Djerassi Artist Fellowship Program

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Program Description and Benefits: 

The Residency Program is a retreat experience to pursue personal creative work and share in collegial interaction within a small community of artists. The Djerassi site is a 585-acre rural property overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains, in driving distance of the Bay Area.

Accommodations on the ranch are according to artistic discipline and creative project. The Middlebrook Studios and rooms in the Artists' House accommodate writers, media artists and other artists with clean/non-messy projects. The Artists' Barn contains visual art studios, a dance studio, a darkroom, and a music composition studio.

A chef prepares communal dinners on weekdays, and the program provisions the kitchens so residents can prepare their own breakfasts, lunches and weekend dinners. The program provides once a week rides to Palo Alto for errands, and transportation to local airports on the first and last day of each session,

There are six sessions, March – November, each about a month long and hosting about a dozen artists. Two week winter residencies are also offered.

Supported Fields: 

1. Literature: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, translation, and librettos

2. Visual Art: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, mixed media and installation art

3. Music Composition:, instrumental forms (symphonic, chamber music, band), vocal forms (opera, choral, songs), electronic music, and music for film.

4. Choreography.

5. Media Art/New Genres: film, video, multimedia, performance/experimental theater, sound art and radio.

6. Mathematics and sciences.

Application Process: 

A non-refundable processing fee is required. Graduating master's students and alumni may apply directly to this program. Applicants are encouraged, however, to work with SF State's fellowship advisor well in advance of the program deadline to perfect their application essays and other materials.

Eligibility: 

National and international visual artists, composers, choreographers, media artists, writers and scientists are eligible. Preference is given to those who have not had a Djerassi residency in the last few years. Students are not eligible for residencies.

Obligations: 

Residents must commit to the entire residency session awarded to them.

Citizenship: 

There are no citizenship limitations associated with this residency.

Program Deadline: 

Usually in mid-March.

More information: 

Djerassi AIR alumni in visual and media arts are eligible to apply for an Artist-in-Residence program in Krems, Austria.