PLAYA Art/Sci Awarded Residency 2027

PLAYA is a residency program in Lake County, Oregon, set on traditional Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Paiute lands in the high desert near Summer Lake. The program is structured around cross-disciplinary exchange between artists and scientists, framed around the natural landscape — selection criteria explicitly weigh an applicant's connection to science, especially as it relates to Lake County's natural assets, alongside the quality of their work.

The 2027 Awarded cycle offers four jury-selected session options: January 21 to February 15 (25 nights), February 18 to March 1 (11 nights), July 15 to August 2 (18 nights), and October 28 to November 15 (18 nights). Cohorts run 6 to 10 residents at a time, drawn from visual arts (including photography), literary arts, performing arts, new media, interdisciplinary practice, and science.

Residents receive free housing in 1- or 2-bedroom cabins with kitchens and bathrooms, studio/workspace access, and one shared group meal per week. There is no artist stipend, no travel stipend, and no materials stipend — residents cover their own travel, groceries beyond the weekly group dinner, and art supplies.

Applications run through SlideRoom and require 10 to 15 work samples (for visual artists), five short essay responses of roughly 250 words each, two professional references (forms due July 19, 2026), and a description of studio space needs. The application fee is $40, with full waivers available on request. The deadline is June 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT, with decisions announced by October 1, 2026.