Call for Entries: 2026 Residency Program
If you have landed on this page directly without visiting our website first, we strongly encourage you to read more about our residency program, the application guidelines, and residency FAQs before beginning your application.
Each year, the Saltonstall Foundation awards free, stipend-supported, accessible residencies to artists and writers who are residents of New York State and Indian Nations therein. We support artists and writers working in the following disciplines:
- Poetry
- Creative Nonfiction
- Photography (film or digital) & Filmmaking
- Painting | Sculpture | Visual Arts
ACCESSIBILITY: Our wheelchair-friendly accessible addition includes a private accessible living space with a roll-in shower, a private accessible studio (for a visual artist or writer), a shared accessible kitchen and dining area, accessible laundry facilities, and an adjoining private one-bedroom suite for a personal care assistant if needed.
To all applicants: At the end of each application, we ask a few demographic questions. These questions are optional, although we would be grateful for your participation. In our ongoing efforts to be more inclusive, equitable, and accessible, we want to empower our juries to consider the applicants' historical representation and recommend a roster of writers and artists that capture the diversity of the field. While applicants will remain anonymous throughout the jurying process, we do share some geographic and demographic information with our juries as the rounds progress.
Saltonstall is powered by real, live people. We do not use AI in any aspect of our work, including this Call for Entries and jurying process.
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Saltonstall is located eight miles east of Ithaca, New York on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' Nation (generally known as the Cayuga Nation), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
A Saltonstall residency is a small community. We strive to provide a quiet, inviting, respectful, and nurturing community for creative individuals looking for uninterrupted time to focus on their craft.
Residencies are cohort-based. There are just five individuals in residence at a time: one poet, one prose writer, one photographer or filmmaker, and two visual artists. Each group of five arrives and departs at the same time.
We believe in and value a diverse community of creative individuals. To that end, we hope that all artists and writers feel welcome to apply for a residency, regardless of one’s level of education, experience, race, ethnicity, age, sex, religious belief, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or national origin.
There is no cost to attend Saltonstall and no application fee associated with this application. Additionally, to help offset travel to Ithaca and other personal expenses, we offer stipends of $100/week to everyone who attends. Additional stipend support (up to $1,000) will be offered based on financial need and the median household income of an applicant's County. Artist- and writer-parents and full-time caregivers will each receive a $500 stipend.
All applicants must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and must be residents of New York State or Indian Nations therein ** (all counties). Residencies are for individual artists and writers. We are unable to accommodate groups or pairs of people working together. Specific residency dates are inclusive. It is expected that those selected for a residency live at Saltonstall for the duration of the residency period and -- during the 2 - 4-week residencies -- participate in our Open House events.
Dates for our 2026 residencies are as follows
7-night residencies for artist/writer parents and full-time caregivers
- Friday, May 29 – Friday, June 5
- Friday, October 22 – Friday, October 29
Please note: these two week-long sessions are strictly for artist/writer parents who have at least one dependent child (under 18) at home. Starting last year, this category now includes full-time caregivers with no restrictions related to the age of your dependent. Since the residency is designed to be a period of solitude and focus for artists and writers, we ask that children and other family members remain home.
Our four-week residencies:
- Monday – Monday, June 8 – July 6
- Monday – Monday, July 13 – August 10
Our three-week residency:
- Thursday – Thursday, September 10 - October 1
Our two-week residencies:
- Monday - Monday, August 17 - 31
- Monday – Monday, October 5 – 19
Applicants may apply for either our residency for parents/caregivers or the 3- or 4-week residencies or the 2-week residencies (not a combination). For those applying for the longer residencies, you will be given an opportunity to rank your choice of dates within the application.
All applicants (including those applying for the residency for parents) may apply in more than one artistic or literary category, however a complete and separate application for each category is required.
Note: for our two-, three-, and four-week sessions, artists and writers will be expected to participate in an open house at the end of the residency.
ALUMNI: Residency alumni are eligible to re-apply two years after being accepted for a residency. (Ex. artists/writers who were in residence in 2024 are eligible to re-apply in 2026.) Work samples must be different than the work for which an alum was previously awarded the residency. Applicants who were designated alternates should also submit different work samples.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11:59 pm on Sunday, January 4, 2026
- We convene a different and diverse jury for each discipline. Jurors serve anonymously and change each year.
- Your application is considered on the merit of your work sample and your artist's and writer's statement.
- Your work and statement are presented anonymously to the jury.
- All applicants are notified on or before Friday, April 10, 2026.
- For accessibility accommodations regarding our application form, please email lesley@saltonstall.org
Please note: Since our jurying process is anonymous, it is very important that you do not identify yourself within your statement or work samples. Do not include information such as your name or your age. - Do not credential yourself. For example, your writer's or artist's statement should not mention where or when you went to school or where you've been published, exhibited, etc. Simply talk about the work that the jury is reviewing.
If there are errors, you will not have an opportunity to fix them, and your application will be disqualified. We don't want that to happen!Please carefully review the instructions for the discipline in which you are applying before you begin the application process. Good luck!
** To be eligible for a Saltonstall residency, you must be a resident of New York State or an Indian Nation therein.
What does this mean? Simply put, you must be currently living full time in the State of New York. If you are a resident of New York State, you generally have some combination of the following:
- a New York State voter registration card
- a New York State driver’s license
- proof of a lease or mortgage for real property in New York State
- utility bills for your New York State place of residence
- New York State income tax returns
- New York State bank accounts
We apologize that we cannot accept your application if you are currently living elsewhere and plan to move back to New York in time for the residency. We will be happy to receive your application in the following year once you are a full-time New York State resident.
Finally:
Please take a moment and reflect on whether or not you would accept a residency if selected. Our Call for Entries — from initial announcement to jurying to selection — takes a significant amount of time, financial resources, and real, live human resources. We hope you’ll apply with intention and be ready to say “yes!” if offered a residency.
Residencies cannot be deferred. If you are offered a residency and you cannot attend due to scheduling, or if you have to cancel, you will have to reapply the following year. (Our juries change every year.)
Application Opens: December 1, 2025
Application deadline: February 1, 2026
Final selections announced: March 1, 2026
Residency Dates: April 19-26, 2026
Please read everything we have offered diligently before contacting us with questions at daia@hupstatecircus.org.
The following information, along with some photos from past residencies, can also be found on the hupstate website under residency 2026.
Note: you will need a submittable account to apply! The application begins at the bottom of this page.
About the residency:
The Saltonstall x Circus Culture residency is designed to provide a generous and spacious environment for the development of the circus arts in NY State and/or Native Nations based therein. It does this by giving individual circus artists from the region time and space with an idea or project that they want to develop, polish or investigate.
There are five residency spaces open to individual artists during this round.
Artists must be 21 or older.
Applicants must be residents of New York State and/or Native Nations therein and must spend at least seven months a year in the state.
We define a circus artist as anyone involved in any aspect of art making, creative problem solving, or innovation within the circus arts. This may include designers, dramaturges, choreographers, directors, circademics, writers, photographers, riggers, performers, teaching artists, and more.
Duos are welcome to apply as a unit if working on the same project. Please submit a single application selecting that you are a duo. There will be an additional section in which to provide information regarding your working relationship and duo partners’ eligibility. Groups and ensembles are not eligible at this time, but a representative from a group or ensemble may apply to work on a project related to that group or ensemble.
About Saltonstall:
The Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts supports New York State artists and writers through juried summer residencies and self-directed artist retreats held at its 200 acre property outside Ithaca, NY.
About Circus Culture:
Circus Culture, Ithaca’s very own circus school, engages in developing circus access and opportunities through education, performance, production, and support for emerging and professional artists.
What is included:
The residency provides housing for 7 nights/8 days (Sunday, April 19 - Sunday, April 26th) with a private room and work space with desk and private bathroom, access to up to 6 hours per day of shared circus studio time at Circus Culture (details below), pantry staples, local vegetables for breakfast and lunch, and communal dinners provided by a private chef. Artists are expected to arrange their own transportation, and our team is available to support with links to buses, carpooling, etc.
Once you arrive - for artists without a car, residency coordinators will assist with transportation from Saltonstall to downtown Ithaca (7 miles) where Circus Culture is, in coordination with all residency recipients.
The residency is designed for individuals to dive deep into a project they already have brewing or have always wanted to devote energy to. Preference is given to work plans that show ingenuity, clarity, feasibility, and synchronicity with the residency offerings. This is largely a solitary retreat but you will be in community with 4 other circus artists and will gather together for dinners.
Previous applicants are welcome to re-apply.
Dates and Location:
Dates: April 19- April 26, 2026 (Sunday-Sunday)
Residency location (live/work space):
Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, 435 Ellis Hollow Creek Road Ithaca, NY 14850
Circus Space location (circus studio space):
Circus Culture, 116 West Green Street Ithaca, NY 14850
Accessibility:
There is on site housing at Saltonstall with an accessible bedroom, kitchen, work space, and bathroom as well as guest quarters for a supporting individual. Learn more about Saltonstall’s new accessible space here.
Circus Culture’s space is ADA compliant and staff and funding will be available to provide additional accommodations requested by artists at the residency. Artists will have the opportunity to request services and share more information regarding access in their application.
Access to equipment and circus space:
Saltonstall is designed as a visual artist, photography, and writers retreat, so the housing and studios on site are not necessarily optimized for movement, physical training, and circus apparatus. Studio space at Circus Culture will also be provided approximately between 10am-4pm each day, and artists will be asked to sign up for the hours and spaces they wish to use 24 hours in advance.
Many of the rooms at Saltonstall are large with wood floors and vaulted ceilings and may be suitable for movement exploration depending on your discipline. Many applicants may not require movement space to engage with their project (especially if it involves research, writing, designing, etc). We will work with residency recipients to match people with the best accommodation for what they are working on.
Some artists may want to stay on site at Saltonstall the entire time to truly retreat in nature, and never leave to go to the circus studio. Others may want to spend up to 6 hours per day at the studio - this residency is designed to be flexible. We are hopeful that applicants will propose projects that lean into what this residency can offer - access to nature, quiet private and reflective time and space for ideas to brew and develop, a small nurturing circus studio, and nourishing food.
Artists should designate any circus related equipment they need access to that they will not bring themselves in the application. In some cases, Saltonstall and Circus Culture may not have the structures needed to support an artist's request, so the more details the better will help us choose applicants who we can provide a positive experience to. Please read the below so you are informed about what is available, which will provide the greatest chance of a good match!
Circus Studio access:
The retreat provides optional shared access to Circus Culture’s two studio spaces (36x36 ft, and 30x24ft) which have 16ft - 18ft ceilings depending on the point. You'll have access to:
-10 aerial rigging points on 1:1 pulleys
-Rollers, therabands, etc
-2 inch carpet bonded floor mats, panel mats, 8 inch and 12 inch landing mats.
-18.5 ft free standing aerial rig (if desired, to be set up on site at Saltonstall outside).
-14 foot freestanding rig to be set up inside certain vaulted ceiling spaces.
-Various circus props and equipment (aerial, cyr, unicycles, juggling props, etc)
Private solo time in the circus studio (vs shared timeslots with the other artists) will be available for signups, with availability depending on the mix of artists accepted.
Saltonstall space access:
-Private room living quarters (more info here, scroll to the bottom to see the 6 different living spaces at Saltonstall) with a desk, private bathroom, and shared kitchen.
-200 acres of outdoor space
-Some studios have high enough ceilings for certain circus disciplines. Depending on how you wish to use the space circus, training may be able to occur in some of the indoor locations on site. There is ample outdoor space.
-Saltonstall has spaces specifically designed for visual art, photography, and writing - if you notice that Saltonstall has a resource that you might want to use and is relevant to your work plan, feel free to let us know in the housing request portion of the application.
Please share as many specifics as possible regarding space needs in your work plan.
Application Guidelines:
We use Submittable, an easy, online submission manager for the application. If you are not already signed-up with Submittable, you will be prompted to create a free account. Submittable helps make the application process smooth and simple for you and for us.
How are applicants selected?
Applicants will be selected by a jury made up of NY based circus professionals based exclusively on the materials provided in your application. Once a short list is decided on, we use personal references to affirm if individuals are a good fit for this particular live/work residency opportunity.
We give equal value to your artist statement, work plan, and work samples. Limitations - defined as any personal, societal, structural, artistic, or other factors that have restricted your capacity to create the circus work you aspire to throughout your career - are considered in the spirit of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Please note we do not ask for your resume and will not base our decisions on reputation, education, social media, or anything else we did not specifically ask for.
Preparing your application material:
We highly recommend that you gather and edit everything on a computer, phone, or cloud based service like google drive before cutting and pasting your final document into Submittable to ensure everything is in final form.
Please prepare:
- Basic personal information - name, pronouns if you wish, address
- Project synopsis - Describe your project concisely. (50 words or less)
- Artist’s statement - how and why you make work in your own words. (400 words or less)
- Work plan - what you intend to explore during the residency and what you need to make it happen. (400 words or less)
- Samples of work - up to 3 samples that you feel best represent you as an artist in any format (photo, video, pdf, link, etc).
- Limitations (optional) - a description of any limiting factors - personal, societal, structural, artistic, or otherwise that have reduced your capacity to make the circus that you wish to for any reason during your career that feels relevant to share with us.
- Technical requirements - so the jury can evaluate if your plan fits with the resources on offer.
- Contact information for 2 personal references - people who can vouch for you personally (in regards to living/working in shared space). This is not a professional reference, rather a way for us to ensure safety and comfort for the group. All participants will be asked to abide by a community code of conduct while in residence.
- Access needs - to share any accessibility requests or needs.
Feel free to email us at daia@hupstatecircus.org at least 72 hours prior to the deadline of Feb 1st with any questions about the above information we ask you to provide. We highly recommend you reach out to us to discuss any questions or concerns regarding space or equipment so we can help you assess what is feasible within the circumstances. We are looking for work plans that sync well with the Saltonstall x Circus Culture resources being made available.
A note on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI):
Saltonstall and Circus Culture value dedicated play, creative physicality, and inclusive community and are on a forever quest to make our offerings equitable and our spaces welcoming to all. We believe in and value a diverse community of creative individuals. To that end, it is our intention to provide a residency where all artists feel welcome to apply regardless of one’s level of education, experience, race, age, sex, religious belief, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or national origin.
You will have the opportunity in your application to explain any EDI related circumstances that you wish for the jury to consider in the optional “limitations” section of the application.
Travel to Ithaca
Ithaca is located in the finger lakes region and is accessible by bus or car. We are aware it isn’t the easiest place to get to via public transit. We are happy to assist with travel logistics and will reimburse for travel expenses up to $100.
Travel while in Ithaca
For artists arriving without a car, Hupstate Circus will provide:
-Transportation from the bus terminal to Saltonstall and back for your arrival and departure
-Rides for daily studio time to Circus Culture and back
-Additional support with rides may be provided upon request based on availability.
Questions?
Please contact daia@hupstatecircus.org with any questions you have about the application or experience.
The Saltonstall residency program is open to New York State artists and writers. Applicants must be full-time residents of the State or Indian Nations therein and must be at least 21 years old. This is the application for parents and full-time caregivers who wish to apply in Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Photography & Filmmaking, or Painting/Sculpture/Visual Arts for either the May 29 – June 5 or October 22 – October 29 Parents & Caregivers Residency.
Please Note:
-We are NOT accepting applications for Fiction or Playwriting/Screenwriting for the 2026 season. Our prose category for this round is Creative Nonfiction only, and then we'll be rotating the category moving forward.
-This is a solo residency designed to be a period of solitude and focus for the individual artist or writer; as such, we ask that children, dependents, and other family members remain home.
- Saltonstall is powered by real, live people. We do not use AI in any aspect of our work, including this Call for Entries and application.
The Saltonstall residency program is open to New York State artists and writers. Applicants must be full-time residents of the State or Indian Nations therein and must be at least 21 years old. This is the application for Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Photography & Filmmaking, and Painting/Sculpture/Visual Arts and is for two-, three- and four-week residencies.
Please Note:
-We are NOT accepting applications for Fiction or Playwriting/Screenwriting for the 2026 season. Our prose category for this round is Creative Nonfiction only, and then we'll be rotating the category moving forward.
- Saltonstall is powered by real, live people. We do not use AI in any aspect of our work, including this Call for Entries and application.