2026 Summer Residency Program

CRAIGARDAN 2026 Residencies

A rocky garden Who we are, what we do Founded in 2016 by ceramic artists, Craigardan is a nonpro t arts organization and educational working farm that leverages collective creativity for social good. We bring people together for place-based and interdisciplinary learning, providing creative residencies, courses, and events that span diverse artistic and knowledge disciplines in order to foster curiosity, inquiry, and collaboration.

Craigardan supports ceramic, literary, visual, and performance artists, as well as farmers, chefs, activists, scholars, and researchers from the Adirondack region and around the world. We cultivate a dynamic that ampli es each individual’s work and activates collective creativity within the community. We believe that fostering the interaction between artists and the local public is as important as providing sheltered time to artists to further their creative practices.

As an organization deeply rooted in this region’s unique history, Craigardan exists at the nexus of processes (re)making this region’s present and future: environmental conservation, the resurgence of small farms, rural economic revitalization, and cultural/social activism.

By developing interdependent connections within our local Adirondack community, we nurture a deep sense of place through people, culture, food, stories, and the exchange of ideas and skills. With a built-in focus on equitable exchange across a wide range of disciplines, Craigardan offers an experience that ties the creative process to larger contexts. This experience leads to new questions and new initiatives; and it generates positive social change through collective creativity.

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Master Artist Fellow Michiko Theurer (’24)

Understanding place Cultivating new soil When we relocated Craigardan from Keene to Elizabethtown in 2019, we imagined the possibilities for expanding our international, interdisciplinary arts program and amplifying its positive exchange well beyond the borders of the Adirondacks. We are rooted in place and thinking globally.

Craigardan now stewards 320+ acres of eld and forest off the anks of Hurricane Mountain in various stages of regrowth and regeneration. In the early 1800s, Manoah Miller set out to create a homestead including a forge, sawmill, and kiln on these lands taken from the Kanienʼkehá:ka people. Not much of the Miller settlement remains, but the land continues to hold the full history of this beautiful location important to the Six Nations as a dish with one spoon. We strive to develop a deepened understanding of place, strengthen connections with our Akwesasne neighbors, and to allow this understanding to inform our collective work and to guide our path forward.

Since 2019 we have been working with a team of architects, designers, historians, conservation specialists, engineers, builders, forestry experts, and artists to plan a new campus, raise funds, secure permits, and construct the new buildings in phases, .

In 2020 we opened the original farmhouse as Craigardan’s new farm store, returning all pro ts to regional farmers. We began to farm the land again, and gave the food to families in need. In 2021 we built the summer studio barn, launched our Community Farm Program, and began working on the new campus site. In 2022 we re-opened the residency program with off-site housing as we continued to farm, turn skid tracks into trails, rebuild soil, recover pastures, and construct the new campus. In 2023 we opened the new main campus, and welcomed artists-in-residence to the rst of many buildings to be built in phases — designed by Adirondack architect Nils Luderowski.

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The old chicken coop on the farm

Collective Creativity 2026 Residency Program 2026 will mark our fourth season of artists and scholars living and working on the new campus. This year’s program will support 30+ individuals working in different media, at different stages of their careers, but all with the desire and creative ability to see possibility and build community. This year’s residency season will be shortened due to the construction of our new Main House building. We will support residencies in July and August only.

The beautiful, but in-process campus requires residents to be exible, adaptive, and comfortable in a luxury-camping setting. Our smart and supportive staff is often problem-solving - and thoughtful, honest communication is the key to a successful residency at Craigardan.

In this wild, raw, quiet, and extremely rural location we see and hear wildlife, experience dark skies, embrace summer insects, and live with the ever-changing patterns of mountain weather. The Adirondacks is a place of untamed beauty and provides full immersion in nature in all her glory.

Please note that construction will not be taking place during the July/August residency season, and after the new Main House is complete, we will once again host residencies and programs year-round.

The 2026 Residency Program At-A-Glance • A self-directed residency program with organizational and community

support

• Apply for two or more weeks in July and August - it is a short residency

season in 2026 so that we can continue building the new Main House!

• Individual live/work artist cabins in a rustic, yet comfortable and safe

wilderness setting

• This is luxury camping with indoor/outdoor living as we build out the new

campus.

• Scholarships, Fellowships, and Work Exchange opportunities are available

to all applicants

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Culinary Arts Fellow Raenel Stelly (’21)

the details A CRAIGARDAN RESIDENCY. The program is designed to allow plenty of time for independent, yet supported work within an individual’s respective area of focus, while encouraging cross- and interdisciplinary exploration and creative dialogue.

A small amount of programmatic structure provides the framework around which residents may utilize large amounts of free time to work. Residents have the option to share knowledge and learn new skills such as cooking, pottery, farming or writing; participate in community events such as the summer Applebarn series; and engage in thoughtful discussions with staff, local experts, and program ambassadors.

In addition, opportunities for hiking, biking, local exploration, and swimming provide fresh inspiration (and sometimes necessary distraction). With two mountain streams, many miles of trails to explore, and close proximity to the heart of the Adirondack Park’s High Peaks, the Craigardan campus is an ideal location for artists and thinkers to stretch the legs and the mind in the largest state park in America. Although we are in a very remote setting, Craigardan is only 4 miles from the county seat of Elizabethtown, 6 miles from Keene and Keene Valley, and 30 minutes from Lake Placid.

This experience will provide residents with the time, support, and space to make work, collaborate, share, and grow while affording the rare opportunity to participate in a new beginning for Craigardan.

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THE 2026 PROGRAM. This program is a short-term, partially-funded residency for visual artists, ceramic artists, chefs, writers, scholars, and other place-based thinkers and creatives. Individuals may apply for two or

The individual artist cabins on the main campus.

more weeks in-residence from in July and August only.

The season is shortened this year to allow us to nish construction on the new Main House building. Only 6-7 artists will be in-residence at a time for a close-knit community experience.

ACCOMMODATIONS. Residents sleep in their own tiny Artist Cabins, designed as a very modern take on the Adirondack Lean-to. Each beautiful cabin has a bed, writing table, good lighting, outlets, heat, closet space, and a small entry porch. The cabins are located on the main campus site, 1/3 mile drive or walk into the property from the farm + farmhouse. They are situated at the top of the campus clearing next to a Bath House which has four individual full bathrooms. Residents have access to shared living space in the beautiful new

Applebarn and a professional summer kitchen in the Kiln House open-air pavilion.

For artists working in the ceramic or visual arts, studio space will be assigned in one of our new studio barns.

Writers and scholars work out of their artist cabins. It is important to discuss individual studio requirements with staff in advance. Wi does not reach the studios.

The Farm and Farmhouse is located 1/3 mile downhill from the main campus and houses the farm store, of ces, and laundry facilities. There is an of ce phone available to residents at all times. A printer is also available in the of ce for printing up to 20 pages.

Internet is available in the Farmhouse (at the farm) and in the Applebarn (on campus). Cell phone service is

The new, universally accessible campus, designed by architect Nils Luderowski, will be built in phases over time. L to R: Home, Main House, Studio, and Kiln House. Not shown: Applebarn

spotty in the Adirondacks and almost non-existent on campus.

Please note that while our new campus is designed to be universally accessible, we will have increasing ability to accommodate speci c needs as the campus is built. If you are living with a disability, please discuss this with staff so that we can work to support you to the absolute best of our ability at this time.

Visitors are not permitted to stay on campus, but there are plenty of local accommodations available.

Daytime visitors are welcome with advance notice.

A residency on our in-process campus is a very comfortable yet rustic Adirondack experience that will not appeal to everyone.

We will schedule a call with all applicants to be sure the program and accommodations are a good t, and that we can meet your personal and professional needs.

FEES AND FINANCIAL AID. The fee for a 2026 residency is $1850 per week. Applicants may choose to apply for a sliding scale scholarship which brings the cost down to $1000/week or $500/week.

Applicants may also apply for Work Exchange

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residencies or one of our Fellowships to cover part or all of the remaining fee. Scholarships, Fellowships, and Work Exchange opportunities are competitive.

All Residents receive: • Furnished live/work cabin with linens and towels; • A farm share and stocked pantry with fresh,

seasonal, local food (artists prepare their own meals together and supplement with additional groceries); • Studio space appropriate to the discipline; • Free access to all programs; • The full and ongoing support of the organization.

Individuals are responsible for their own transportation, materials + supplies, any additional groceries needed, and any personal expenses.

SCHEDULE. Residents arrive on a Monday between 2pm and 4pm to a full orientation and community agreement with staff followed by Monday Night Dinner with delicious local food and inspired conversation.

Residents may participate in variety of hour-long program options each week. Monday Night Dinner brings staff and special local guests together with residents. Short courses generally take place on Tuesdays + Thursdays. Each Wednesday we facilitate a group crit session (critical thinking) which brings multiple perspectives together in dialogue. On Thursdays residents have the option to meet with staff — providing support while helping artists achieve individual goals. On Friday nights we open our doors to the public for our Applebarn Series where artists-inresidence showcase their work to each other and to

our broader community. Other events, workshops, farm volunteer hours, and local happenings are posted each week.

With all that the region and the organization has to offer, it can be challenging for residents to remain focused on their work with so much unstructured free time. To make the most of this gift of time inresidence, it is important to maintain a sense of discipline while also trusting in the creative process, in the value of new experiences, and in yourself.

LOCAL SERVICES. We are located in a very remote, mostly white region in upstate New York. We have communities experiencing extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Elizabethtown is the county seat, with many public services including an excellent mental health clinic. We also have a full hospital, dentist of ces, churches, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, and dollar store. There are a few restaurants and car mechanics. We are also in the middle of excellent multi-use recreational trail networks. We are 1.5-2 hours from multiple airports, and 15 minutes to a train station and bus stop. There is no car service, however!

COLLECTIVE CREATIVITY. We are here to support you and your work, but also to respond to and grow from all that you bring to Craigardan. Each resident’s time, knowledge, and insight will help to inform this place and the future of Craigardan; planting the seeds for change and growth.

TOP L: Our herd of Tunis sheep RIGHT: The new Kiln House + Wood Kiln under construction in 2023, BOTTOM L: the Farmhouse Farm Store

THE MAGIC IS IN THE PEOPLE. Quotes from some of our past artists and scholars-in residence: “It is such an incredible gift that I will be unpacking for years to come.” - Marlena M. “Craigardan is a holy place. Amongst the wisdom of the trees and held in community, amazing work happened for me both in my artistic devotion and in my personal life. I cannot say enough about this life-changing experience and place.” - Christie Gardiner “A Craigardan residency is one of the best things I have done in my life.” - Mia Vodanovich “Craigardan provides the exact right amount of light and quiet and beauty necessary for any artist of any trade. The days are long and the nights are full of the best company and laughter. I'm so grateful for my time there, and I'm so eager to come back.” - Fran Hoepfner “The environment at Craigardan allowed me the clarity to see even old work anew--poems from as many as fteen years ago were given a little more space to breathe and roam, and I could understand them in a new and different fashion.” - William Camponovo “There were so many positives to this residency, it's hard to pick one. I'm especially grateful for the time and space to have full and complex conversations, ongoing over days, looping in new folks, new perspectives and new ideas.” - Margaret Boozer

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“As I writer, I am rarely at a loss for words, but after my time at Craigardan, it's hard to nd the exact language to capture the energy, support, surprise, beauty and momentum this residency gave me. I am so grateful to have been in community with such an incredible group fi

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the experience

An impromptu dinner out on the farm with workshop participants

of people who wholeheartedly believe in supporting arts and artists with their whole hearts. I am changed and grateful and know this is just the beginning of learning about the impact of all the gifts I got to take and keep close with me as I continue my creative life.” Lu Chekowsky “In the deep quiet of the place, I was able to hear myself.” - C. Hinz “The word that encompasses my time at Craigardan is freedom. Freedom to focus on my craft, to engage in community, to learn, move my body in nature, and to sit in silence. The freedom allowed me to make every day its own type of adventure, whether in solitude or with others.” - Victoria Buitron “Each day offered wonder - a storm traveling down a mountainside, a turkey walking by and checking us out

while we cooked dinner, Tiger Swallowtail Butter ies cruising the clover patches - it feeds you. Feeds your art, too.” - Michele Parker Randall Craigardan is “a down-to-earth residency that is all about supporting its artists, celebrating the land, sharing with fellow artists, and getting some serious work done."

- Evan Shopper “Craigardan is a place that challenges you to work more intensively and more deeply. Its beauty inspires you; its community encourages you.” - Brad Shingleton “The space! the care of the staff! I felt hosted, but also had a high degree of freedom to dip in and out of what the space had to offer: to do my thing if I needed to, participate and host experiences if I wanted to. This was the ideal balance.” - Cedric Jamet

TOP L: Mark Shapiro loading the new wood kiln TOP R: The culinary arts tie agriculture with creative practice RIGHT: Visual Arts Resident Dennis Delay (’22, ’23, ’25) giving an Applebarn Talk BOTTOM L: The new Applebarn in 2024

come be you Mission. Craigardan is a 501(c)3 nonpro t organization with a mission to encourage the human imagination to interpret the world with philosophical, ecological, and artistic perspective.

We envision an Adirondack region de ned by its makers who are committed to the development of sustainable systems that integrate the needs of human communities with the integrity of the natural world.

Equity Vision. We create space, hold space, and build space to bene t all.

We believe in providing equitable opportunities for all people. We are intentionally focused on the support and implementation of inclusivity, with the goal of eliminating barriers to participation by Indigenous Peoples, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities, as well as all who are historically underserved, under-resourced, and underrepresented.

Craigardan is antiracist. We reject racial hatred, bias, systemic racism, and the oppression of marginalized groups. We are actively raising our own awareness of and unconscious complicity in systemic racism through trainings, dialogue, accountability, and truth and reconciliation processes.

TOP L: A food + pottery collaboration, 2019 TOP R: Ceramic Arts Resident Chloe Wingerter (’21) in the clay studio

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BOTTOM: The new Main Campus and Farm clearings in a sea of springtime green, 2023