04/21/2026
1708 Gallery announces its call for applications for the third year of the pilot Artist Residency Program, open to artists residing within a 600-mile radius of Richmond, Virginia, USA. $10 application fee. Must be 21-years-old or older.
The pilot Artist Residency Program is located on the second floor of 1708’s building at 319 W. Broad Street in Richmond’s downtown Arts District. The pilot will help 1708 further define the full vision for its future program, which will expand our mission to empower and support diverse artists’ voices. The pilot residencies are FREE, and 2 months in length running from November 2026 through August 2027.
Applications are due: May 22, 2026
Apply here: https://1708.slideroom.com/ #/login/program/88642
1708 is seeking candidates who are working towards a specific outcome (a future exhibition, public art project, community engagement program, or other), and willing to participate in regular dialogues during their tenure about their experience and provide feedback upon their exit. This residency does NOT provide an exhibition in the gallery.
1708 will provide a private living/working space that includes: A large open room with north facing windows, full kitchen, 3 private bedrooms with doors (no windows), 2 full bathrooms, washer, and dryer; a $1250 monthly stipend; access to basic equipment and supplies; AND assistance planning a public program to take place during the residency. The apartment is only accessible via a staircase. NO PETS ALLOWED. This pilot is well-suited for collectives or artists with families.
For the pilot Artist Residency Program, we are seeking artists:
Located within a 600-mile radius of Richmond.
Who are working towards a specific outcome (a future exhibition, public art project, community engagement program, or other). Please note, this residency does NOT provide an exhibition in the gallery.
Who are willing to learn alongside us, provide feedback from their experience, and help shape the future program. This is a pilot program and 1708 is seeking a candidate who is willing to participate in regular dialogues throughout their tenure about their experience and provide feedback upon their exit.
While the application is open to all levels of experience, we’re especially interested in candidates with previous residency experience who can provide informed feedback to help us shape our future program. Additionally, the specific details and size of the space make the pilot residency especially well-suited for collectives and/or artists with families. Applications will be reviewed by jurors.
Selected applicants will be notified by June 29, 2026.
About 1708 + the future Artist Residency Program
One of the longest-running nonprofit arts spaces in the US, 1708 was founded in 1978 by faculty members from Virginia Commonwealth University at 1708 East Main Street to present artists and projects that reflected their commitment to provocative contemporary art. Today, 1708 is located on Broad Street in the city’s Arts District and is a crucial member of Richmond’s art ecosystem, a leading organization in the region in providing significant resources to artists who are working in a noncommercial capacity, and an accessible platform for the community to experience contemporary art.
At 1708, we believe artists are essential members of our community and necessary to move our culture forward. We believe artists’ work reflects upon, re-frames, and challenges contemporary thinking and issues. We believe artists provide transformative, unconventional, and exploratory experiences that expand perspectives for our audiences. We believe artists connect and build communities both locally and nationally.
In December 2021, 1708 purchased our building–a former storefront space on Broad Street in Richmond’s downtown Arts District with apartments on the second and third floors. This was an important milestone in our plans to develop an international artist residency program that will expand our current mission to empower and support diverse artists’ voices. For the full residency program, live/work spaces will be developed on the second and third floors to provide artists with time, space, and resources to develop new ideas and refine existing ones.
1708 will host two virtual meetings via Zoom to provide an opportunity for potential applicants to ask direct questions about the application and selection process for the pilot Artist Residency. The meetings will be Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6 at 5:00 pm. Please register in advance to attend. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/MZZBvnQWTvGUiLjezdMcAA #/registration
For more information, please contact [email protected].
