Free Mixed Media Residencies
27 residencies
Fully funded mixed media residencies that cover both housing and a stipend. These programs remove financial barriers entirely, letting you focus on your art.

Helene Wurlitzer Foundation (HWF)
Taos, New Mexico, United States
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation (HWF) is a private, non-profit organization that has been supporting the arts since 1954. Located on a fifteen-acre campus in Taos, New Mexico, HWF offers one of the oldest artist residency programs in the USA. The Foundation provides three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to visual artists, literary artists, and music composers from around the world. The campus consists of eleven fully furnished casitas, each tailored to the specific needs of different types of artists. The Foundation’s mission is to support the artist and the creative process, offering a peaceful setting for artists to pursue their work without imposed expectations or quotas. Applications are reviewed by a committee of professionals in various artistic disciplines, ensuring a diverse and enriching residency experience.

Beppu Project
Beppu City, Japan
Beppu Project is a non-profit art organization founded in April that operates artist residency programs in Beppu City, a renowned hot spring area in southern Japan. The organization hosts the KASHIMA Artist in Residence program (since ) and short-term residencies at Kiyoshima Apartment, welcoming artists across multiple disciplines to create work while engaging with the local community.

Bernheim Artist in Residence
Clermont, United States
The Bernheim Artist in Residence Program, established in 1980 at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky, annually selects up to four visual and mixed media artists to live and create site-specific works inspired by the natural environment. Artists receive a $2,500 stipend, housing in a furnished one-room cabin, and access to a lakeside studio, with one slot dedicated to regional artists from Kentucky or nearby Indiana counties and another to those addressing environmental issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. Residents must produce at least one artwork for Bernheim and participate in a public engagement program.
De Ateliers
Amsterdam, Netherlands
De Ateliers is an independent artists' institute in Amsterdam offering a two-year postgraduate studio and tutoring program for emerging visual artists, with individual feedback from renowned tutors, studios, stipend, production budget, housing, and facilities.

Echo Artist Residency
Cleveland, United States
Echo Artist Residency by SPACES invites 2 visual artists quarterly (1 local from NE Ohio, 1 external) for 4-6 week stays to create site-specific projects, culminating in exhibitions. Offers honorarium, production budget, on-site lodging, facilities, and curatorial support.
Embassy of Foreign Artists
Genève, Switzerland
The Embassy of Foreign Artists (EOFA) is an international residency program based in Geneva, Switzerland, established in , that welcomes artists, researchers, and cultural actors from around the world. The program provides logistical and financial support for creative development, with a focus on bridging artistic and scientific practices around themes such as imagination in research processes.

Englewood Arts
Independence, United States
<p>Englewood Arts is thrilled to announce the opening of applications for the Artist Residency. We invite artists working in Performing & Visual Arts including Glassblowing, Ceramics, Woodworking, Painting, Fibers, 2D, 3D, Performance or Writing, to apply.</p><p>EA is committed to building connections between artists & the community through access, collaboration, & exchange. Our residency program is designed to support artists at different stages of their professional journey while fostering an environment of experimentation, learning, & shared growth.</p><p>Resident can anticipate: </p><ul><li>24/7 access to a studio space equipped with private shelving for your materials</li><li>Access to unique spaces including Glass, Woodworking, Ceramic & Fiber studios & Performance spaces</li><li>A stipend to support your practice</li><li>Paid teaching opportunities to share skills & knowledge</li><li>Exhibition opportunities, including an annual resident group exhibition</li><li>A growing network of artists & community members to create alongside</li></ul><p>...</p>...

Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Bloomington, United States
The McKinney International Art and Design Residency at Indiana University Bloomington's Eskenazi School invites established international artists and designers for a 4-6 week residency. Selected residents receive studio space, lodging, an $8,000 USD fellowship, health insurance, and up to $500 in supplies, while participating in the McKinney Visiting Artist Lecture Series and coordinating public-facing activities such as studio visits and workshops.

Grand Marais Art Colony
Grand Marais, United States
The Grand Marais Art Colony provides self-guided and juried artist residencies in professional studios on Minnesota's North Shore, offering artists distraction-free space and time to develop their artistic practices. The organization operates multiple studio types including clay, painting, printmaking, and writing facilities, with residency lengths ranging from 1-4 weeks and various support options including lodging and stipends for juried residents.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, United States
The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) Artist Residency Program offers three-to-twelve month residencies (with preference for six- and nine-month terms) to craft artists working in media such as wood, glass, metal, fiber, clay, and interdisciplinary craft with photography. Selected artists gain 24/7 access to a 200-square-foot studio, a $1,000 monthly stipend including housing/materials allowance, professional development, public interaction opportunities, and an artist talk. The public-facing program requires studio work during public hours and open studios for visitor engagement.

Kutztown University Artist in Residence
Kutztown, United States
The Marlin and Regina Miller Art Gallery at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania offers a 4-week in-person artist residency culminating in a site-specific immersive gallery installation piece. The residency provides artists, craftspeople, and designers with opportunities to dive deeply into their artistic research and creative endeavors while collaborating with students and the university community.

Marble House Project
Dorset, Vermont, United States
Marble House Project is an expansive, multi-disciplinary artist residency program situated in Dorset, Vermont. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, sustainability, and community engagement by offering artists from a wide array of disciplines a place to live and work harmoniously. Focusing on conservation and organic food production, it invites artists to integrate with the natural surroundings and local community, aiming to foster both individual artistic growth and communal enrichment. With sessions running from mid-April through October, the program curates a diverse mix of approximately 60 artists annually, both from the United States and abroad, across all creative fields including visual arts, writing, choreography, music composition, performance, and culinary arts.

McKinney International Art and Design Residency
Bloomington, United States
The McKinney International Art and Design Residency, hosted by the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University Bloomington, offers international artists and designers a 4–6-week stay to develop their practice using university facilities, collections, and research centers. Selected residents participate in the McKinney Visiting Artist Lecture Series, studio visits, open studios, and a workshop, with studio space, lodging, an $8,000 USD fellowship, health insurance, and up to $500 in supplies provided.

Moab Arts Reuse Residency
Moab, United States
4-6 week residency challenging waste culture via art, community, sustainability. Offers studio, housing, stipend, waste materials access, public engagement. Paused for .

Olmsted County
Rochester, United States
Olmsted County's Transforming Trash Artist-in-Residence program invites artists to create public artworks using at least 90% reclaimed materials from the County Recycling Center and Landfill in Rochester, MN. Two artists are selected for one-month residencies in , receiving a $2,500 stipend, lodging, studio space, tools, and materials, while leading community engagement activities to promote sustainability and creative reuse.

Pilchuck Glass School
Seattle, United States
Pilchuck Glass School is the most comprehensive educational center in the world for glass artists, offering residency programs since 1980 that bring established and emerging artists to experiment with glass on a scenic Pacific Northwest campus. The school provides access to expert glass fabricators, artist assistants, and various studio facilities while fostering an international community of artists exploring creative uses of glass in art and design.

Provincetown Community Compact
Provincetown, United States
The Provincetown Community Compact offers Dune Shack Residencies in historic shacks located in the Cape Cod National Seashore, providing stays for visual artists, writers, and the general public from April through November. It includes three 3-week juried residencies for visual artists (one for an emerging artist of color with a $500 fellowship), two 1-week funded writer residencies selected by lottery, and community residencies by lottery. Founded in 1993 as a non-profit, the program supports artists and community vitality in Provincetown.

Rock Street Artist Residency
Marquette, Michigan, United States
Rock Street Artist Residency (RSAR) is a transformative artist residency located in a historic 1887 Victorian home in Marquette, Michigan, offering a unique creative space set against the inspiring backdrop of the Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior's shores. The residency hosts two artists per session in a peaceful, distraction-free environment with fully equipped studio spaces, gourmet meals featuring locally sourced ingredients, and opportunities for community engagement.

Scottish Sculpture Workshop
Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) is a rural artist residency in Aberdeenshire that supports artists through collective learning and experimentation with various materials and processes. The program offers highly subsidized group residencies where artists live and work together for four weeks, with access to specialized workshops including ceramics, metal fabrication, blacksmithing, and stonework, supported by skilled technicians and a programmed schedule of social and professional exchange activities.

Seven Below Arts Initiative
Burlington, United States
The Seven Below Arts Initiative is a residency program established in in partnership with Burlington City Arts, offering visual artists quiet, inspiring environments for individual and collaborative work in a renovated 200-year-old barn situated on 65 acres outside Burlington. Three artists at a time participate in eight-week sessions (April-May, June-July, or August-September) with private work spaces, living accommodations, and a $2,000 stipend, designed to support artists at any career stage working in virtually any visual arts genre.

Squeaky Wheel
BUFFALO, United States
Squeaky Wheel's Workspace Residency supports artists and researchers working on media arts projects, offering short-term stays open to applicants from Buffalo and across the United States for resources, time, and support on ongoing or new work. Residents receive tailored access to facilities and equipment at Squeaky Wheel and partners like Buffalo Game Space, The Foundry, Mirabo Press, and Silo City, plus participate in public events such as artist talks and workshops. Typical durations are two weeks in spring and three weeks in summer, with stipends, housing for non-locals, and additional support provided.

St. Elmo Arts Residency
Austin, United States
The St. Elmo Arts Residency, run by the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin, offers one fellowship each academic year to a recent MFA graduate specializing in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, or multimedia. Residents receive a private 1800-square-foot studio, furnished house, $40,000 stipend, health insurance benefits, part-time teaching experience, and a solo exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Austin's St. Elmo district. The program spans approximately 9½ months from early August to late May.

Thami Mnyele Foundation
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Thami Mnyele Foundation, established in 1990, runs a three-month artists-in-residence program in Amsterdam for artists from Africa and the diaspora, focusing on contemporary visual arts including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, video, film, audio, and multimedia to promote cultural exchange with the Netherlands. Residents receive free housing and studio space in a historic school building, a monthly stipend of around 900 euros for living and materials, travel reimbursement, insurance, and opportunities for networking. A shorter residency option exists for invited artists needing temporary accommodation without stipend or travel support.

TYPA Artist in Residence
Tartu, Estonia
TYPA Artist in Residence is a dynamic residency program founded in at the TYPA Paper and Print Centre in Tartu, Estonia, welcoming artists from Nordic and Baltic countries as well as international artists. The program offers 3-month residencies with access to printmaking and paper arts facilities, accommodation, workspace, and financial support, while also accepting artists working in diverse mediums including new media, sculpture, sound, and painting.
Van Eyck Academie
Maastricht, Netherlands
The Jan van Eyck Academie is a multidisciplinary post-academic institute in Maastricht, Netherlands, offering an 11-month residency program that welcomes 30-42 participants annually from around the world. The residency supports artists, designers, architects, curators, writers, and other creative practitioners to develop, materialize, and disseminate their research through access to studios, specialized labs, and a collaborative community.

Villa Medici
Roma, Italy
Villa Medici, home to the French Academy in Rome since 1803, is a prestigious artist residency on Rome's Pincian Hill that welcomes nearly 70 artists, writers, researchers, and craftspeople annually for stays ranging from two weeks to one year. The program provides fully funded residencies with accommodation, studio space, and support across diverse disciplines including visual arts, music, literature, architecture, and crafts, maintaining a legacy of artistic patronage dating back to 1666.

Weir Farm Artist-In-Residence
Wilton, United States
Premier NPS artist residency program continuing 140-year tradition at Weir Farm. Hosts 6-7 established and emerging visual artists annually for month-long residencies emphasizing contemporary and experimental art.
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Frequently asked questions
Are there really free mixed media residencies?
Yes. Fully funded residencies provide both accommodation and a stipend at no cost to the artist. These programs are typically supported by government arts funding, private foundations, or institutional endowments.
How do I find free mixed media residencies?
Browse our curated list above, each with real reviews from artists who attended. You can also filter by country or check each program's website for current application details and deadlines.
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