Is New Mexico the Land of Enchantment or the “Land of Entrapment”? Apply for one of these eighteen artist and writer residencies, and you’re bound to find out.
New Mexico received its most prominent nickname, the Land of Enchantment, from author Lillian Whiting in 1906. It was the title of her guidebook on the area, which wouldn’t become a U.S. state for six more years. It wasn’t until 1935 that the state’s tourist bureau and New Mexico Magazine aggressively popularized it, and 1941 when it appeared on the state license plate.
These days, a casual variation on the moniker is the “Land of Entrapment,” which isn’t the dig that it seems to be. It’s because once you spend time in this place, you often don’t want to leave. From a mysterious hum that only some can hear in Taos, to legends of alien encounters in Roswell, to Santa Fe and Albuquerque’s exuberantly contrasting art scenes, New Mexico boasts all sorts of magnetic forces that are hard to shake. As you browse this comprehensive list of eighteen active artist and writer residencies in New Mexico, be warned that if you come here, you might just stay.
Looking for even more residencies? Check out our state-by-state and seasonal roundups here, or become a SWC Member to browse the SWC Art Opportunity Index.
Please note: Some of these programs are between application cycles, and certain dates and details are not currently provided. This page will be updated as additional information and new deadlines become available.
Estudio Corazón at Ghost Ranch
Ghost Ranch / Abiquiú, New Mexico
Ghost Ranch offers artists and writers the chance to work in the same Northern New Mexico landscape that helped shape Georgia O’Keeffe’s visual language. Located on the 21,000-acre education and research center, Estudio Corazón provides rustic casitas where residents can live, work, and connect with the land.
Deadline to apply: Best-consideration dates vary by residency period.
Application fee: Residency fees start at $1,400.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Two to four weeks.
Frederick Hammersley Artist-in-Residence Program
New Mexico Museum of Art Vladem Contemporary / Santa Fe, New Mexico
Located in Santa Fe’s Railyard district, the New Mexico Museum of Art Vladem Contemporary offers visual artists access to a 650-square-foot studio, support from the museum’s curatorial and education teams, and opportunities to research the museum’s collections. Participating artists are required to present a public program.
Deadline to apply: Applications are expected to open in spring 2026.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Not provided.
Stipend: $10,000, plus $1,000 for materials.
Length: Two to four weeks.
Harwood Art Center Artist in Residence
Harwood Art Center / Albuquerque, New Mexico
Since 1991, Harwood Art Center has supported artists and community-building in Albuquerque. Its year-long residency is open to New Mexico–based artists whose work intersects art and social inquiry. The program includes a private studio, two six-week exhibitions, staff support, and a stipend, with additional funding opportunities tied to Harwood’s Art Camp and Art School programs.
Deadline to apply: Applications for 2028 open in spring 2027.
Application fee: None.
Housing: None.
Stipend: $1,000, plus $500 for materials.
Length: Twelve months.
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation / Taos, New Mexico
Located less than a mile from Taos’s historic downtown, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation offers dedicated time and space for visual artists, literary artists, and composers. The fifteen-acre campus sits in a landscape long associated with artists, from Agnes Martin and Florence Miller Pierce to Larry Bell. The residency program is scheduled to reopen in 2028 after a major renovation project.
Deadline to apply: January 18, 2027.
Application fee: $30.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Ten to twelve weeks.
Institute of American Indian Arts Artist-in-Residence Program
Institute of American Indian Arts / Santa Fe, New Mexico
Founded in 1962, the Institute of American Indian Arts is a major center for contemporary Native American art. This residency supports Native and First Nations artists with access to IAIA’s campus facilities, studio space, a meal plan, travel support, material support, and fuel support.
Deadline to apply: Applications open July 1, 2026.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $3,200 for four weeks, $4,800 for six weeks, or $6,400 for eight weeks, plus material and fuel support.
Length: Four, six, or eight weeks.
The Keshet Makers Space Experience
Keshet Dance and Center for the Arts / Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Keshet Makers Space Experience supports choreographers and dance makers with access to rehearsal space, peer movement classes, and arts business workshops. The program is part of Keshet’s broader commitment to community, dance, and justice, rooted in the belief that dance is for every body.
Deadline to apply: Applications are expected to open in late 2026.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Ten days.
Native Artist Fellowships
Indian Arts Research Center, School for Advanced Research / Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Indian Arts Research Center offers three non-residential fellowships each year to support the creative development of Native American artists. Open to both emerging and established artists, the fellowships support a wide range of disciplines, including sculpture, performance, basketry, painting, printmaking, digital art, mixed media, photography, pottery, writing, film, and video. Fellows are expected to submit a final report, document their project, and give one public lecture near the end of the fellowship.
Deadline to apply: January 15 annually.
Application fee: None.
Housing: N/A.
Stipend: Award of $15,000.
Length: One year, from July 1 to June 30.
New Mexico Arts Artist Residency
New Mexico Arts / Rotating Location
The New Mexico Arts Artist Residency rotates to a new location each year. The 2026 residency (which is already full) takes place in Cedar Crest outside Albuquerque, with access to trails in the Sandia Mountains and research opportunities at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center. Two residency periods are offered each year, one beginning in mid-March and the other in late April.
Deadline to apply: TBA; recent cycles have opened in late summer with early fall deadlines.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $14,000.
Length: Six weeks.
Olamina Global Artist Residency
Olamina Global Arts / Taos, New Mexico
The Olamina Global Artist Residency supports social artists, activists, cultural workers, and their community allies. The residency includes access to a temple and multipurpose music room, multimedia art studio, healing arts space, and education center. Priority is given to people of the global majority, underserved communities, and BIPOC and Indigenous artists.
Deadline to apply: Applications open in winter for spring residencies and summer for fall residencies.
Application fee: Residency fees or exchange are determined individually upon admission.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: One to three weeks or one to three months.
The Paseo Project AIR Fellowship
The Paseo Project / Taos, New Mexico
One of the Paseo Project’s many programs in Taos, the AIR Fellowship supports artists developing community-engaged, site-specific projects. Previous fellows include Joanna Keane Lopez. The program features a weekly stipend and invites artists to activate their projects within the Taos community.
Deadline to apply: TBA; recent cycles have used winter or spring deadlines.
Application fee: $25.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $500 per week.
Length: Two to four weeks.
The Paseo Project Artist in Residence at Hotel Willa
The Paseo Project / Taos, New Mexico
Hotel Willa, recently named to Travel + Leisure’s “Best New Hotels” list, offers artists a live-work studio in the heart of Taos. Presented through the Paseo Project, this self-directed residency gives creatives time and space to focus on their work while engaging with one of Taos’s emerging artistic hubs.
Deadline to apply: TBA; recent cycles have used winter or spring deadlines.
Application fee: $25.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Four weeks.
The Paseo Project Taos-to-Vermont Artist Residency
The Paseo Project / Taos, New Mexico, and Johnson, Vermont
The Taos-to-Vermont Artist Residency is open to full-time Taos County artists working in any visual arts medium. The opportunity supports a fully funded three-week residency at Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, one of the largest international artist residency programs in the United States. Reimbursement is available for travel expenses and materials.
Deadline to apply: TBA, expect a spring deadline.
Application fee: TBA.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Three weeks.
Ranch Residency
Ranch Residency / Northern New Mexico
Located one hour north of Santa Fe, Ranch Residency offers visual artists time and space to develop a focused project in a rural setting. Residents stay in private casitas and share a renovated barn as a studio, with the option to work throughout the property. The residency culminates in a pop-up exhibition, which residents help install and deinstall.
Deadline to apply: Closed for 2026, expect an early March deadline.
Application fee: $100 residency fee for accepted residents.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: TBA.
Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program
RAiR Foundation / Roswell, New Mexico
For more than fifty years, the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program has offered artists what it calls “the gift of time.” Located on fifty acres outside Roswell, the residency includes six houses, eight studios, a monthly stipend, and access to workshops for printmaking, digital media, woodworking, welding, and ceramics. Additional support may be available for spouses and children.
Deadline to apply: Applications reopen January 1, 2027.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $1,100 per month, plus $250 per month for supplies.
Length: Twelve months.
Santa Fe Art Institute Thematic Residency
Santa Fe Art Institute / Santa Fe, New Mexico
Located on Santa Fe’s Midtown Campus in a Ricardo Legorreta–designed building, Santa Fe Art Institute has helped shape the city’s residency culture and community-engaged arts landscape. Its rotating Thematic Residency supports individual artists and collaborative groups, with an emphasis on public dialogue, community-based programming, and social justice.
Deadline to apply: TBA; there are currently no open calls. Historically, thematic residency deadlines have often fallen in spring.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $500.
Length: One to three months.
2026 Social Engagement Artist Residency
IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts / Santa Fe, New Mexico
The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, one of the country’s leading museums for contemporary Indigenous art, invites Pueblo painters focused on socially engaged art to apply for this ten-day residency. Fellows receive access to MoCNA staff and resources, along with a stipend and material support.
Deadline to apply: June 30, 2026.
Application fee: None.
Housing: None.
Stipend: $6,000, plus up to $1,000 in material support.
Length: Ten days.
Spinal Cord Artist Residency Fellowship
Santa Fe Art Institute / Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Spinal Cord Artist Residency Fellowship is a fully funded, two-year pilot program created by and for artists with spinal cord injuries. Co-developed with SFAI alumni Minna Hong, Wes Holloway, David McCauley, and Reveca Torres, the access-centered residency supports eight artists annually (starting this year) with barrier-free creative research, community engagement, professional development, and support for daily living needs.
Deadline to apply: TBA for 2027, 2026 residents are already selected.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: $2,500, plus fully funded travel and additional support for personal care assistants, studio art assistants, exhibition support, and cultural field studies.
Length: TBA.
Valles Caldera Artist-in-Residence Program
Valles Caldera National Preserve / Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Valles Caldera’s vast volcanic landscape offers artists the chance to spend time amid sweeping grasslands, forests, and roaming elk and deer. Each year, five artists are selected for the program, which is open to writers, visual artists, textile artists, sculptors, musicians, composers, performers, and videographers. Residents must offer a public program and donate an original work inspired by the residency.
Deadline to apply: March 15, 2027.
Application fee: None.
Housing: Provided.
Stipend: None.
Length: Two to four weeks, from June through October.
