Texas Art Residency

About the Open Call

The Texas Art Residency, hosted by the Center for Contemporary Arts in downtown Abilene, offers emerging visual artists a transformative opportunity for creative practice. Open to artists working in painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, fiber, and new media, the residency encourages experimentation, drawing inspiration from the local landscape, history, and community. It provides dedicated time for focused work within a vibrant arts environment and welcomes artists to bring their families or partners. Residents will have access to a private studio and live in a private guesthouse, engaging with the local artistic community through programming, Artwalks, talks, and exhibitions.

What is Offered

The residency includes an honorarium of $2,000/month, a $500/month art materials stipend, a $500 food allowance, housing in a private guesthouse, and 24/7 access to a private studio. Residents also receive a bicycle for commuting, opportunities for community engagement, professional documentation of works (if desired), access to Center for Contemporary Arts staff, networking opportunities with local and regional arts professionals, promotion via social channels and website, a 5-week exhibition following the residency, and consideration for a possible traveling exhibition.

Requirements

Artists are highly encouraged to engage with the regional arts community. Artists should be willing to share their work, processes, and experience with audiences through the Center’s website, social channels, and printed publications. Artists are asked to donate one work to the Residency collection to be added to the Guesthouse.

How to Apply

Applications for the inaugural residency Fall 2025 are currently open and will close September 5th. Applications for all three cycles of 2026 will open September 1 and close November 1. Applicants apply via the SlideRoom portal (ccatx.slideroom.com) where they will be asked to provide a project proposal, upload 10-15 JPEG images of their work (up to 5MB each), supply 2 artistic/professional references, provide an artist statement, and pay a $10 non-refundable application fee. Finalists will be contacted for a virtual interview by September 10th and decisions announced by September 12.