The East 40 2026 Artist-in-Residency Program

About the East 40

The East 40 artist-in-residency program is dedicated to offering visual artists, writers, performers, designers, and other creative individuals time and space to investigate and pursue their own practices while integrating the community and providing a collaborative learning environment.

The dream of the East 40 community – since its inception in September 2010 – is to create and foster a welcoming space for place-based learning.

With the dedication of NCC’s students, faculty and staff, and members of the larger community, the East 40 has grown to embrace that dream. With a tranquil setting that includes meadows, gardens, and forest, it not only offers a natural environment, but one that offers space to honor hand-crafting and the creative process. Sustainability is a theme that centers all we do and plays a vital role in linking together our varied efforts.

The twin concepts of justice and equity provide for a valuable mindset for our participants and partners, and the shared lens by which we process and understand our work.

About the Artist-in-Residency

The East 40 residency program, which began in 2021, has 2-3 slots available for Summer 2026 depending on available funds and resources. One slot is reserved for NCC faculty or staff and one is reserved for a visual artist. One person can satisfy both requirements. The other slot(s) are open to all areas of the humanities.

If your project includes a longterm site-specific installation East 40 management will be in conversation with you on the length of the install based on available space and other programming onsite

Resources available at the East 40 include a solar bank, power tools, tractor, and construction materials. Contact us if you have questions about other resources, facilities or tools available

Parameters for Proposals and Resident Artists

To be considered for this residency, proposed projects must directly address, utilize and be specific to the East 40. The East 40 is primarily an outdoor space with a few simple shelters. Resident artists may have limited access to the art program facilities in Communications Hall on our main campus, however the focus of the residency is the East 40.
NCC requires that residents provide an interactive service to the college community during the residency. This may include, but is not limited to: the development of a community education workshop or unit to be included in a credit course, a lecture with demonstration, improvement to the East 40 or other NCC campus location.
All residencies will result in a culminating project to be finished up to a year following the completion of the residency. The culminating project for the visual arts residency will consist of an exhibition in Communications Hall Gallery on the NCC campus. Residents in other disciplines may participate in this exhibition or can conceive of another culminating project.
The stipend for each resident is $3000. $2,000 of the budget will be dedicated to the residency and $1,000 will be dedicated to the culminating project. Limited housing can be available on a case-by-case basis at the residence hall on campus at no charge to the resident, space permitting.
The residency will be 2-6 weeks in duration and can be completed contiguously or in segments from July 12 to August 22.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm EDT Sunday, March 15, 2026

Recipients will be announced mid-April, 2026.

For more information on the East 40, visit https://www.northampton.edu/business-and-community/east40/.

Questions? Contact rgorchov@northampton.edu

Suggestions for a Strong Application

Be specific in your writing as to why your project needs to happen at the East 40. Speak to themes/ideas as well as materials
Image quality matters. Ensure photos are in-focus, include the entire artwork, do not include elements that are not part of the artwork unless you have reasons to do so, avoid cast shadows, include one image per JPG or PDF so that work can adequately be appreciated
File quality matters. Ensure adequate sound and image quality in photos, videos and audio files
Look at past applicants. We aim to invite a broad range of creatives to the residency. If your project is similar to that of a previous resident speak to how it is meaningfully unique

Name

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Bio: Write a narrative biography to share professional accomplishments and to give us context for your trajectory as an artist/performer/designer/or other creative person. (one to two paragraphs)

Proposal: Describe your work and what you envision the Artist-in-Residency to look like should you be chosen. Make sure to include how this experience will serve you / in what ways the East 40 will provide a unique resource for your work. (200-500 words)

Budget: List your proposed residency budget (cost of materials, your time, etc.) and specify how long will your residency be (minimum 2 weeks - maximum 6 weeks).

College Service Idea: NCC requires that residents provide a service to the college community during the residency and/or within a year following the conclusion of the residency. What is your idea for the community engagement component of your residency and how do you plan to complete it? Please include resources you may need including but not limited to assistance and materials. Please also include estimated materials costs if applicable. (200-500 words)

Provide 1-5 items of your portfolio: Images, Videos, Audio, or PDF (max 100MB per file). Name your files: firstnamelastname#