The Artist Residency
The Artist in Residency program provides a unique, fertile landscape that nurtures artists and their process. We offer focused time and space for productivity, laboratory, sanctuary, and community engagement — for artists to transcend to new levels in their work, ideas, and lives.
The Elsewhere Studios Artist Residency opened its doors as a residency program in 2010 — and from the beginning, it felt less like a launch than a destiny. The building had been asking for this all along. The program has become a bridge between local culture and global communities, bringing the expansive greater world of art to this small rural town, cross pollinating with the artists who take the heart of this community back home and into their work.
We have welcomed over 300 artists from more than 21 countries to live and work here. Writers, visual artists, composers, musicians, performance artists, scientists, activists, teachers, students — any creative thinker at any stage of their career who is ready to go deeper into their work, their ideas, and their life.
The residency is, at its heart, a choose-your-own-adventure. Artists from around the world come for one to three months and find in Elsewhere whatever they most need: sanctuary for deep, focused work; a laboratory for experimentation and new ideas; or a community hub for teaching, collaborating, and connecting with the valley's rich creative life.
We are relaunching after a period of renewal — and will be putting a call to apply for 2007 residences soon!
“Elsewhere was such an amazing and vital part of my art making and mental health and I am so proud to have spent time with such a wonderful group of people.”
What the Residency Offers
Elsewhere offers a unique and fertile landscape where the desert meets the mountains, surrounded by orchards, farms, and vineyards, in a valley that has long attracted artists, organic farmers, and community-minded people drawn to a different way of living.
Residents have the freedom to structure their time as their work requires — working alone, connecting with the community, exploring the landscape, or some weaving of all three. The building holds three artistically crafted living and studio spaces, each with its own character. The main floor studio, shared kitchen, and common areas become a household — a small creative community within the larger community of Paonia.
Elsewhere generally houses three to four residents at one time.
Residents share their practice with the community through Final Friday open studios, impromptu events, workshops, and whatever else the moment calls for. Paonia's Final Friday art walk happens across town each month — residents are woven into a town that shows up for its artists.
Who We Welcome
Elsewhere is open to visual artists, writers, composers, musicians, performance artists, scientists, activists, teachers, students — any creative thinker at any stage of their career who is ready to go deeper.
We are committed to making the residency genuinely accessible. We offer a sliding scale fee structure, and we are actively rebuilding scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
Special programs have grown from the residency's roots over the years — including the Parent Residency, which holds space for artists who carry the full weight of family life, and the Indigenous Poet Residency, which honors the literary and cultural traditions of indigenous voices. These programs are part of who Elsewhere is. We are reestablishing them as we relaunch and welcome partners and supporters to help bring them back
Residency Fees
Elsewhere is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our fees are set on a sliding scale — structured to reflect both the true cost of the residency and our commitment to accessibility.
· The Sweet Suite — $1,100–$1,600 / month · The Loft Room — $950–$1,300 / month · The Gingerbread House — $950–$1,300 / month
The full cost of hosting one resident for one month is approximately $2,500 — the gap is bridged by grants, donations, and community support. Check out our pricing page to understand our fees and our way with money and scholarships.
““The role of a residency is to create a spaciousness that allows for the open flow of ideas, for experimentation, and reflection on an individual’s unique artistic process. While it is going to be different for everyone, for me it was a chance to hone my work ethic and focus my energies.” — Erika Lundahl, 2018 Resident”
Keep the Portal Open
No one pays the full cost of what happens here. If the residency has meant something to you — as an artist, a neighbor, or a believer in creative community — your support makes the next residency possible.
Elsewhere Studios · 107 3rd St, Paonia, CO 81428 · info@elsewherestudios.org Est. 1910 · Transformed 2006 · Residency Est. 2010