitchen and the comfortable dining and living rooms. Both buildings are contemporary style architecture and feature stunning panoramic views of the property. Each of the five apartments includes a balcony or a patio.

    Daily Life

    A Saltonstall residency is a small community of diverse individuals. There are five residents in each session: one photographer or filmmaker, one poet, one fiction or creative nonfiction writer, and two visual artists. Each group of five begins and ends their residency together.

    Food quickly becomes a central aspect of life at Saltonstall. A delicious communal vegetarian supper is served Monday – Friday, and the kitchen is kept stocked with groceries so that residents may make other meals for themselves. Because of our small size, our chef can accommodate most dietary sensitivities with each dinner she cooks.

    We have been a vegetarian residency for 25 years, and we can assure you that no one goes hungry!

    Daily life at Saltonstall is defined by uninterrupted time during which residents focus on their work. Our chef spends a few hours in the kitchen each week day to prepare dinner. An open house for the community occurs at the end of each residency session. Otherwise, the residency is quiet and free from distractions.

    Saltonstall is situated above a valley providing a wide vista of meadows, cultivated fields, and forested hills. Three miles of hiking trails traverse a number of different habitats: fields, old growth forests, streams, and wetlands.

    Click the button below to read through the application guidelines and to link to our Submittable page.