This opportunity supports and celebrates artists working at the intersection of food and art. Open to creators of all backgrounds—not only those with traditional fine arts training—the program invites anyone whose creative practice engages food as material, whether through research, performance, sculpture, social practice, or event-based work. The residency unfolds in two parts: a 10-day winter session on Ox-Bow’s campus (dates confirmed with the final cohort) and a culminating public program held in summer or fall of the same year. Up to six artists or collaboratives are selected each cycle.

Residents receive room and board during their time on campus, a $1,500 artist fee in support of their public program(s), a $600 travel stipend, and a $200 materials budget for the winter residency. Additional materials funding and event support are provided for the public program. Throughout both sessions, residents have access to Ox-Bow’s professional kitchen, studio spaces, and the support of staff who specialize in both culinary and artistic production.

As an art school and residency centered around the communal experience of dining, Ox-Bow views the kitchen as a studio and hospitality as an art form. The Culinary Artist in Residency emphasizes collaboration, experimentation, and care—inviting participants to explore how food shapes community, narrative, and creative exchange. The winter session fosters research and dialogue, while the public program encourages residents to share their vision through an immersive event.

Finalists are interviewed prior to final selection. Applications are open to individuals and collectives, with participation determined by panel review.

Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency invites current and former faculty, visiting artists, fellows, residents, students, and staff to submit work for a group exhibition at Poor Farm celebrating Ox-Bow’s roots as a The Summer School of Painting. 

Organized by Executive Director Shannon Stratton, this year-long exhibition features work from Ox-Bow’s archives, nested exhibitions curated by faculty and a selection of pieces by alumni. 

The exhibition considers the expanded possibility of painting “en plein air” - the founding principal of Ox-Bow - as a range of practices that engage with site, environment, duration, atmosphere, and the social or conceptual conditions of working in and with the outdoors. 

All submitted work must have been created during your time at Ox-Bow. We welcome submissions across disciplines that respond to or challenge traditional notions of plein air, from direct observation to experimental, process-based, or research-driven approaches.

• Artists may submit up to three works for consideration. 
• Work must be able to withstand display in a space with no climate control. 
• Ox-Bow can support the cost of shipping, but not packing the work. 
• We are unable to provide artist fees for this exhibition. 
• Work needs to be received by August 21st in Chicago, IL

Organized in tandem with Ox-Bow’s 2026 Visionary Award, honoring long-time faculty and Poor Farm founder, Michelle Grabner, Out in the Field: The Expanded Plein Air at Ox-Bow takes Ox-Bow to another artist-run, rural residency, reflecting our own roots as an artist-founded and run community. 

We look forward to seeing how your work engages with the evolving possibilities of plein air.

Out in the Field: The Expanded Plein Air at Ox-Bow opens September 25-27th, 2026 and runs until August 2027.

Faculty are encouraged to submit course proposals to teach at Ox-Bow for the summer and winter.

We are currently taking proposals for our Summer 2027 and Winter 2027 season. We are no longer in need for proposals for 2026.

SUMMER SESSION, June - August

 Proposals for the Summer Session can be for 1-, 2-weeks Ox-Bow has 6 main studio areas-- painting and drawing, ceramics, papermaking, printmaking, metals, and glass, but will consider proposals in a variety of disciplines, including sound, fiber, performance, sculpture, art history, photo, film, new media, writing, visual and critical studies, and interdisciplinary areas.

  To propose a course you will need the following information:

•  Faculty Name, email, phone number, website if available
•  CV, or Resume (an MFA is required to teach a for-credit class at Ox-Bow)
•  Course Name
•  Session for which you are proposing
•  Course Description paragraph should be in the following format: 100 words addressing overall concept, 100 words addressing artists and readings, and 25 words addressing assignments and projects.
•  Not required but recommended—documentation of faculty and student work, may be in the following formats: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, jpg, gif, mp3, mp4, tiff, png, mov. If this is included, please note that the program will automatically alphabetize your files so please name them accordingly. Please provide a documentation list which indicates the artist (Self or Student), title if known, media, etc.

WINTER SESSION, January

Proposals for the Winter Session are for 2-week classes. During the winter session, courses that are most successful engage the landscape and the winter weather. Ox-Bow has limited studio facilities available. Studios available for use are:

• Lutz, a group studio house available with 4 individual studio spaces
• Haas Painting studio, which can accommodate up to 18 students (and can be used for courses other than painting)
• Krehbiel Ceramics studio, which can accommodate up 12 students
• Print studio, with Etching, Lithography capacity, accommodates 12. (Screen printing is not available in the Winter Session.)
•  New Media Space, accommodates 12

Ox-Bow is also hosting online classes for the upcoming Winter session. If you have an idea best suited for online learning, please select "online" in the session category. These classes meet via Zoom everyday during a 2-week session. 

Art on the Meadow is a program that offers a variety of art-making experiences through short-term workshops for teens and adults on Ox-Bow’s campus. These community-driven workshops aim to provide an intergenerational, accessible space for artists to cultivate new work and ideas through experimentation and play within our rich, natural environment. Ideal workshops will engage participants of all experience levels, from novice to pro, and consider the specificities of Ox-Bow’s context.

Teaching artists from the West Michigan area are encouraged to submit proposals to teach workshops at Ox-Bow. Workshop instructors receive a teaching stipend and a budget for instructional materials. Please note that there is no additional travel stipend available for Art on the Meadow instructors at this time; however, if an instructor does not live locally, Ox-Bow will provide room and board during the duration of their workshop. 

Ox-Bow has facilities to offer workshops in painting, drawing, ceramics, papermaking and printmaking. We encourage proposals in a variety of disciplines, including: fiber, collage, craft, writing, poetry, watercolor, mixed media, and interdisciplinary areas. Please include the following in your proposal:

• Faculty name, email, phone number, website if applicable
• CV/Resume
• Workshop name
• Preferred workshop dates (June - October) 
• Length of workshop (half day; one day; multi-session)
• Brief description of core concepts and assignments (1-3 sentences) 
• Full workshop description (approximately 100 words)
• Budget/space/equipment information: Note that Ox-Bow has limited technological resources; please submit a list of equipment and materials needed for your workshop
• Not required but recommended—documentation of faculty and student work, may be in the following formats: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, jpg, gif, mp3, mp4, tiff, png, mov. If this is included, please note that the program will automatically alphabetize your files, so name them accordingly. Please provide a documentation list which indicates the artist (Self or Student), title, media, etc.

Questions? Contact Claire Arctander, Deputy Director, at carctander@ox-bow.org

This program offers artists and cultural workers of color dedicated time for communal living, creative practice, and rest on Ox-Bow’s historic campus in Saugatuck, Michigan. Designed to nurture reflection, collaboration, and renewal, the retreat provides individuals or groups of up to twelve participants space to create, organize, and connect within a supportive environment. Retreats may be scheduled for one to seven nights between September 14–20, 2026.

Participants receive lodging, two chef-prepared meals per day, and 24-hour access to our studios. Each retreat is self-directed, allowing participants to engage the campus in ways that best align with their interests and goals. Ox-Bow’s studios include facilities for metals, ceramics, printmaking, fiber, painting, and writing—each supported by on-site studio managers who can provide technical guidance and support.

The Hold Space Retreat celebrates the flexibility of creative practice. Proposals may include individual studio projects across disciplines, self-organized group retreats featuring collaborative projects or guest speakers, planning or research retreats for nonprofits or collectives, curatorial or exhibition projects using Ox-Bow’s gallery spaces, or social gatherings and creative dinners designed in collaboration with Ox-Bow’s culinary team. This openness allows each retreat to take on a rhythm and character that reflects the needs of its participants.

Proposals are reviewed by a panel of BIPOC artists and curators familiar with Ox-Bow’s programs. The Hold Space Retreat is fully funded and valued at $300 per person, per day. Participants must be 21 or older at the start of their retreat and may bring their children; however, Ox-Bow does not currently provide childcare or additional care support. Applications are open now and due [DATE].

Beginning in Fall 2026, artists are invited to apply for a 2–4 week, self-directed residency during Ox-Bow’s quieter seasons (September, October, November, March, April). Residents receive simple studio space, private accommodations, and shared meals while working independently on their practice.

Please complete the form below to express your interest. A portfolio is required.

This intensive, three-week studio residency serves artists from all generations and career stages who are seeking deep creative development and meaningful connection. Occurring August 9–29, 2026 on Ox-Bow’s historic campus in Saugatuck, Michigan, the residency brings together one facilitator, visiting artists, and a small cohort of residents for an immersive and collaborative experience. Longform is especially well-suited for painters, printmakers, fiber artists, and writers seeking a focused, discussion-driven environment that supports independent practice and thoughtful feedback.

Residents receive private accommodations, a dedicated studio space, and three chef-prepared meals per day. This structure allows participants to focus fully on their practice while benefiting from Ox-Bow’s supportive and communal environment.

Inspired by alternative learning models and low-residency academic programs, Longform cultivates a rhythm of rigorous engagement and open exploration. Participants take part in group discussions based on readings and topics selected by the facilitator, weekly studio visits with visiting artists, and hands-on workshops that expand familiarity with Ox-Bow’s facilities—including printmaking and papermaking. In the evenings, residents share their work through informal presentations that celebrate dialogue, curiosity, and exchange.

The cost of Longform is $5,750 and requires a portfolio application. Applicants may indicate interest in need-based funding and include a brief statement of need within the application.

This year, Longform will be facilitated by kg, who will guide the cohort through a series of conversations, readings, and shared inquiry across the three-week residency. The program will also feature a dynamic group of visiting artists who contribute through workshops, studio visits, and dialogue. Adelheid Mers, Matt Morris, and Hope Wang will join as Guest Artists, each leading a 3-hour workshop open to residents and offering individual studio visits. In addition, Dianna Frid will participate as a Visiting Artist, presenting an artist talk and conducting studio visits with all residents. Together, these engagements create multiple points of exchange, feedback, and connection throughout the residency.