Art in Nature PROGRAM

The Art In Nature Residency, located in the Studio Gardens at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, captures the spirit of our long-standing mission:

“Explore the relationship between humans and their environment.”

This unique program works to illuminate the vision of growth and understanding of ourselves and others through the experience of creating and experiencing art in a natural setting.

Our program allows artists to develop new works with a broadly experimental, environmental, and ecological focus. We invite the residency artists to take inspiration from the stewarded Gardens and Nature Preserve and are encouraged to glean from a wide variety of natural resources on the property.

Applications will open June 15 - July 16, 2026

The 2025/26 recipients are listed below.

During their time at Taft, recipients will work in and around the surrounding grounds and open space. Applicants must establish a clear connection between their projects and some specific aspect of the property.

The residency concludes each year with an exhibition and presentations of work, with 20% of sales proceeds going to the CEF/Taft Gardens. Every creative professional in any discipline, including visual fine arts, craft, sound, performance, writing, culinary, etc, is welcome to apply.

The application process is competitive. Due to limited space and funding, we cannot accept every qualified applicant each year. To maximize your chances of admission, we recommend that those sincerely interested plan to apply more than once, as we prioritize repeat applicants. See Residency FAQ for more details.

For inquires please email taftresidency@gmail.com.

9-month artist residency

1-month artist residency

RESIDENCY FAQ