Acadia National Park Artist-in-Residence Open Call for 2023

The Artist-in-Residence program at Acadia National Park encourages accomplished artists to create new ways for visitors to experience Acadia through the arts. In exchange for 14 nights in park-provided housing, participants are asked to host a public outreach activity with park visitors and to donate within a year one finished work of art based on their experience. Pieces donated to the program collection are included in an online catalog on the park website and displayed seasonally in public spaces in the park and surrounding communities. All program participants may be accompanied for the duration of their stays by one spouse or adult companion or one of their own children age 16 or older.

The maximum number of program participants each year is 12. Four spots are available for Visual Art (painting, textiles, sculpture, fine art photography, etc.), two spots for Writing (essays, poetry, drama, etc.), and two spots for At Large (music, dance, indigenous arts, emerging technologies, etc.). One additional spot in each category is available for Resident Artists—artists with a home or vacation property within commuting distance of the park. One additional Young Artist opportunity is available in any creative medium for a Resident Artist age 16 or older enrolled at a local high school. Resident Artists are not limited to a 14-day period and receive a vehicle sticker to access the park year round. They may spend three nights at a rustic ranger cabin on Isle au Haut or three nights in a room at a carriage road gatehouse during available seasons.

Applications are accepted July 1 through September 30, 2022 for residency opportunities in 2023. There is no application fee. All applications are reviewed by jury panels of past program participants, subject matter experts, local community members, and park staff. The park superintendent considers and extends official invitations to individual participants. Jury panels consider applications based on portfolio, accomplishments, and the proposed public outreach activity. Selected artists travel to and take part in the program at their own expense. There is no stipend or support provided beyond park housing and the possibility of collaborative opportunities with park staff. Local transportation is not provided; participants must possess a valid driver's license and personal vehicle. Housing options include apartments on the Schoodic Institute campus (available year round), rooms in a historic carriage road gatehouse on Mount Desert Island (typically available November through March), and a rustic cabin on Isle au Haut (typically available June through September). Each public outreach activity is planned on a case-by-case basis and participants may be reimbursed up to $150 with receipts for supplies and materials. Donated artworks must be accompanied by a brief statement describing how the piece reflects the artist's experience of Acadia or what new insight the artist hopes to convey to visitors. For visual artists, size is limited to 48 inches on any side for two-dimensional pieces and a footprint of roughly 18 inches square for three-dimensional pieces intended for indoor display.