Call for Poets!

In recognition of the 29th anniversary of National Poetry Month in April 2025, Bethany Arts Community (BAC) in Ossining, NY is offering its fifth annual residency focused on poetry.

Bethany Arts Community designs its residencies to provide an environment where artists can work near each other, creating opportunities for cross-pollination, collaboration, and connection. Residents will find both solitude and community with a small cohort of other poets and artists sharing the residency. Residents will be surrounded by opportunities for uninhibited creativity during their time at BAC, in the form of other Poetry Residents, local studio artists, BAC staff and board members, those presenting programs on campus, and more!

A unique component of residencies at BAC is Community Programming. As part of a residency, we ask each artist to develop and facilitate a Community Program related to their residency plan. This part of the residency is an opportunity for artists to share with the local community in Ossining and Westchester County, and for the local community to engage with artists through their work.

Please read all guidelines and application instructions carefully, incomplete applications or submissions that exceed outlined content limits will not be considered. Please only apply to this residency if you are able to stay in residence from date start to date end.

The Poetry Residency is for one week: Monday, March 31 to Monday, April 7, 2025. Artists are provided room & board, a private studio, 3 basic meals a day (see note below)*, and a $225 stipend upon completion of the residency. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC and any supplies or materials needed for their practice. We ask that you only apply if you can stay for the entire length of this residency.

    *Please note for the 3 meals included during the residency, Bethany Arts Community is only able to accommodate for vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy-free, and/or gluten-free diets. Please contact submit@bethanyarts.org with any questions or if you have any further allergies/dietary needs not listed.

Application Deadline: Monday, January 6, 2025 at 11:59PM EST

Letters of Recommendation Deadline: Monday, January 13, 2025 at 11:59 EST

As letters of recommendation (LOR) are sent out at the time of application submission, we give applicants another week to ensure that their LOR is in. Please ensure your LOR is submitted by this deadline to be considered.

There is one letter of recommendation and one reference (not the person who wrote the LOR) required to be considered.

Notifications: Friday, February 14, 2025

We will be hosting two Q&A sessions for this residency application on Thursday, December 12 6-7PM EST & Tuesday, December 17 1-2PM EST. If you're interested in attending, please email submit@bethanyarts.org for the Zoom link. Attending these sessions will not impact the selection process for residency.

To check out our grounds, other residency programs, and more visit our website at www.bethanyarts.org.

If you have concerns or questions about accommodations for your artistic practice, please email: submit@bethanyarts.org

If you have issues using the submission form, please contact Submittable.

Bethany Arts Community residency programs are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, ArtsWestchester, and The New York Community Trust.

In 2022, Bethany Arts Community (BAC) identified the need and opportunity to support a longer-term fellowship specifically for emerging artists ages 21+. In 2025, BAC welcomes their third Emerging Artist Fellowship, running in two cohorts from May 22 to September 11, 2025 and July 24 to November 13, 2025.

This fellowship is designed to offer a creative home to emerging artists as they transition and deepen their professional careers and artistic practice. With provided support from BAC, Emerging Artist Fellows will be able to devote uninhibited energy towards creativity.  

Emerging Artist Fellows will be in a community of artists and culture workers from a broad range of disciplines, including our Fall Multidisciplinary residents, local studio artists, BAC staff and board members, those presenting programs on campus and more! In addition, EA Fellows will be invited to participate in education and enrichment programs, curatorial planning, and peek into the “back-end” of art institutions. 

 Bethany Arts Community strives to empower the voices of emerging artists in shaping their own careers and future programs at BAC and beyond. 

 The Emerging Artist Fellowship cohorts run for about sixteen weeks each, May 22 to September 11, 2025 and July 24-November 13, 2025. Artists are provided room & board, a private studio, and a $250 stipend per week. Meals will only be provided during other residency programs, approximately 5 weeks of the Emerging Artist Fellowship. Artist is responsible for transportation to and from BAC and any supplies or materials they may need for their practice. 

EMERGING ARTIST FELLOW REQUIREMENTS 

- 16 week commitment
 - 10 hours per week on average supporting Bethany program development 

• This may include, but is not limited to camp help, administrative tasks, meal prep, kitchen, and cleaning support during other residencies. 

- Community Program: This free-to-the-public program will be of the Emerging Artist Fellow's design with support from BAC. 

- Support and interact with other artists-in-residence, studio artists, and staff

ELIGIBILITY
 - 21+ years of age
 - Have a current artistic practice and goals
 - Interest in community building & engagement
 - Potential to benefit from the fellowship as an emerging artist

APPLICATION PROCESS
 - Submittable application with 1 letter of recommendation, submitted by the designated LOR Deadline outlined below (this recommendation letter also serves Reference #1) and a second reference.
 - Upon final round selection, an interview with Bethany Arts Community panel will be requested on March 5, 2025. 

SELECTION PROCESS
 - All applications will be reviewed by the Emerging Artist Fellowship Selection Committee.
 - Applications may be submitted between December 20, 2024 to February 19, 2025. Letter of Recommendation is due by February 21, 2025 for your application to be considered.

Applications Open: December 20, 2025

Application Deadline: February 19, 2025 at 11:59PM EST

LOR Deadline: February 21, 2025 at 11:59 EST

Interview Notifications: March 5, 2025

Interview Period: March 10 - 19, 2025

Final Notifications: March 21, 2025

We will be hosting two Q&A sessions for this residency application on Thursday, January 16 6-7PM EST & Friday, January 17 1-2PM EST. If you're interested in attending, please email submit@bethanyarts.org with your chosen date for the Zoom link. Attending these sessions will not impact the selection process for residency.

To check out our grounds, other residency and fellowship programs, and more visit our website at www.bethanyarts.org.
If you have issues using the submission form, please contact Submittable. 

This Bethany Arts Community fellowship program is made possible by the New York Community Trust.