Traditional Residencies – year round

Residency applications are accepted and reviewed on rolling basis. We are currently accepting applications for a few available slots in 2024 and most of 2025.

Founded in 2000, Zea Mays Printmaking is one of the first community studios in the USA to focus on safer and non-toxic printmaking practices. Housed in a mid-19th century brick factory building in a sleepy section of Northampton, Massachusetts, our studio comprises 6000 sq. feet of printmaking bliss.

Our Residency Program provides an opportunity for artists to work in a cutting-edge studio, research center, educational institution and artistic community. We strive to create an environment that is both professional and personal with great respect for the creative process of each artist.

Residencies are designed to fit an artist’s unique needs and desires. The core of the Residency is a prolonged time to work privately in our well-equipped printmaking studio. In addition an artist can add to their program personalized instruction in a host of printmaking techniques. It can be a time of learning and experimenting, or editioning, or the execution of a pre-conceived project.

Artists can apply for a residency as an individual or as 2 collaborators.

Residencies are self-funded by the artists and their supporters. Applications are reviewed by the studio director, Liz Chalfin, residency coordinator, Sheldon Carroll and rotating members of the studio.

Residency artist’s studio (the Annex)

Enjoy the luxury of a fully equipped private print studio within our print shop. The Annex is equipped with a 39.5″ x 72″ Takach etching press, large work tables, a sink and plenty of wall space for work in progress.

We can bring in a vertical etching tank, hotplate, large rollers, screen printing press as needed.

24 hour access/ 7 days a week. Spread out and dig in!

Residency artists have access to all of the other facilities in the studio during our open hours. These include:

  • airbrush aquatint booth
  • plate shear
  • photopolymer darkroom
  • screenprinting darkroom
  • Vandercook letterpress
  • Digital Lab (computer, scanner, Epson 4900 printer)

Details

  • Residencies are 2-12 weeks in length.
  • Residencies begin on Mondays (check-in 4-6 PM) and end on Sundays (at midnight)
  • Residencies include on-site housing in the apartment on the second floor of the studio. Artists applying for an independent residency have the entire apartment to themselves. Artists applying for a collaborative residency share the apartment with their collaborator.
  • Upon arrival Residency Artists will receive an orientation to the studio and equipment.
  • Technical instruction needs to be arranged in advance and costs $75/hour.

Costs

  • Individual Residency – apply as an individual artist and get private use of the Annex studio and the Apartment. $850/week (2 week minimum)
  • Collaborative Residency – apply as collaborators on a single project or two independent projects and share the Annex and the Apartment. $1200/week for 2 artists ($600 per person – 2 week minimum)
  • Extra occupant in the Apartment (by approval) – $30/night

Accommodations

The clean, cozy apartment on the second floor of our building is designed specifically for our residency artists. The apartment consists of two private bedrooms, a shared kitchen, sitting room and bath. Each room has two windows and high ceilings. Each bedroom has an XL full-sized bed (the width of a full/length of a queen), a 2’x4′ work table and chair, nightstand, lamp, shelves and hooks. The kitchen is fully equipped with a gas stove, microwave, full size refrigerator, table and chairs. Dishes, pots and pans, cutlery, coffee maker, kettle are all provided. The sitting room is furnished with a sofa, easy chair and tables. The bathroom has a shower, sink, toilet, and shelving. There is an additional ½ bath (wc) in the hall outside the apartment. We have 1 bicycle with lock and helmet available for our residency artists to use. There is wifi throughout the building. The entire building is heated and air-conditioned.

The Environs

Florence is a village in the city Northampton, which is nestled in the Connecticut River Valley and the renown 5-college district, which is comprised of Smith College, The University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Hampshire College and Mount Holyoke College. Each of these institutions have excellent museums. Northampton is known regionally for fantastic food, shops, music and galleries. This unique location offers the amenities of a thriving intellectual and cultural community and the outdoor distractions of the woodlands of the Berkshire Mountains and fertile farms of the Connecticut River Valley.