Rhinebeck Residency

This residency is specifically for the artist or writer who is looking to work on a longer-length work, such as a chapbook, manuscript, film, or play. This is our longest-running residency — we hosted the first one in 2016 — and the property sits on 27 acres, providing an oasis of lush silence and creative space amid the blues and greens of upstate New York. Known as The Crystal Cottage, the property is perhaps best known for the glass octagon attached to the side of the house, where our residents tend to congregate at different points throughout the day. (Note: the glass hut offers incredible acoustics during rainstorms, which are common during the summer months.)

Applications 

Applications for the Rhinebeck Residency, held in July, typically open in April.

Eligibility 

This is only open to past contributors, digital residents, and staff. Once we have published you, or have worked with you in a digital residency cohort, you are eligible to apply.

Costs 

It is free to apply and free to attend. The only cost to you is your travel and transportation to and from Rhinebeck, NY. We also ask all residents to cook up to three meals during your two-week stay (you will cover the cost of the groceries, but we can shop for you), as all of our residencies are about what everyone brings to the table, both literally and figuratively. We have found this community cooking aspect to be a special way for folks to share their favorite food, snacks, and/or culture with others.

About the space 

The Crystal Cottage has room for four residents. While there are some solo creative spaces, the majority are shared. On the main floor, there is a spacious, open-plan kitchen, a wood fireplace, a living room with several couches and plenty of lamps, and the acclaimed glass hut, with double sliding doors that lead onto a wraparound deck. The residents’ rooms are upstairs, but please note that there are only three bedrooms: two single-occupancy bedrooms with queen beds in each, and one double-occupancy bedroom with two twin beds. The Crystal Cottage has a rich history of harmony. For many decades, the Chou’s made their part-time home there. Wen-chung Chou — born in Chefoo, China, in 1923, arrived in the U.S. in 1946 on an architectural scholarship to Yale; he went on to study music, become the protégé of Edgard Varèse, and lead the music program at Columbia University — and Yi-an Chang Chou — born in Shanghai in 1927, she traveled throughout Eastern Europe with her diplomat parents before settling in Los Angeles in 1941 and launching her concert piano career —  loved the land and this house. Wen-chung composed much of his music here and Yi-an grew her second career as a floral designer here — all of her plants in the conservatory continue to flourish today. Yi-an passed away in May 2016, and Wen-chung currently resides in New York City. We continue to honor what they have created and are grateful to share it with you.