The Peyton Evans Artist Residency (PEAR) Program
The PEAR program brings artists and writers of all disciplines to Key West for one month of dedicated time and space. Residents stay in a renovated historic guesthouse beside The Studios’ Eaton Street facility, a block from Duval in the heart of Old Town. Each resident has a private live/work space, with a shared kitchen and courtyard, and a bike for getting around the island — quiet enough to disappear into the work, with the galleries, theater, and bookstore right next door. Nearly 40 artists come through the program each year, in a city that has drawn artists to it for a century.
Program Areas
Our residency program welcomes artists working across a wide range of disciplines and creative practices. Applicants choose one of five program areas, each designed to support focused time, space, and exploration. Review the program areas below to see where your work fits best.
2027/28 Media Arts Program
Media Arts Residencies are intended for filmmakers, video artists, animators, sound designers, and practitioners of digital and time-based media — artists developing projects realized through moving image, audio, or emerging technology.
2027/28 Musical & Performing Arts Program
Musical & Performing Arts Residencies are intended for composers, musicians, choreographers, dancers, theater artists, and performance makers — individuals developing new work that comes alive through sound, movement, or live performance.
2027/28 Arts Research & Development Program
Arts R&D Residencies are intended for curators, editors, arts organizers and administrators, art historians, and more — individuals who are developing work or projects outside of a studio practice that advance their fields in a meaningful way.
2027/28 Visual Arts Program
Visual Arts Residencies are intended for painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers, ceramicists, and interdisciplinary artists — makers whose practice is grounded in the studio and who need dedicated space and time to develop a new body of work.
2027/28 Literary Arts Program
Literary Arts Residencies are intended for poets, novelists, essayists, playwrights, translators, and narrative journalists — writers at work on a defined project who benefit from uninterrupted time and the company of a peer community.
APPLICATION AT A GLANCE
Applications for the 2027–28 residency cycle will be accepted January 25–May 15, 2027 through SlideRoom. Residencies take place October 2027 through August 2028, with each month-long residency running from the 2nd through the last day of the month. The application fee is $45, and there is no fee to participate in the residency. Applicants will be notified of their status by July 15, 2027.
When applications open, artists will complete an online application and submit materials that help us understand their work, practice, and goals for the residency, including an artist statement, work samples, project proposal, résumé or CV, and website or portfolio link.
Full application guidelines will be available when the cycle opens.
Want to know more about the residency?
Explore the Program-
Each year, hundreds of artists apply to the PEAR program. Approximately forty artists are selected annually for month-long residencies in Key West.
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Yes. The PEAR program encourages meaningful connection between visiting artists, local creatives, audiences, and the broader Key West community.
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Both. Artists are encouraged to balance focused studio time with opportunities for community connection and creative exchange.
Interested in Applying?
Applications are currently closed — but we’d love to stay in touch.
Our next residency application cycle opens January 25, 2027 for residencies taking place October 2027 through August 2028.
If you’re thinking about applying, join our interest list and we’ll send you a friendly reminder when applications open, along with important dates and residency updates.