Photo of Nicole Eisneman working at desk in Fallingwater living room at night

Artist/Scholar-In-Residence

A program of the Fallingwater Institute

Fallingwater has always been a place for inspired thinking. When Edgar Kaufmann, jr. donated Fallingwater and surrounding property to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) in 1963, he envisioned Fallingwater not only as a place where visitors would come to experience great architecture, but also as a place where a deeper experience of art and nature might occur. In a letter dated October 14, 1963, Kaufmann said, “This gift is made in memory of my parents, Liliane S. and Edgar J. Kaufmann; their wish, in which I join, was that the great natural beauty and architectural excellence of the property which they developed might be more fully available to interested scholars and lovers of nature and the arts.”

Each year, Fallingwater Institute honors the vision of Edgar Kaufmann, jr. by welcoming visiting artists/scholars of exceptional talent to live, study, and work on our historic site located in Pennsylvania’s scenic Laurel Highlands.

Fallingwater Institute’s residency program welcomes applications from established and emerging scholars, visual artists (all media), performers, creatives and professionals of any field who create original work. Preference is given to residency proposals that relate directly to Fallingwater, its setting, and engage the visiting public. Resident artists and scholars benefit from a place to concentrate while finishing works-in-progress, making a big push toward the completion of a project, beginning a new body of work or collaborating with colleagues.

Features

  • Exceptional access to Fallingwater and Bear Run Nature Reserve
  • On-site housing (Housing is available only for the artist or scholar and does not include family members or colleagues)
  • 24-hour studio access (Fallingwater does not have a digital media lab.)
  • A stocked pantry, meals
  • Transportation to/from Fallingwater
  • Final residency outcome such as an exhibition, installation, performance, workshop, lecture, publication, etc.

Program Inquiries

To learn more about becoming a resident at Fallingwater Institute, see the application section below or contact Ashley Andrykovitch at aandrykovitch@paconserve.org.

See Application Details

Eligibility

Resident opportunities are available to emerging and established artists, scholars, creatives and professionals who have demonstrated a strong work history. Students are not eligible. Both national and international applicants are accepted. Collaborations are welcome.

Application

The online application requires the following information:

  • Artist Statement and/or Research Statement: Please describe your work, what you intend to achieve while in-residence at Fallingwater, and how Fallingwater might serve as an essential source of inspiration, resource or part of your creative process. No more than two pages in length, size 12 font with standard, one-inch margins.
  • Work Samples: Please submit up to three work samples, not more. You may be invited to submit additional samples upon review of your application. The online form will accept pdf, doc, docx, png, gif, jpg, and jpeg and includes instructions for submitting alternate file types.
  • Resume/CV
  • Biographical Statement: No more than one page in length, size 12 font with standard one-inch margins.
  • Preferred Residency Dates: Suggest three possible dates.

Previous Participants

For more information, contact fallingwaterinstitute@paconserve.org.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel your registration for a one-day workshop any time up to 30 days before the day of the program, you will receive a refund minus a $25 processing fee.

If you cancel your registration for a multi-day program (residencies, Insight/Onsite, etc.) any time up to 30 days before the first day of the program, you will receive a refund minus a $50 processing fee and a $150 cancellation fee.

If you cancel less than 30 days before the first day of a Fallingwater Institute program, refunds are not available.