Sawtooth National Recreation Area Artist-in-Residence 2026
Two-week artist residency in remote Idaho wilderness. Visual artists in any medium welcome. $750 stipend provided.
The Sun Valley Museum of Art and Sawtooth National Recreation Area are seeking visual artists for their 2026 artist-in-residence program. This unique opportunity invites artists working in any medium to spend two weeks in October living in U.S. Forest Service housing within the 756,000-acre Sawtooth National Recreation Area in the Sawtooth National Forest. The residency was established in 2021 following a proposal by former Idaho State Representative Wendy Jaquet, inspired by similar successful programs at other national parks like Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Selected artists will reside in likely a bunkhouse with private bedrooms and shared kitchen/bath facilities. The remote location comprises three designated wilderness areas and offers inspiring natural landscapes. Previous residents have created significant work, including Katherine Taylor's cast stainless steel sculpture "Wolf" and Rebecca Schultz's print series incorporating materials from the 2024 Wapiti Fire.
Artists should be interested in responding to the recreation area's mission to preserve and protect natural, scenic, historic, pastoral, and fish and wildlife values. The program provides a $750 stipend, though artists must arrange their own transportation and cover meal costs. Residents are required to create new work for an exhibition in summer 2027 and participate in one or two public outreach events during their residency.
This opportunity appeals to artists seeking inspiration from wilderness environments and willing to engage with remote, natural settings. Previous participants have integrated hiking, landscape observation, and natural material collection into their artistic practice.