Painting Residencies in Upperville

Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Upperville, United States

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) offers a unique residency experience located in Upperville, Virginia, nestled between the towns of Middleburg and Marshall. The foundation is dedicated to perpetuating the gifts of Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon, including her extensive gardens, estate, and the Oak Spring Garden Library. The OSGF focuses on interdisciplinary residencies that bring together artists, conservation practitioners, researchers, and scholars who are connected through their creative and investigative practices concerning plants, gardens, landscapes, and related environmental themes. Established in 2021, the residency program supports individuals engaged in a variety of disciplines including the arts, conservation, humanities, and plant and ecological sciences. Residents are provided with fully furnished accommodations and have access to studios, a significant library collection, communal meals, and various natural and cultivated landscapes on the 700-acre property. The program aims to foster a collaborative environment among residents while also providing opportunities for solitude and focused work. Key components of the residency include initial orientations to the resources available at OSGF, involvement in community meals prepared by an on-site chef, and optional involvement in activities that enhance their experiential learning and connection to the site.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Botanical Artist in Residence programme gives established botanical artists three weeks in Upperville, Virginia, to make scientifically accurate work from direct observation of the foundation’s plants and landscapes. Residents are housed in appointed homes with a private bedroom and bathroom, sharing a living room and kitchen with one to three other artists, and have dedicated studio space nearby, with roughly three shared meals a week alongside other residents. Each artist receives a $1,000 grant, and the foundation offers a further $1,000 to acquire one finished work for its collection.