Helene Wurlitzer Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation offers three-month residencies to visual artists, writers and musical composers on its 15-acre campus in Taos, New Mexico.
IP TAKE: The Wurlitzer Foundation does not award traditional grants. Its philanthropy consists of three-month residencies for visual artists, writers and musical composers. The foundation runs an open application program, with applications due on January 18 for residences the following year. It’s accessible and approachable.
PROFILE: The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was established in 1954 in New Mexico and is one of the oldest artist residency programs in the U.S. Helene V.B. Born in 1874, Wurlitzer’s wealth came from her family’s mining businesses in the Southwest. She became a resident of the artist colony in Taos in the 1940s and later established her own residency program. Located on a 15-acre estate in Taos, the Wurlitzer Foundation “serves as a haven for visual artists, literary artists and music composers.”
Grants for Writing, Music, Film and Visual Arts
The Wurlitzer Foundation “offers three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to people who specialize in the creative arts.” The program is open to artists working writing (prose, playwriting and poetry), musical composition, film and the visual arts, and the facility is able to host 11 artists at a time for three yearly residency sessions. Applications consist of submissions of artistic work, and applications are reviewed by “a selection committee consisting of professionals who specialize in the artistic discipline of the applicant.” The residency program includes the cost of utilities, but transportation is not included. One way in which the Wurlitzer residency differs from many other artist-in-residence programs is that participants “have no imposed expectations, quotas, or requirements during their stay.” For examples of past residents, see the foundation's alumni page.
Important Grant Details:
The foundation accepts applications online and via mail for its three annual residency terms, with applications due on January 18 for residencies in the following year. Application guidelines and materials are available at the foundation’s application page. General inquiries may be directed to staff members via the foundation’s contact page or telephone at 575-758-2413.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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