artist residencies at Fort Worden

ProgramResidenciesArtist Residencies

ABOUT CENTRUM RESIDENCIES

2024 Session

Since 1974, the Centrum Artists-In-Residence program has welcomed hundreds of writers, artists and creative thinkers to immerse themselves in the historic charm and natural beauty of Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington. The campus has sweeping views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges, miles of wandering beach and forest trails, and a peppering of World War I–era batteries and bunkers.

Creative professionals from all disciplines and backgrounds can take advantage of charming cabins, studio spaces, and a rich array of resources. Residents can expect semi-rustic experiences in comfortable cabins or apartments. Visual artists have their choice of a few studios of different sizes, including use of the printmaking studio at Corvidae Press for experienced printmakers. Our campus includes several organizations with whom a resident can arrange to connect such as: Rainshadow recording studio, Madrona MindBody Institute, the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, Copper Canyon Press, and Northwind Art.

Above all, artists cite their residency as a unique opportunity to focus on their practice outside of many of the pressures of work, school, or expectation-based constraints.

*New in 2024 is our Local Artist Studio Space Residency, open to artists living in Jefferson County, Washington. The application is open all year, read below to learn more and apply.

Spencer Garland attending Centrum art residency

Applications for 2025 Season Closed

Applications for 2026 will open next spring

Artist Residency Facts

  • 1-4 week residencies available, some include: free housing, studio and stipend
  • NEW Residencies for 2024! In the Making Residency & Local Artist Studio Space Residency
  • Access 400+ acres of forest, beach and historic Fort Worden State Park
  • Program established in 1974

Art Residency at Centrum

What is a Residency?
A period of time dedicated to rest, rejuvenation, experimentation, and/or production of new work for artists, writers, performers, musicians, scholars, and creative professionals of all kinds. Residencies take many forms and have a range of conditions and components to them.

What is a Centrum Residency Like?
Depending on the program, our residencies look a few different ways, but all take place in historic, rustic, former military housing units on the campus of the Fort Worden State Park. Situated among public trails, Northwest wildlife, and scenic views, the environment is one that provides lots of opportunity for solitude and connection to nature. Our residencies are well suited to people who are fairly independent with their needs, flexible and patient with the nuances of older buildings, okay with cooking for themselves, and able to be alone for good chunks of time in between social opportunities. If this describes you, we encourage you to keep exploring our programs!

What are you looking for in a residency? Which program is right for you?
Perhaps you are recovering from an intense period of production and need to dramatically slow down. Perhaps you really need a workspace for a big project you’re launching soon. Maybe you want to just try something new? Maybe there’s something about our location that is calling you?
While our residencies place an emphasis on solo time, we also strongly believe in cultivating community and connecting residents with the local region. Some of our programs provide more support for this than others. We know that some of our residents enjoy the quiet solitude of the campus and that some rely more on social engagement and the insights of other creative workers. We have different programs for this spectrum of needs:

• In the Making residencies
• Curator & Arts Worker Residency
• Emerging Artist & Writers Residency
• Self-Directed residencies
• Local Artist Studio Space Residency

The 2024 residency season and waitlist have already been determined and scheduled. Applications for residencies in 2025 will be open from April 15 - June 30, 2024. The application is free, however you must have an account with Submittable. Applications are taken via Submittable through June 30th (no exceptions!) and are reviewed and selected by a panel of jurors representing our alumni and a diversity of backgrounds and modalities. There is only one application for all juried residency programs: Emerging Artist Residency, Self-Directed Residencies, and In the Making Residency. Applicants need only apply once to be considered for multiple residency programs. Decisions about 2025 residencies will be made and applicants informed by September 30, 2024.

Accommodations & Studios
Charming and semi-rustic cabins and apartments contain private bedrooms and shared kitchens. Each two-three bedroom unit has a living room/dining room space, a fully equipped kitchen, and full bathroom. Artists are housed according to availability and individual working habits, preferences, and needs. Aside from self-identified groups, residents are given private lodging.

WiFi is limited and not guaranteed as part of residencies. Most studio spaces have good WiFi, while most cabins and apartments do not, due to the historic nature of the fort’s infrastructure. We’re actively working to fix this in the coming years. The Residency Lounge has excellent WiFi and can be reserved as needed.

Studio spaces are in separate buildings and come in several shapes and sizes. Some spaces have access to sinks and wall space. Currently there are no studio spaces with ventilation, so the use of oil or toxic materials is discouraged. The program manager works with artists on a case-by-case basis to determine the best location for various projects and mediums. Depending on the residency program, additional fees may apply for studio spaces. All technical equipment or supplies must be provided by the resident.

Can I…
Bring a partner, my family, or a collaborator? Yes, we allow partners, children, and collaborators and just ask that this is disclosed ahead of time. We expect and trust residents to ensure that anyone they bring on the residency will follow the same policies asked of the residents.
Bring a pet? Aside from registered service animals (not emotional support) we cannot accommodate pets at this time.

Meals
Meals are not provided in Centrum residencies, but all apartments and cabins are all equipped with full kitchens and a basic inventory of dishware, pots and pans, coffee makers, and cooking utensils. Fort Worden and Port Townsend offer up an array of dining experiences and there is easy access to grocery stores and local produce. We do grocery runs for folks without cars.

At Fort Worden, food service is found at:
Fort Worden Commons – breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Reveille Cafe – breakfast and lunch, coffee, pastries, and dessert
Cablehouse Canteen – tacos, burgers etc. on the beach 

How to get here
Port Townsend is two hours from SeaTac airport on a good day. For travel directions to and around Port Townsend, please see our Contact Us/Directions page.

Having a car is very helpful for exploring the Peninsula and having independent access to grocery and supply stores. That said, for residents without access to a car, there are public transit and private shuttle/taxi options that are available to all. 

Other notes:
• The campus is about a mile from downtown shops, grocery stores, and entertainment.
• Centrum works in partnership with several organizations including Corvidae Press, Northwind Art, Madrona Mindbody Institute, the Jefferson Historical Society, and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, among others. Any projects involving these organizations will need to be coordinated directly and are subject to the individual availability of the organizations. We will help make introductions!

Receiving mail & packages
You may have letters (only) sent to your name c/o Centrum at PO Box 1158, Port Townsend, WA 98368. The postal service does not deliver to our door, so we ask that you don’t ship parcels and boxes via the United States Postal Service (USPS). Package delivery services delivers directly to our office, and you may send supplies for your residency via UPS, FEDEX, DHL. Please use our physical address for all parcel deliveries:

Your name
c/o Centrum, Fort Worden
223 Battery Way
Port Townsend WA 98368

What to Bring
Along with your art supplies, laptop, and anything else that makes you feel at home, don’t forget your own shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Layered clothing is strongly recommended; the climate in Port Townsend can be warm, cold, and windy, all in the same day! Sturdy shoes for hiking the trails at Fort Worden are encouraged.

Will I be lonely?
While all our residency programs have varying degrees of community support, we find that some people thrive in isolated cabins, and some people struggle with daily distance from interaction. If daily social interaction is important to you, we recommend you:
*Consider bringing a collaborator or partner. Yes, it’s allowed! We just need to know ahead of time.
*If applicable to your practice, opt for applying for The Emerging Artist Residency which has more opportunities and support than the Self-Directed Residencies.
*Attending our weekly coffee check-ins and self-organizing with others in residence can also help foster community while here.

Will I feel safe?
Residents have been thriving in this environment for fifty years, and the utmost care is taken to make sure it is safe. Some things to know:
Port Townsend presents as a predominantly white community, and we are actively working with our community to ensure safe spaces for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We are continuing to build resources for communal support with our BIPOC residents and we are happy to have conversations around specific needs or concerns.

Fort Worden is semi-rural and up close with wildlife. You will see deer everyday. Very rarely, but occasionally, there are cougar sightings. We stay on top of pest control and just ask residents to be mindful of storing food and closing windows/doors.

The buildings are old. We work hard to keep them warm and safe from the outside elements, but they are prone to creaking and occasional “quirks” as well as small pests. We regularly monitor, clean, and take preventive measures, but is also part of life in old buildings on the park.

Park Rangers and security staff maintain a consistent presence.

In the late fall and winter months, the park is usually quiet and empty, while the late spring/summer months are very populated with a range of campers, conference-goers, weddings, or other gatherings that take place in non-Centrum spaces.

More Details
Download our handbook here to preview the grounds, lodging, studio spaces, and answer more of your frequently asked questions.

Find more answers - Centrum FAQs

Residency Programs

Self-Directed Residencies are largely solitary, with an optional weekly coffee meet-up with other residents. These happen January-June, September, and November-December. This program is fee-based, with fee-waived scholarships available.

• Cost: $450/week for lodging plus $50-100/week for studio
• Stipend/Honorarium: None, but a limited number of Scholarships for waived fees are available.
Time of year: September and November-June.
Length: 1-4 weeks

The Emerging Artist Residency provides stipends, multiple resident gatherings, visiting artists & curators, and an open studio/public reading. This residency is aimed at visual and interdisciplinary artists in the Pacific Northwest who are towards the beginning of their creative paths and can benefit from the time to focus and receive support from a community of peers and specialists in their fields. This residency is always in October.

Cost: No fee charged for this program.
Stipend/Honorarium: $1500
Time of year: October
Length: 4 weeks

The Curator & Arts Worker Residency provides stipends, gatherings, and moments of facilitated conversation around key issues in the arts community. This residency is for independent, gallery, or organization-based professionals who curate a spectrum of artist experiences. For 2024, this residency is invitation-based.

Cost: No fee charged for this program.
Stipend/Honorarium: $1200
Time of year: June
Length: 1 week

(New for 2024!) In the Making residencies have public-facing components that could be a workshop, a temporary installation, a performance, or another type of community engagement at some point during the residency. Stipends and funds for these vary and are project-specific. These happen throughout the year. If you have an idea for In the Making, indicate so on your application with a brief description, and if selected, we’ll follow up to plan it in more detail.

Cost: There is no fee charged for this residency.
Stipend/Honorarium: Dependent on scope of project and funding.
Time of year: Varies and depends on project. Typically between September-June.
Length: 1-4 weeks.

Beginning in mid-2024, local artists residing in Jefferson County, WA can be considered for Centrum's Local Artist Studio Space Residency program. This is a workspace residency only and does not include lodging. This application serves as a way for Centrum to gather contact information for those looking solely for short-term studio space access. It is not a juried program.

 

At times, we have available studio space due to cancellations or other factors. We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to local artists in need of workspace. One of the benefits of participating in the Local Artist Studio Space Residency program is that every Tuesday morning residents meet at our Residency Lounge to talk about their work, learn about Centrum, Fort Worden, and Port Townsend, and most importantly, connect with each other. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet visiting artists in residency coming from afar, and truly embodies Centrum's key ethos of creativity in community!

 

We look forward to including you in our roster of local artists interested in studio space!
*********
Details and logistics of the Local Artist Studio Space Residency
1. Interested parties apply through our Submittable application portal to be included in a Local Artist registry for those interested in studio space as it becomes available
2. Depending on availability, on a monthly or quarterly basis Centrum staff will email out if there are studio spaces available with dates and studio space specifications.
3. Those interested can email back indicating they would like to use the studio(s). If there is more interest than availability, names will be chosen at random from a hat.
4. Local artists cannot do more than one residency per year.
5. Studios range from $75 - $100/week with limited scholarships available.

APPLY NOW - JEFFERSON CO, WA RESIDENTS

Photo of Vivienne Bessette

Vivienne Bessette

Vivienne Bessette (b. 1982) is a queer artist of mixed settler and Michif heritage (Red River Treaty 1). They are based on the stolen and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlí̓lwətaʔɬ Nations. Bessette incorporates drawing, painting, woodworking, sculpting, dying, writing, fermenting and building relationships with plants into their practice. They work in and out of the studio, the garden and the kitchen, developing sustainable and alternative modes of food production and utilizing unconventional materials.…

Photo of Ginger Brooks

Ginger Brooks

Ginger Brooks Takahashi is a transdisciplinary artist and educator. Her performance, installation, and site responsive works examine our relationships to the mediums that connect us. These public projects are platforms for intimate interaction, an extension of feminist and queer praxis. She received her BA from Oberlin College, 1999; and attended the Whitney Independent Study Program, 2007.…

Photo of Dawn Cerny

Dawn Cerny

Dawn Cerny was born in Carpinteria, CA and currently lives in Seattle, WA.  Cerny’s sculptures begin with the notion that “furniture” and “mother” are figures that secure a value (to others) for their potential to hold, display, or be absent-mindedly left with things. Putting form and color to work and entrusting no small part to contingency, these works behave as something like gestural understudies for a play about the day-to-day grinding weariness and joyful slapstick absurdity of human relationship—about trying to Work It Out…or not.…

Photo of Amanda Donnan

Amanda Donnan

Amanda Donnan is a Seattle-based curator with twenty years of experience in non-profit art organizations. She was formerly Chief Curator & Director of Exhibitions at Frye Art Museum, where she oversaw the artistic program and organized more than thirty exhibitions between 2017 and 2024. Her projects at the Frye include the solo or two-person presentations Jessica Jackson Hutchins: Wrecked and Righteous (2024), duane linklater: mymothersside (2021; traveled to MCA Chicago and Berkeley Art Museum), Dress Codes: Ellen Lesperance and Diane Simpson (2019), and Tschabalala Self (2019), as well as group exhibitions Door to the Atmosphere (2022; co-curated with Srijon Chowdhury) and Group Therapy (2018).…

Photo of Darrell McKinney

Darrell McKinney

Darrell McKinney is a Washington-based interdisciplinary artist. His practice explores the intersections across design, art, and architecture. The work speaks to how design can be utilized to explore the complexities of politics, race, and social infrastructure through the interconnectedness of history, people, and places.

He received a Master of Design from the School of the Art institute of Chicago.…

Photo of Ayesha Mohyuddin

Ayesha Mohyuddin

Ayesha Mohyuddin is a contemporary jewelry artist who explores identity, spirituality, and ways of knowing through body-related objects and performance. Ayesha is interested in capturing the complexities of home, history, and identity through material, ritual, performance, and eating. Her recent work uses food, cooking, and the tools of the kitchen to express the physicality of nostalgia, identity, and history.…

Photo of Ella Ray

Ella Ray

Ella Ray is a sister, friend, and an auntie based in Portland, Oregon. From 9 am to 5 pm she works as an arts writer and editor, art historian, and library worker. Through a critical writing and research practice guided by black feminist frameworks and homegrown archival methodologies, Ray seeks to honor black femme communication patterns and their corresponding visual and sonic representations.…

Photo of Reuben Roqueñi

Reuben Roqueñi

Reuben is a nationally respected arts administrator with over 20 years in progressive program development, management, artist-centric support systems and grantmaking experience. He is currently Executive Director at Portland Institute for Contemporary’s (PICA) whose programming supports the experiments of the most vital and provocative artists of our time. Previously, he was Director of Transformative Change Programs at Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, serving Indigenous artists across the US.…

Photo of Sadaf Sadri

Sadaf Sadri

Sadaf Sadri is an Iranian new media artist based in Seattle. The focal point of their work revolves around the concept of interruption. Their interest in disruption lies in the void that emerges in the wake of the discontinuation of the established power systems. This void, they believe, offers a space to imagine alternative narratives that might otherwise remain unexplored.…

Photo of Fin’es Scott

Fin’es Scott

Fin’es Scott is a Seattle-based textile artist that explores themes of Black joy, rest, Afrofuturism, and environmentalism. Her work is the antithesis of Black trauma, which is often exploited in art and media. Her process involves creating artwork by combining traditional craft with modern digital tools.

She studied design in New York City and has been sewing and illustrating for over 20 years.

Photo of Omid Shekari

Omid Shekari

Omid Shekari is a visual artist from Tehran currently living in Pittsburgh. He employs various approaches and methods of artmaking to explore his visual language within 2D and 3D spaces. His objects are attempts to understand and give forms to our complex social relations, specifically the relationship between repressed and repressor that has existed in our society and has been normalized under capitalism.…

Photo of Anna Skutley

Anna Skutley

Anna Skutley is an independent curator and researcher currently based in Seattle. While pursuing her postgraduate education in the UK, she facilitated various URL and AFK projects for art organizations and festivals, exploring the possibilities of gaming, servers and digital archives as community art spaces. Her PhD research proposes feminist worlding as a methodology for digital curating, with a specific interest in the Digital Commons, feminist technologies and Feminist Science-Fiction writing.…

Photo of Jo-ey Tang

Jo-ey Tang

Jo-ey Tang is an artist, writer, and curator who experiments with the formats of versions, repetitions, and iterations as an ongoing engagement with time and its potential. As an artist, he has exhibited at Kunsthalle Zürich; Musée d’art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne; IAC – Institut d’art contemporain, Villeurbanne / Rhône-Alpes. His writing on art has appeared in Brooklyn Rail, Flash Art, Paper Monument, and artforum.com, and for exhibitions and publications at Centre Pompidou, Wexner Center for the Arts, and Baxter Street / Camera Club of New York.…

Photo of Meghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor

Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is a Seattle-based artist, writer, lecturer, performer and curator. Trainor’s practice centers her scholarship in the throughlines between computer science, technology, and esoterica. She frames this through storytelling around bogs, logic and digital witchcraft, and the use and histories of electronics and electricity. Trainor is the Curator of the M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery at Seattle Central College.…

Photo of April Werle

April Werle

April Werle (she/her) is a narrative painter, whose works investigate how culture is internalized and negotiated as a mixed-race person. Influenced by her Filipino heritage and multicultural upbringing, Werle’s works explore themes of mixed-race identity, family, and belonging. She reimagines memories and shared family stories, skillfully capturing the nuances of body language, particularly through the expressive use of hands.…

Creative Events

More Creative Programs

Centrum offers a variety of creative programs for artists of all ages,
experience the creative spirit.

Events

Explorations (Grades 7-9)
Mar 2, 2025Youth
Chamber Music Series: Merz Trio
Mar 23, 2025 2:00pmChamber Music
Water World (Grades 5-6)
Apr 13, 2025Youth
Brazilian Choro Workshop & Festival
Apr 22, 2025Brazilian Choro

Browse The Archives

Centrum photo archives

Posts By Category