Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat

I participated in this residency five or so years ago with my friend who lives across the country, and loved that we could apply together to share space and time even though we weren't necessarily collaborating on a project. I was in the house, not the church, and there were four residents there so the housing itself felt pretty full, and it was very country cabin in vibes. The studio was spacious and architecturally interesting, and the surrounding countryside was beautiful. Lots of ticks (it's rural PA) so do frequent tick checks. The residency is pretty remote (even the two locations for studios/housing are a good distance from one another), and there are few residents there together, so it's not the most social residency. However, if you're looking for productive studio time in a beautiful place this is a great experience.

Benefits: quiet residency, good for focused work. Challenges: very small program, close quarters—it's a good idea to apply with someone you know and know you will enjoy spending time with, especially if your residency is located in the church, which fits two, as opposed to the house, which fits three to four. The church is cute, but very barebones and a bit mildewy/dusty, and you are basically on your own once you get there (key is in a lockbox and we never saw the staff).