Now accepting applications for 2026 residencies. The deadline for all 2026 residencies is May 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Late applications cannot be accepted.
Ragdale is a non-profit artists’ community located on architect Howard Van Doren Shaw’s country estate in Lake Forest, IL, 30 miles north of Chicago. In 1976, Shaw’s granddaughter, Alice Judson Hayes, transformed her family’s summer home into an artist's retreat to provide time and space for artists to create important new work.
Today, Ragdale annually hosts nearly 200 visual artists, writers, dancemakers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists at all stages of their careers for 18-day residencies, making it one of the largest interdisciplinary artist communities in the country. Ragdale offers a retreat setting where at any given time, up to a dozen creative individuals experience uninterrupted time for dedicated work, a supportive environment, family-style dinners, and dynamic artist exchanges within a backdrop of 80 acres of nature preserves.
Complete this application if you wish to be considered for a residency in 2026.
Residency Awards, up to 165 awarded in 2026:
18-day residency session for individuals. Based on personal financial considerations, artists determine their own residency fee, and may opt to pay according to our suggested income-based sliding scale. No financial aid application is required. Admitted residents are responsible for their own travel.
Fellowships: We currently offer 11 fellowships each year. All qualified applicants may apply for fellowships through this application. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000. Fellowship recipients are encouraged to take part in leading a Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program, but is not mandatory. Details are determined upon acceptance of fellowship. All applicants who apply for fellowships will be considered. Please note that fellowship applicants may be awarded a residency without a fellowship award. Fellowship awards are disclosed upon acceptance.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
11:59 PM CST May 1. Late applications cannot be accepted.
ELIGIBILITY
Ragdale encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and to that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. While there are no publication, exhibition or performance requirements for application, applicants should be working at the professional level in their fields.
Ragdale encourages artists of all backgrounds to apply and does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age, disability, gender, origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
GUIDELINES
All applicants submit electronic materials through the Submittable application portal. Do not email or mail any application materials. Please note the following requirements to complete your application:
A completed online application form includes:
- A one-page artist’s statement and work plan explaining your work and what you plan to do while in residence.
- A one or two-page CV or resume that summarizes your professional background.
- Work samples that show work from the past 2-3 years. All media is acceptable. Most electronic file types and sizes are accepted.
- If you would like to be considered for a fellowship, we require an eligibility statement of 500 words or less for each fellowship you would like to be considered for. An eligibility statement explains how you qualify for the selected fellowship and how a fellowship would support your work at this time.
- There is an application fee of $25. This amount covers the cost of application processing. Ragdale does not profit from application fees. If you are in need of financial assistance to cover the processing fee, please reach out to the Residency Manager, Deanna Miera at deanna@ragdale.org, to request a fee-waived application.
*PLEASE NOTE: Letters of Recommendation are no longer required or accepted.
EVALUATION
Applications are reviewed by Ragdale’s Curatorial Board and staff. Evaluations of work are based on the following criteria:
- Work samples: Documented works are original, inventive, and exciting.
- Work samples indicate relevance in their contemporary field.
- Work sample presentation: Work samples are high-quality and technically proficient in execution, and are professionally presented and documented.
- Artist’s experience: Artist statement and CV/Resume reflects continued development of ideas, serious inquiry into subject matter, and exceptional aesthetic investigation in the chosen medium.
- Work plan: Artist demonstrates they will maximize the benefits of a residency at Ragdale. What is the reason for seeking time and space in this particular residency program and is there a sense of urgency reflected in the goals described?
NOTIFICATION
Applicants are notified of admission status via email in September, and final session date assignment notifications will go out in October.
COLLABORATIONS
Artists collaborating on a project must submit individual application forms and appropriate work samples, along with a joint description of the work they intend to do at Ragdale. Clearly specify your work and living space needs i.e. how many private studio and/or sleeping quarters are needed. You may also submit an example of a previous collaborative work (either completed or in progress).
TIMELINE
May 1: Application Deadline
September: Notifications of Residency or Fellowship award sent.
October 13: Accepted residents' final welcome packets with session dates sent
QUESTIONS?
All inquiries should be directed to Residency Manager Deanna Miera (deanna@ragdale.org). Please do not reach out through Submittable.