From the High Plains to the Four Corners region, Colorado’s artist residencies are as rangy as its landscape. Find out which one is right for your practice.
Have you ever dreamed of pitching your pup tent next to an ancient Pueblo so you can paint your plein-air masterpiece straight out of bed? Perhaps your style is more historic stone cabin, or downtown Denver digs?
Thankfully, it’s not all craft beer and snow-capped mountains in the state named after the Spanish word for “red.” From the eastern High Plains to the Grand Mesa in the Four Corners region, Colorado’s artist residency offerings are as varied as its terrain. Whether you’re a local Coloradan needing a fresh perspective or an artist interested in a longer stay in the Centennial state, keep reading to find out which program is right for you.
Looking for even more residencies? Check out our other recent roundups here, or become a SWC Member to browse the SWC Art Opportunity Index.
Please note: this page will be updated as additional information and new deadlines become available. The recently ended government shutdown may affect several of the residencies.
Anderson Ranch Artist-in-Residence
Aspen
Do you crave weeks of time in a well-equipped studio with access to hands-on technical assistance, visiting artists, and critics—all with housing and meals steps away? Then Anderson Ranch, located in the town of Snowmass Village, is your chance. The Ranch offers up to forty-eight residencies split between fall and spring in the areas of ceramics, new media, photography, furniture design, woodworking, painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. Thirty-two of the residences are fully funded fellowships.
Application Period: December 17, 2025, to February 18, 2026.
Housing: provided.
Fees: $30 application fee; $1,500 fee for fall session, $750 fee for spring session, plus $100 studio fee.
Length: ten weeks in the fall (Oct-Dec); , two five-week sessions in the spring (February-March, March-April).
Canyons of the Ancients Artist-in-Residence
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado
Kivas, cliff dwellings, and petroglyphs abound in a landscape inhabited by twenty-six associated tribes and Pueblos for at least 12,000 years. And there are an estimated 30,000 archaeological sites in the monument’s 176,000 acres of land. In exchange for the residency, artists are asked to give a lecture, workshop, or demonstration at CANM’s Visitor Center & Museum, and contribute one piece of art to the AiR collection of CANM and the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance.
Application Period: ongoing, apply by September 15 for the following year.
Housing: yes; a house near the Visitor Center or the opportunity to camp in the National Monument.
Fees/Stipend: no application fee, $600 stipend.
Length: two weeks (in June for Indigenous artists only, in January or February for all other artists).
Center for the Arts Evergreen Artist-in-Residence
Evergreen, Colorado
If you like to make art with a side of live music then consider Center for the Arts Evergreen’s residency, which is located seventeen miles from the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater. It gets even better: artists are provided with a private cottage near downtown Evergreen, a fully-equipped private studio, paid teaching/workshop opportunities, space to exhibit their artwork, and an artist page on the CAE website.
Application Period: October 1, 2025.
Housing: provided.
Fees/Stipend: $40 application fee, $750 stipend.
Length: three twelve-week sessions (February-April, May-June, August-October).
Center for the Arts Artist-in-Residence
Crested Butte, Colorado
Sometimes the best time to be in a Western Colorado ski town is in the shoulder season: no summer tourists or winter ski bums, and the changing fall leaves (almost) to yourself. The Center, which started as a 6,000-square-foot repurposed garage space in 1985, is now home to 28,000 square feet of multi-use space, including a 350-seat theater, two art studios, dance studios and a visual art gallery. The residency culminates in a solo exhibition or performance in the gallery or theater.
Application Period: February 1-April 1, 2027. This year’s residencies are invitation-only but starting next year they will choose their artists via an open call.
Housing: provided.
Fees/Stipend: no application fee, $1000 stipend.
Length: two weeks (takes place in October).
Color Scheme Artist Residency
Denver
If you’ve ever daydreamed of a six-week solo exhibit in a metropolitan gallery, then the Denver Art Students League’s residency was designed for you. They offer access to a fully equipped 900SF studio along with tuition free classes across all mediums. The artist also has the opportunity to lead workshops, lectures, and community engagement programs.
Application Period: January-March, 2026.
Housing: no; the stipend is meant to cover this expense.
Fees/Stipend: $25 fee for the application, $4000/month stipend.
Length: seven months (January-July)
Denver Art Museum Native Arts Artist-in-Residence
Denver
Follow in the footsteps of artists Rose B. Simpson and Jeffrey Gibson and apply for the Denver Art Museum’s Native Arts residency. They offer space each year for two Indigenous artists to push their artistic practice, study the museum’s collections, and engage and collaborate with museum visitors.
Application Period: February 2026 (for 2027 residencies).
Housing: Extended stay hotel room with kitchenette (if needed, parking and pet fee coverage included).
Fees/Stipend: no application fee, $7,500 honorarium, separate materials budget.
Length: two three-week sessions. Artists may indicate their preferred dates and potential scheduling conflicts. Preferred dates cannot be guaranteed.
PlatteForum Artist Residency
Denver
Is there a social issue that’s firing you up? It’s time to apply for a PlatteForum residency. They accept artists in all mediums, and have a soft spot for socially engaged work. Residents lead weekly workshops with ArtLab interns, culminating in exhibitions and/or performances with local youth. In return, PlatteForum provides the artist with marketing and promotion, fabrication assistance, teaching assistance, opening event coordination, studio visits with local curators, and artwork sales.
Application Period: January 15-March 15, 2026.
Housing: provided for one out-of-town artist.
Fees/Stipend: $35 application fee (scholarships available), $2,800 stipend, $750 for materials, $200 for pre-planning.
Length: eight weeks (three or four residencies from September 2026-August 2027).
Redline Artist Residency
Denver
Calling all Denver-area artists—or anyone who’s always wanted to live in the Mile High City. If a free, private studio with 24/7 access for two years sounds good to you then Redline is your residency. On top of that, they offer a sweeping exhibition space, career development, and public relations support.
Application Period: ongoing; applications accepted until June for residencies that start in the fall.
Housing: none.
Fees/Stipend: no application fee; no stipend.
Length: two years. Five to twelve new resident artists are accepted each year.
Rocky Mountain National Park Artist-in-Residence
Estes Park, Colorado
If you are in need of natural inspiration, then the wildflowers and wildlife of Rocky Mountain National Park’s 400 acres of wilderness should do the trick. And they offer a historic stone cabin to sweeten your time there. They ask residents to present a lecture and offer one open studio day, and to donate one piece of art to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s AIR collection.
Application Period: opens November 2025.
Housing: provided.
Fees/Stipend: no application fee; some years offer small stipend (in 2025, it was $1,000-$1,500) and some years offer no stipend.
Length: two two-week sessions (between late May and early October).
Green Box Arts
Evergreen, Colorado
Green Box Arts is located in the foothills of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs on a campus dotted with permanent and temporary large-scale art installations—including a James Turrell Skyspace. In this idyllic setting, Greenbox invites six to eight artists per year to spend a month developing or creating new work. This residency is open to national and international artists, and all resident artists are expected to participate in community engagement activities, such as classes, performances, or open studios.
Deadline to apply: applications for 2027 residencies will open in September of 2026.
Housing: provided.
Stipend: $9,000 for individual artists, $12,000 for artist duos, $15,000 for trios.
Length: one month.
