Oak Spring Garden Foundation Interdisciplinary Residencies Program

They offer 5-week or 2-week sessions of the Interdisciplinary Residency. The 2-week Interdisciplinary Residency program is designed for parents, caregivers, or others for whom a 5-week Residency is not possible. They encourage those who are able to apply to the 5-week Interdisciplinary Residency to do so.

Interdisciplinarity is a key value of OSGF, and this Residency provides ample opportunities for Residents to explore the various resources.  Beyond the time devoted to their projects, an Interdisciplinary Resident’s typical day at Oak Spring might include a walk to enjoy the landscape or birds; an appointment to visit the Oak Spring Library; and/or a morning spent volunteering at the BCCF or in the formal garden. These optional activities provide Residents time to learn from, and interact with the staff.

Who they Support

• The program is mainly directed to support individuals working in the following four overlapping, very broad, categories:
  • Artists and Writers
    • Individuals devoted to creative expression and innovative thinking that leads to new objects, movements, or ideas.  This includes, but is not limited to, artists, dancers, filmmakers and musicians of all kinds, as well as writers of both fiction and non-fiction. Visual artists creating book art, drawings, fiber art, graphics, illustrations, paintings, photography, prints, sculpture or other objects have been especially prominent in Oak Spring Residencies so far, but they are keen to support all forms of artistic expression.
  • Conservation Scientists & Practitioners
    • Individuals undertaking research, practice, or action related to the conservation and sustainable use of plants, and the ecological/environmental systems of which they are a part of. The work may be situated in environments ranging from “natural” to human-dominated, including in agricultural systems in which minimizing adverse environmental impacts and conserving biological diversity is a priority.
  • Researchers & Scholars in the Humanities
    • Individuals devoted to traditional or non-traditional research and scholarship in anthropology, art history, history, human geography, history, language, law, politics, sociology and religion with connections to plants, gardens and landscapes. The outputs from such work may be traditional high-quality scholarship, or other work that seeks to reach a broader audience, for example through electronic media. They are especially keen to support individuals who will make use of the exceptional collection of art, manuscripts, books and other objects in the Oak Spring Garden Library.
  • Plant & Ecological Scientists
    • Individuals undertaking basic or applied research in plant science at the organismal or ecological level, including the importance of plants in ecological processes of all kinds. Individuals may be pursuing research at the population or species levels, but might equally be addressing questions related to the ways in which plants participate in global systems or biome level processes. They are especially keen to encourage research on the plants, ecological systems and habitats of the Oak Spring landscape.

Award Information

• Residents selected for a 5-week session receive a $2,000 individual grant, and Residents selected for a 2-week session receive an $800 individual grant.
• Residents will be asked to arrange transportation to Dulles International Airport or Union Station, and OSGF will provide ground transportation to their site in Upperville, VA.
• Residents who complete this program will be able to apply to their annual Perennial Residency Program.

What they Provide

• The first week of the Residency will include required tours of the formal garden, landscape, and library.  This orientation period is important to introducing Residents to their site, resources and staff.  After this, Residents will be provided about 3 meals per week, and these are a very means of building community among Residents, OSGF staff, and other visitors who might be on-site.  OSGF’s Chef Jason creates artistic, delicious meals, that are inspired and crafted using the fresh produce grown on-site at the BCCF.  Residents are required to join all provided meals, and will take turns helping clean the dishes and space afterwards.  Beyond the weekly meals, they trust their Residents to use their time as they best see fit, and there will generally be a few optional weekly activities or field trips for Residents to participate in. The final week of the Residency, Residents are asked (but not required) to participate in a Residency Showcase. The Residency Showcase is an informal opportunity for staff and other program participants who might be on-site to visit with the Residents and learn about what they have worked on during their time at Oak Spring.
• Residents are housed in nicely appointed shared accommodations. Each Resident will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living space and kitchen with 1 – 3 other Residents. Visual artists will have 24/7 access to a studio within 0.75 miles of their accommodations, and other Residents will have a designated writing space in their accommodations.

Eligibility Criteria

• They recognize that individuals may be at different stages in their lives when they arrive at a point where a dedicated period in residency may would helpful to their work. There is no expectation that Residents be at a particular point in their career to apply for this program. They  do, however, expect that Residents be considerate, able to live with a housemate who might be in a different stage than themselves, and Residents must be interested in interacting with the other members of their cohort, as well as other program participants who might be at OSGF.
• They do not allow pets or overnight visitors during the Residency. Residents must arrive on the first day of the program and depart on the last day of the program.

For more information, visit Oak Spring Garden Foundation.