Pedantic Arts Residency & Research Grant Open Call

About the Open Call

We are currently accepting applications for the Pedantic Arts Residency and Research Grant. The Pedantic Arts Residency is a 4-week collective program welcoming 3 creatives in visual art, organizing, and writing. It emphasizes an exploratory experience and fostering connections with the Pittsburgh arts community, and is not production-focused. The Pedantic Research Grant is a 1-2 week independent program for a creative in visual art, organizing, or writing, offering an opportunity to conduct self-motivated and Pittsburgh-related research on a specific subject or project. Residency terms include Summer 2026 (June 6 - July 3) and Fall 2026 (October 3 - October 30), with Research Grant dates available in August 2026, January 2027, or February 2027. Applicants must be 18 or older and non-Pittsburgh residents at the time of application. Pittsburgh is defined as the counties considered part of the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. Residency at the Pedantic apartment for the duration of the program dates is required. Residents will receive free furnished housing in a newly-constructed 3-bedroom apartment with private bedrooms, individual desks, shared bathrooms, full kitchen, living space, outdoor spaces, laundry, and street parking. One bedroom and bathroom are ADA-compliant, and there is an elevator. Residents will receive a $2,000 stipend to cover cost of living expenses, half of which will be given upon arrival and half upon completion of the term. Residents are responsible for their own travel to and from Pittsburgh. Each resident’s program will include facilitated access to Pittsburgh’s creative community, professional development opportunities, tickets and passes to Pittsburgh institutions and events, and free time for individual pursuits. Residents will be assigned to a Pittsburgh-based guide working in a similar field who will help create a schedule, offer suggestions for activities, and connect the resident to a network of local professional contacts. They will be in touch with residents both prior to and during the residency stay. The duration of the residency is 4 weeks, and the research grant is 1 or 2 weeks. Marketing and promotional materials will be handled by Pedantic, which will also aid in any public reception or program. Pedantic welcomes artists from all parts of the globe and has hosted many residents who are based outside of the United States. We recognize that traveling into the U.S. has become a larger challenge due to the current administration. Pedantic will support visa applications and offer assistance as needed and able. However, we encourage prospective residents to research their country’s immigration and travel policies ensuring there is a potential path forward prior to applying. All questions on the demographic portion of the application are optional, and this information helps ensure support for a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.

What is Offered

Free furnished housing, $2,000 stipend (for residency), facilitated access to Pittsburgh’s creative community, professional development opportunities, tickets and passes to Pittsburgh institutions and events, free time for individual pursuits, and a Pittsburgh-based guide.

Requirements

Applicants must be 18 or older. Applicants must be non-Pittsburgh residents at the time of application. Pittsburgh is defined as the counties considered part of the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland. Submission requirements include a Brief Bio, Description of Practice, Letter of Interest, two References with email addresses, Website link, Social Media Handles, CV (PDF, max 10MB), and Examples of your work (PDF or ZIP, max 1000MB). For art objects: PDF with 5–10 high-res images, titles, dates, mediums, dimensions. For video/performance: PDF with 3 links (up to 6 mins each). For organizer: PDF with 5–10 high-res images documenting exhibitions/programs, descriptive text, checklist, venue, year. For writer: PDF with writing samples (up to 10 pages total) and publication mentions. Texts must be submitted in English. Applicants must read and agree to the Pedantic Arts Residency Terms & Conditions. Only fully and accurately completed applications will be considered.

How to Apply

To apply, please read through the Terms and Conditions and then fill out the online form. View submission requirements for specific work types. The application form requires Legal Name, Preferred Name, Pronouns, Email, Phone, Address (excluding Pittsburgh creatives), Role (Visual Artist, Organizer, Writer), and selection of residency term(s) (Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Research Grant dates in Aug 2026, Jan 2027, Feb 2027). New applicants must provide a Brief Bio, Description of Practice, Letter of Interest, two References with email addresses, Website link, Social Media Handles, CV (PDF, max 10MB), and Examples of your work (PDF or ZIP, max 1000MB). For art objects, provide 5–10 high-res images with details. For video/performance, provide 3 links (up to 6 mins each). For organizer applicants, provide 5–10 high-res images documenting exhibitions/programs with descriptive text and details. For writer applicants, provide writing samples (up to 10 pages total) with publication mentions. Texts must be submitted in English. Applicants must confirm they have read the Pedantic Arts Residency Terms & Conditions. Email info@pedanticarts.org with any questions. Register for a free virtual Q&A on September 10 at 6pm EDT.