Applications open for Botanical Artist in Residence Program

In 2025, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) will host the fifth iteration of the Botanical Artist in Residence program. Residents selected for this award will reside at Oak Spring in spring or summer, when the gardens and landscape are in bloom. This residency provides botanical artists time and space to work on their own projects, utilizing materials from the formal garden or the broader 700-acre landscape, and to visit the rare book library that includes many examples of historical botanical art.

Award Information

• This award includes a $1,000 individual grant and an offer to purchase one final work on paper for $1,000 that will be accessioned into the OSGF Florilegium, and a 2 – 4 week residence at OSGF.
• Residents should arrange transportation to Dulles International Airport. They will then arrange transport to the Oak Spring estate in Upperville, VA.
• Residents who complete this program will be able to apply to their annual Alumni Residency.

What they Provide

• Residents will attend introductory tours during their first week on site with other botanical artists, and Interdisciplinary Residents. This will include tours of the formal garden, landscape, and library. After this introduction residents are free to work independently on their projects, explore their 700-acre sustainably managed landscape, and make appointments to visit the library during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm).  Botanical artists will also be asked to attend about 3-weekly meals with their 2-week Interdisciplinary Residents, who will also be on-site. The meals are a good opportunity to socialize, and learn about what other residents are working on.
• Residents are housed in nicely appointed homes where they will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other artists. Botanical artists will also have a dedicated studio space in their accommodations, or in close proximity. Residents will be provided with a bicycle during the residency to help them get around their large, rural site. Due to the relatively isolated nature of their site, some residents may wish to bring or rent a car during their residency.
• Botanical Artists will be able to request permission to utilize plants in the formal garden, or other areas of the property. Please note that artists must request permission, and a staff person will most likely assist the artist in removing or transporting their specimen to their work space.
• In 2024, OSGF will be happy to offer connections at local organizations where botanical artists will be able to select and procure plant specimens to illustrate for their final piece. They welcome and encourage artists to let staff know their interests before they arrive, so they can make any useful connections ahead of time.

Eligibility Criteria

• Botanical artists with an established track-record and a well-developed body of work are eligible for this opportunity.
• Only artists working from direct observation of plant specimen to create scientifically accurate depictions should apply.
• They will consider botanical artists who work in the following mediums: watercolor, pencil, pen & ink, colored pencil, mixed media, oil, acrylic, gouache, egg tempera, original prints (ie. aquatints, etchings, etc.).

For more information, visit Oak Spring Garden Foundation.