SART - Siena Art Institute

Are you an Artist / a Writer?

The Siena Art Institute (SART) offers residencies that award professional artists, writers, musicians and sustainability professionals the opportunity to stay and work in Siena. We welcome all types of artists and writers for our residency programs, including but not limited to 2-D, 3-D, video, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.

Past & Upcoming Resident Artists

Residency programs

The Siena Art Institute (SART) offers residencies that award accomplished professional artists & writers the opportunity to stay and work in Siena. We welcome all types of artists and writers for our residency programs, including but not limited to 2-D, 3-D, video, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.

Direct Application Residencies

The month-long Summer Residency Program grants resident artists a studio space at the Siena Art Institute & a private 1-bedroom apartment in the historic city center of Siena, as well as flight compensation (up to $1200)  for getting to and from Italy.  Summer Residents are granted uninterrupted time to pursue their own independent projects, as well as the opportunity to explore the area of Siena, and interact with the local community.  

Resident Artists are asked to present a public talk about their work in Siena and interact with our program participants through an organized activity, such as an open studio, afternoon master-class or critiques of student work. The scheduling of these events will be coordinated with our program staff.

The Siena Art Institute’s Studio Residency Program provides artists a private studio for one month at the Siena Art Institute. Residents are granted uninterrupted time to pursue their own independent projects, as well as the opportunity to explore the area of Siena, and interact with the local community.    

Studio residencies can be scheduled throughout the year, depending on availability. 

Unlike summer residency and Studio/casa residency, studio residents are not provided with accommodation.  If residents need help finding accommodation Siena Art School can assist. Please contact us for more info at residency@sienaart.org.

While not required, Studio Resident Artists and Writers are also invited to hold at one or more open studios/exhibitions/performances/screenings during their residency and lead workshops with the Siena Art Institute’s summer program participants or members of the local community.  

The Siena Art Institute’s Studio/Casa Residency Program awards accomplished professional artists & writers a studio at the Siena Art Institute and a one-bedroom apartment located in Siena. Studio/Casa Residencies can be scheduled throughout the year, depending on availability. Residents are granted uninterrupted time to pursue their own independent projects, as well as the opportunity to explore the area of Siena, and interact with the local community. The 1-bedroom apartment in the historic center of Siena includes utilities, standard speed wifi and heating. Please note the apartment will not have A/C or a dishwasher. Please contact us for more info at residency@sienaart.org.

While not required, Studio/Casa Resident Artists are also invited to hold one or more open studios/exhibitions/performances/screenings during their residency and lead workshops with the Siena Art Institute’s summer program participants or members of the local community. 

During the winter months of January, February and March we offer 1-month or shorter residencies to sustainability professionals.

Resident Sustainability Experts are granted time to pursue their own independent projects as well as the opportunity to explore the area of Siena and interact with the local community.

While not required, Resident Sustainability Experts are also invited to hold one or more talks during their residency and to lead workshops with the Siena Art Institute’s students, teachers and members of the local community.

Please write to residency@sienaart.org.

Apply Now

The deadline to apply is September 30 for the following calendar year. Please note that the application deadline is midnight Italian time. If you are applying for more than one of our residency programs in the same year, simply indicate this on your application form. You do not need to send multiple applications or send us more than one application fee per year. Please note that only finalists will be notified of selection, following the month-long review of our selection committee. If you have not been notified in the month following selection, you have not been selected. We are not able to offer feedback on residency applicants’ portfolios.
Apply now by clicking here

The online application includes:

  • Residency Application General Information Form.
  • Residency Statements (Project Proposal and Artist Statement).
  • $50 Application Fee.

Special Residency programs

Special Residency Programs at the Siena Art Institute are selected from around the world through an invitation-only nomination process.  The Siena Art Institute does not accept direct applications for our Project Fellowships unlike for our Direct Residency Programs.

Pratt Institute Partnered Residencies

Since 2018, the Siena Art Institute has collaborated in a residency partnership co-sponsored by Pratt Institute’s School of Design and Pratt Fine Arts. 
Here are some of our previous and upcoming Pratt residents:

  • Kerry Ryan (2025)
  • Gregory Drasler (2025)
  • Chris Radcliff (2025)
  • Susan Cianciolo (2018)
  • Nat Meade (2018)
  • Curtis Mitchell (2019)
  • Robin Mollicone (2019)
  • Nanette Carter (2021)
  • Claire McKinney (2022)
  • Matt Nolen (2022)
  • Dean Sidaway (2023)
  • Analia Segal (2023)
  • Borinquen Gallo (2024)
  • John Monti (2024)
  • Gene Lakin (2024)

For more information about previous and upcoming residents and visiting artists at the Siena Art Institute, visit our page

Project Fellowship

Professional artists or collaborative teams are invited to realize an artistic project designed to capitalize on Siena’s resources, culture, and community.  

Project fellows are asked to give a public presentation to introduce themselves and their work to our community.   They are also asked to hold a formal critique session with our students.   Depending on the nature of the Fellows’ projects, students and/or community members may be invited to be project participants.

The following are previous project fellows and their projects.

Fall 2019:
Bik Van der Pol, (Liesbeth Bik & Jos van der Pol) conceptual artists & installation artists, Netherlands
John Kenneth Melvin, visual artist, USA
Fall 2018:
Sidra Zubairi, interdisciplinary artist and designer, Pakistan-Qatar
Fall 2017:
Kathy Butterly, visual artist, USA
Fall 2016: “The Seeming endless path of memory”
Imran Qureshi: Visual Artist, Pakistan
Fall 2015: “Alveare” (Hive)
Ellen Driscoll: Visual Artist, USA
Fall 2014: Orientamenti: Reshaping Past Traditions
Wafa Hourani: Visual Artist, Palestine
Fall 2013: Above/Below Ground
Mark Dion : Visual Artist, USA
Amy Yoes : Visual Artist, USA
Fall 2012: L’Eclisse Redux
James Voorhies : Curator and Art Historian, USA