Arts Letters & Numbers was founded in 2011, at which point the summer workshop was the driving force of the organization. As the facilities grew, so too did the program, and in 2015 we established our year-round Artist Residency. In the intervening decade, the program has flourished, and hosted hundreds of artists from a wide range of disciplines. Our hope is to foster an environment of creative urgency and intensity of purpose, in which people are free to (inter)act, and from which new works and ideas may emerge. We welcome artists and thinkers from all disciplines to inhabit our spaces and pursue their questions, both individually and in collaboration.
The residency seeks to offer creative sanctuary, giving residents the freedom to shape their workspace and working rhythms within the historic Faith Mills Complex in rural Upstate New York. It also presents an opportunity to develop potential emergent relationships with fellow residents, and the broader local community. A warm Victorian home; a big white barn; textile mills turned studio space, and an old country Inn, surrounded by woods and lakes and buzzing with shared dinners and bonfire conversations, await your practice.
We are situated within an enthusiastic community that is highly active in the programming of Arts Letters & Numbers, including visiting artists, community events, open studios, workshops, exhibitions, and youth internships that run parallel to and interweave with the Residency Program. As an Artist in Residence, you will be invited to participate in and host some of these features, as well as to propose your own projects to foster and enrich the community dialogue, (i.e. lectures, exhibitions, performances, etc.), as and where you feel comfortable.
Foundational to Arts Letters & Numbers is that it is constructed by and between all of us: not just those who are directly involved in its day to day operation, but all of our participants, visitors, and local community members. As a resident and member of our community, we expect you will lend yourself to the greater project by caring for yourself and our spaces, while holding an openness to the diversity of our community.
As part of the application process, applicants are asked to select their preferred living arrangement. We offer private or shared rooms in one of three available living spaces: The House on the Hill, The Twins, or The Inn. For detailed information about each, please visit our Spaces page.
The 2025 Residency Program offers four seasonal opportunities with varying durations from 1 to 12 weeks. The Winter Residency runs from January 15 to March 15, with an application deadline of January 1. The Spring Residency spans April 15 to June 15, with applications due by April 1. The Summer Residency is scheduled from July 1 to August 30, with a deadline of June 15, and the Autumn Residency takes place from October 15 to December 15, with applications closing on October 1.
Winter/Spring
$350 (shared room) per week
Inn: $550
$500 (private room) per week
Inn: $650
$600 (private room for couples) per week
Inn: $750
1 communal meal per week will be provided for all on-site residents and program participants.
Summer
$550 (shared room) per week
Inn: $650
$750 (private room) per week
Inn: $850
$900 (private room for couples) per week
Inn: $950
3 communal meals per week will be provided for all on-site residents and program participants.
Autumn
$350 (shared room) per week
Inn: $550
$500 (private room) per week
Inn: $650
$600 (private room for couples) per week
Inn: $750
1 communal meal per week will be provided for all on-site residents and program participants.
Selection Process:
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for each season, and work samples are required for evaluating applications. The application form asks for a website, but if your works are not on a website, samples in PDF format, as well as any questions regarding the application may be sent directly to: residency@artslettersandnumbers.com. Thank you for your interest!
Eligibility
Applicants must be ages 18+ and may be of any nationality.
Arrival
Public transportation is available through the Albany international airport or Albany/Rensselaer train station. We are happy to schedule a pickup and drop off from either location. Upon arrival you will be given a tour of the facilities by an ALN affiliate, a run through of the protocols of the facilities and covid guidelines.
Accommodations
At our artist residency, we offer three distinct accommodation options to suit various preferences, ensuring that every artist finds a living arrangement that meets their needs.
1. House on the Hill: Centrally located on our campus, this option offers both single and shared rooms, making it ideal for those who thrive in a collaborative environment and prefer to be at the heart of campus activities. The house offers full living comforts, including access to cooking and laundry facilities.
2. The Twins: Just across the street from the House on the Hill, The Twins offer single and shared rooms within individual apartments, providing a bit more privacy. This option is perfect for artists who seek a balance between social interaction and personal space. The Twins also offer full living comforts, with access to kitchen and laundry facilities.
3. The Inn: For maximum privacy, The Inn offers single and shared rooms just a minute’s drive or a ten-minute walk from the main campus. This proximity ensures easy access to studios and communal spaces while providing a quiet environment for your stay. Although The Inn operates more like a hotel, with no on-site cooking facilities, residents can utilize the kitchens on the main campus. Additionally, guests staying at The Inn will receive a $50 weekly voucher to ALN’s La Perla Restaurant (voted “Best New Restaurant in the Capital District” in 2001), adding a delightful Italian dining experience to their stay.
Each accommodation option is an integral part of our campus, strategically positioned to support a productive and dynamic environment. Whether you choose the central location of the House on the Hill, the balanced privacy of The Twins, or the relative seclusion of The Inn, you will have access to all the resources and opportunities our residency offers. Our aim is to provide living arrangements that enhance the creative process and contribute to a fulfilling residency experience.
Local transport is provided to grocery stores and local transportation depots.
Studio / Workspace
Arts Letters & Numbers facilities are a collection of buildings once part of the former textile complex Faith Mills along Burden Lake Road in Averill Park, NY: the House on the Hill, the Twins, the Barn, the Studios and the Shop. With a variety of different sized studio spaces (socially distanced areas in both large and smaller rooms), a wooden barn and the outdoor grounds, we welcome artists to think of these spaces at sites they can work with and within. We’ll help you choose one that best suits your practice.
The Shop is equipped with basic woodworking tools and an assortment of power and hand tools. Additional equipment are digital media, musical instruments including a 9’ concert grand piano, a 5’ baby grand and upright piano all available for artists to use.
Expectations Towards the Artist
Artists are expected to pursue their individual creative endeavor and many times this calls for leading a workshop, giving a lecture, sharing a film, partake in critique, exhibiting/performing work etc. These are optional but has proven to be an integral tool for artists to find inspiration and to allow others to experience the works in progress or previous works. The artist will be encouraged to propose any form of sharing suitable for their work.
Everyone staying at Arts Letters & Numbers is expected to treat the facilities with care and consideration as well as be mindful of each other’s space. Whether it’s in a living or working situation, everyone is responsible to clean up after themselves, and to lend a helping hand when needed. Arts Letters & Numbers is based on the value and reward derived from communal efforts.
Staying at ALN you will become part of an ecosystem. During this time you will be asked to follow the guidelines provided, and respect the integrity of the spaces, property and personal spaces.
Additional Programs
Throughout the year Arts Letters & Numbers will hold additional onsite as well as online programs and events in parallel to the residency program, each of these has to be applied for or registered independently of the residency program.
Scholarships
There is a limited number of Scholarships available with partial reduction of the residency fee. Scholarships are only considered for applicants for whom this is crucial for their participation in the program, and require a separate application. The scholarship application should be submitted once the program application has been submitted.