The Artist-in-Residence Program at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum aims to support local artists by providing them with the time and space to create a new body of work that relates to the history of the San Lorenzo Valley. The residency is open to Santa Cruz County visual artists who wish to research local history and engage with our visitors, staff, and volunteers. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and artists with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.

The purpose of the Artist-in-Residence program is to support our mission to preserve and share the history of the San Lorenzo Valley. The program invites artists to expand upon the interpretation of our historic sites, previous exhibitions, collections and archives. Our current Museum collection does not accurately represent the past cultural diversity of the San Lorenzo Valley. Therefore, artists will be encouraged to take on projects to fill this void. Some examples of projects might include pictorial representation of the immigrant groups that were vital to the development of the Valley, such as infrastructure and industries, pictorial representation of BIPOC who we know lived and worked in the Valley, but for whom we have no imagery, the design of interpretive panels that highlight native plants and their uses by the Awaswas People and early settlers for our native plant garden, or reinterpretation of images in the Museum collection.

The selected artist will be awarded a stipend of $1200 and provided with studio space at our Boulder Creek location where they will be required to work a minimum of 6 hours per week, for 8 weeks, during Museum open hours of Wed-Sun from 1-4pm. Additional studio hours available dependent on availability of staff. The artist will be required to present a workshop, artist talk, and final exhibition of work for the local community. The artist agrees to provide the San Lorenzo Valley Museum with one completed artwork made during the residency period, selected by the Collections Manager, to be accessioned into the Museum collection.

Deadline to apply: April 15, 2024 by 11:59pm
Notification of Artist Selection: May 1, 2024
Residency Dates: June - July 2024