Headlands Center for the Arts

The Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 50 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel and living expenses. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture.

2026 Artist in Residence Applications will open on April 1, 2025 and close on June 2, 2025. Please check back for more updates.

Headlands Center for the Arts’ Graduate Fellowships provide meaningful support to recent, promising studio art MFA graduates, in partnership with seven esteemed Bay Area academic institutions. The program is unique in the country for addressing this critical juncture in an emerging artist’s career, providing opportunities for professional development and a chance to define their practice outside of the academic context.

Graduate Fellows receive private studio space, chef-prepared meals, and public presentation opportunities, including participation in a curated exhibition. Graduate Fellows are active participants in Headlands’ peer-driven creative community and benefit from engagement with local, national, and international artists participating in our artists’ programs.

Graduate Fellowship applications are by nomination only through our partner schools: California College of the Arts;  San Francisco State University; Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; and University of California, Davis.

Chamberlain Award is a fully sponsored artist residency and $10,000 prize to support an artist working in the social practice discipline. This award supports artists employing non-traditional media to creatively engage with social concerns of the day.

The Chiaro Award is a fully sponsored artist residency and $15,000 prize for two mid-career painters residing in the United States. The Chiaro Award residency includes a private studio, and inclusion in a dynamic network of Headlands’ creative practitioners and thinkers.

The Henderson Award is a fully sponsored artist residency and a $10,000 prize for a mid-career woman-identifying painter who lives in the U.S. or Canada. No additional application required; all AIR applicants meeting eligibility requirements will be considered.

A fully sponsored artist residency and $10,000 prize, the McLaughlin Children’s Trust Award recognizes a writer exhibiting a clear dedication to their practice. No additional application required; all AIR applicants meeting eligibility requirements will be considered.

The McLaughlin Foundation Award recognizes an established visual artist with a substantial body of work. The award includes a fully sponsored artist residency and a $10,000 prize. No additional application required; all AIR applicants meeting eligibility requirements will be considered.

Project Space provides additional support to Artists in Residence, and participation in formal and informal engagement opportunities with visitors. Project Space offers premium studio space and time regularly open to the public to germinate new ideas and artistic approaches through conversation and exchange. No additional application required; all AIR applicants meeting eligibility requirements will be considered.

The Tournesol Award recognizes an emerging Bay Area painter in support of establishing and maintaining a career in the region. The Award supports a full year of artistic development, and includes a $10,000 stipend, a private studio, and a culminating exhibition or project of the artist’s choice.