Deadline for submission is Midnight on March 15th, 2025. Applications submitted after that will NOT be considered.
The information you provide in the application will help us determine your eligibility for the residency.
This is a live-in residency and runs from September 2025 to September 2026. This is the 5th Bayard Rustin Residency.
Before filing out this application make sure you have read over all the material on the Bayard Rustin Residency on our webpage https://www.penington.org/rustin-residency/ . Please also look over our website and our instagram page ( Penington_Friends_House) We are a very well established collaborative community ( we started in 1897) run by the Society of Friends with unique ways of doing things - we all do chores, for example. This residency requires you to live at the Penington throughout the year with minimal absences. ( Feel free to ask for clarification of this.) Our building is also historic and does not have an elevator. The Bayard Rustin Room is on the forth floor and is 75 square feet in size. We eat dinner together Sunday through Thursdays ( most meals provided with this residency). Lastly, we have two guest rooms which are much used by the Quaker community so meeting new people at dinner is common. We are also a very diverse community in many ways. This is a unique residency and we want you to be aware of this before taking your time to apply.
Applicants who are selected for further consideration will be asked to provide additional information including resume, proof of US citizenship or other legal status, details of project during residency, and 3 references. Three to four finalists will be asked to interview with our selection committee. If recommended for the residency, the final finalist will then interview with residents of the house. Interviews can be in person or by zoom. We plan to announce the finalist by the end of May, 2025.
It has come to our attention that applicants cannot preview all the questions on this form before beginning to apply. Here is a summary of the questions on this application:
What is your primary phone number?
What is your full legal name?
What is your professional or chosen name?
What are your preferred pronouns?
With what race/ethnicity do you identify?
Share your tribal affiliation (optional)
Do you identify as a person with a disability?
What is your date of birth?
In what city do you currently live?
What is your preferred method of communication?
Have you attended other artist's residencies? If so, list and share details on length, location, and purpose.
Please answer the following questions related to residing at the Penington Friends House during the residency.
This residency is designed to help individuals who have a need to live in New York City for 10 - 12 months starting on Sept 1, 2025 and going until August 31, 2026. Please briefly explain your need and how long you would be in residency including any required absence. ( Please note that it is the expectations that residents will live and sleep at the Penington during the residency and leave only for short periods such as holidays.)
One of the unique aspects of this residency is that you will be living with a community of 25 other people at the Penington Friends House. We share one house, not separate apartments. While we all have private bedrooms, we share common spaces like a parlor, den, and kitchen and dine together from 6 PM-7PM ( Sunday through Thursday), make decisions collaboratively, and do chores to benefit the care of the house that amount to 1.5 -2 hours of work a week. Do you believe you can do these things? Please explain if one or more of this would be an issue.
You will be living in a communal setting with up to 25 other housemates at the Penington. While many are not Quaker we all try to live by five concepts and practices called SPICES; simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. (
Here is more info on the Quaker definitions of SPICES.)
How do your own values or priorities relate to these? Be specific.
What experience have you had in living in community with others?
These questions relate to the work you would be doing while in the residency.
The Bayard Rustin Residency in designed to give assistance to individuals working to end systemic Racism and white supremacy in the United States. Briefly describe how, during your residency, your work or activities would meet these goals. Explain how it might transect with other social justice issues. Please clearly define what "success" will look like for you at the end of this residency.
Please give us more information on how you would plan to organize your days during your residency. There is no single right answer here. We just want to know more about your needs, commitments, or wishes during this year long residency. Do you plan to be:
During the year long residency we will ask that you meet monthly with the residency manager to update them on your progress and to check in on your overall experience with the residency and life in the house. After 2 or 3 months we would like to hold some type of reception or event to welcome you and to share your plans for the residency with the house and wider Quaker community. At 6 months and 9 months we would like you to share the progress made on your project. At the culmination of the residency we would like to celebrate the conclusion of your work on your project.
Recognizing that plans may evolve as the year progresses, what can you now imagine would be the activities you would like to have surrounding your project? For example, open studios, performances, site visits, etc.
What is your residency experience? Have you ever had other residencies? Please explain the details of those residencies and give reference contact information.
How does your project or work align with the life and values of Bayard Rustin?
Please provide links to any online resources that can help us better understand the work you will be doing during this residency.
How did you learn about The Bayard Rustin Residency?
Good luck! Questions related to the application may be directed to Todd Drake at outreach at penington.org.
