MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists program and the Studios at MASS MoCA artist residency give artists, writers, and performers of any discipline a range of support services, including residencies on the MASS MoCA campus, financial and business workshops, one-on-one coaching, and other professional development tools to help them achieve greater career success and financial independence.
Below are our current calls for applications. If you are looking for the Studios at MASS MoCA residency, that program accepts applications twice a year, and the application typically opens 2 months before that deadline (if the application is not listed below, then we are not currently accepting applications). See our department's Studios page for details.
Application for Studios at MASS MoCA Alumni only.
This application is for residency sessions between Jan. - Dec. 2026.
If you’re a Studios at MASS MoCA alum, we’re thrilled that you'd like to come back! We prioritize alumni who have not previously had an Alumni Residency at MASS MoCA, especially alumni who have reached another moment in their career when a residency in the Studios could be particularly beneficial. We ask alums to wait two years after your first residency before applying for the Alumni Residency opportunity.
Twice per year, we have an Alumni application that puts you in a separate pool from our extremely large General Application pools so you’re only competing against fellow alumni. While it's not as competitive as our general application pools, we only reserve a few alumni spots each season and acceptance is not guaranteed. Alumni are not currently eligible for residency fellowships or our regular financial aid pool targeted for new attendees; instead, you would pay a discounted alumni rate of $400/week for 4-week residencies and $450/week for 2-week residencies. (Note: those who have only attended a workshop-in-residence, rather than a self-directed residency, are not considered eligible alumni for this opportunity.)
We invite those Alumni who are able to pay the full rate of $650/week to do so, in order to enhance our financial aid dollars for those who have not yet been able to enjoy a residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA.
Residencies are either 2 weeks or 4 weeks in length, and all residents (10 per session) will receive:
- Private, furnished studio space at MASS MoCA, available 24/7.
- Housing (private bedroom/queen bed, shared kitchen and bath) in high-quality apartments directly across the street from the museum.
- One communal meal per day in the company of fellow artists-in-residence.
- A variety of professional development opportunities via 1-year priority access to our Assets for Artists Career Development Workshops.
- 3 months of MASS MoCA member benefits (covering the duration of the residency, and beyond), including free access to the museum’s galleries and discounts on performing arts events and museum store purchases. (Residents also receive free access to the nearby Clark Art Institute during their residency dates.)
- A studio visit with a MASS MoCA curator or guest curator.
- Chances to share your work either through Open Studios, presentations to your fellow artists-in-residence, and/or studio visits (all events are optional).
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL PROGRAM DETAILS
ELIGIBILITY
This application is only for alumni of the Studios at MASS MoCA.
Early Application for Residency Sessions from Jan. - Dec. 2026.
MASS MoCA invites artists and writers to apply for residencies of either 2 or 4 weeks in length.
Visit our website for full details on everything the Studios at MASS MoCA offers.
How is the Studios' "Early Application" different from the regular application?
Our "Early Application" is for artists who could benefit from additional lead time to plan their stay (with announcements made 7 months - 18 months before the session being awarded) so they can apply for outside funding from sources such as their university or international or regional arts councils. In contrast, our general application process is used to schedule artists for residency sessions typically occurring within 4 to 9 months of the deadline.
Artists applying with this Early Application will NOT be considered for MASS MoCA's financial aid budget OR fellowships, so you should only use this particular application if you are planning to fully fund your stay through outside grants or personal funds at our already subsidized rate of $650 per week. (The next general application with many full fellowship opportunities will be released March 1st, 2025, and will have a deadline of May 1st, 2025.)
If offered a residency from the early application process (decisions announced by May 2025), you will receive a formal letter of invitation to support any grant-writing efforts. A 50% deposit is due no later than 6 months prior to the start of your residency session, so select your preferred dates accordingly. If you are unsuccessful in securing the necessary funds to attend, then you can give up the slot without penalty up until 6 months prior to the start of your residency while there is still time for us to award the slot to someone through our general application.
Artists-in-Residents receive:
- Private, furnished studio space at MASS MoCA, available 24/7.
- Housing (private bedroom/queen bed, shared kitchen and bath) in high-quality apartments directly across the street from the museum.
- One communal meal per day in the company of fellow artists-in-residence.
- A variety of professional development opportunities via 1-year of priority access to our Assets for Artists Career Development Workshops.
- 3 months of MASS MoCA member benefits (covering the duration of the residency, and beyond), including free access to the museum’s galleries and discounts on performing arts events and museum store purchases. (Residents also receive free access to the nearby Clark Art Institute during their residency dates.)
- A studio visit with a MASS MoCA curator or guest curator.
- Chances to share your work either through Open Studios, presentations to your fellow artists-in-residence, and/or studio visits (all events are optional).
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL PROGRAM DETAILS
ELIGIBILITY
We welcome applications from artists at all career stages, income levels, and geographic locations. We primarily seek applications from visual artists (painters, sculptors, installation artists, photographers, video/new media artists, fiber artists, printmakers, etc.) and writers in all literary disciplines. We discourage applications from dancers, musicians, and other performers because our studios are only well suited for artists who work quietly (nothing is sound-proofed) and who don't require space for rehearsal / movement arts. Groups/collectives may apply to work on joint projects in the visual and literary arts. The studios have light-duty ventilation, so an art practice generating strong fumes cannot be accommodated.
COST / FINANCIAL AID
$650 per week per person for all. No financial aid or fellowship consideration for Early Applicants.
Learn more about how the Studios at MASS MoCA is contending with COVID-19