2026 Artist Residencies at Alchemy Art Center

Alchemy Art Center hosts a seasonal artist residency program on San Juan Island, WA for artists working in the mediums of ceramics, printmaking, fiber art, or darkroom photography. The program offers a unique opportunity to live in an immersive arts community, connect with the wider San Juan Island community via teaching and outreach activities, and have focused time to create art in an environment that supports collaboration, cross-pollination, and innovation. Artists-in-Residence are encouraged to work in all of Alchemy's focus areas and experiment with mediums they may not have tried before.

The program offers two types of residencies. The Teaching and Special Projects Artist Residency runs May 1st to May 25th, 2026, designed for artists who specialize in ceramics, printmaking, fiber arts, or darkroom photography. This shoulder-season residency is perfect for artists seeking more time and space to focus on their work, with opportunities to teach adult-level classes or help with special projects like infrastructure improvements. The Artists in Community residency occurs during summer months with two cohorts: Summer I (May 29th - July 15th) and Summer II (July 18th - August 31st), focusing on community engagement through free workshops, youth mentorship, and collaboration with local programs.

All residency opportunities include a work exchange of 15 hours per week and a personal living stipend of $300 per month. Applicants must be over 21 years of age, comfortable living semi-outdoors and sharing communal spaces with up to 8 other people, and able to complete the weekly work exchange. Professional opportunities may include a final exhibition in the dome gallery space and an artist talk in partnership with the San Juan Islands Museum of Art. The application requires work samples (10-20 images), CV/resume, and references, with an entry fee of $15.00.