The Tend Artist Residency is situated within the larger framework of the Walkaway House. It is an ongoing project of
artists/hosts Carolyn Clayton and Benjamin Westbrook. Artists reside in beautifully renovated live/work studios on the first two floors of our unique historic home, located downtown North Adams, walking distance from MASS MoCA.

We welcome any type of artist, emerging or established, who embraces the ongoing pursuit of creative practice as an essential element of life and living. Tend residencies are designed to create space for and nurture ideas that need tending to - highlighting the long-game of creative practice. By bolstering artists with time, space and a fresh context for their work, we support the uninhibited incubation of new ideas that will in turn feed the creative heart of our community.

Tend Design by Chelsea Iris Granger
banner image: work by Lena Schmid

Tend as a Framework

To tend is to participate in a gentle, slow and persistent labor. Not the fast-paced, high pressure labor of terms like “produce” or "innovate”. These terms imply an end goal, a race to release something “great” into the world to then fend for itself. Tending, in contrast, is about the long game. It's about the maintenance and upkeep of something you care deeply about. It requires time, care and attention. Tending involves two elements operating in support of each other. It’s the stoking of an entity outside of yourself that in return feeds you in a meaningful way. Tending finds solace in the realm of the domestic. You “tend to the garden,” "tend to the fire,” "tend to a child,” "tend to the dishes,” ”tend to each other.” You can cultivate something by tending, though that something is not always tangible or deemed valuable by our capitalist society. It’s labor that must be done whether it’s profitable or not, whether visible or not.

We invite artists into the domestic realm of the Walkaway House, to participate alongside our family in a genuine effort to merge art and life. As we tend to the building, the home, our family and our practices, we invite artists to join us and spend a month tending to their practice in a way that is meaningful to them. We believe art making is a life-long practice and that residencies can create distance from the fast-pace demands of the outside world in order to focus on what is most important. We strive to foster an environment where artists can live among their work, using this fresh setting to work on the maintenance of their practice and person in tandem. Art and the artist both need tending. In return, art not only feeds the soul of the maker but those who bear witness to the results of this care.

What’s Included During Your Residency

✽ spacious private live/work studio ✽ wifi ✽ welcome dinner ✽ weekly shared meal ✽ residency kitchen ✽ pantry staples ✽ Instagram feature ✽ membership to MASS MoCA ✽ access to making facilities ✽ parking spot ✽ linens & towels ✽ weekly laundry use ✽ free one-night stay in the Walkaway Airbnb for your guests ✽ fabrication consultation ✽ public Open Studios (with 4-week residencies)

The Waiting Room is a live/work studio in the truest sense. The 500 sqft studio has 13’ ceilings, incredible natural light, a private half bath and a lofted single bed tucked away in a nook and easily hidden by a curtain. The Studio 1 artist will have access to a shower on the basement level as well as the communal residency kitchen.

The Looking Glass Suite is a 900 sq ft private artist suite. This space is divided into a studio space with 13’ tin ceilings, a separate bedroom (with full size bed) adjacent to the studio, and a private full bath. Studio 2 also is directly adjacent to the wood shop. The Studio 2 artist will have access to the communal kitchen on the basement level.

What to Expect

During a residency at the Walkaway House you stay with owners (and artists) Carolyn & Ben and their family, in a 8000 sq ft historic home downtown North Adams, Massachusetts. We love to problem solve and build things and invite you to participate alongside us in the shared pursuit of artistic practices.

As a resident, you receive your own private studio and living space on the first floor, access to the residency kitchen (two floors away from ours,) yoga and performance room, our shared tool collection, a wood shop and 3D printer. It’s walking distance to MASS MoCA, a super quick drive to a wide variety of outdoor activities, and one town over from The Clark Art Institute. Ben’s custom ironwork business Hammer on Steel is also located at the Walkaway House in the garage space out back. If you are interested in metal shop access while at the Walkaway House, conditional access can be coordinated directly with Ben.

Residencies at the Walkaway house are self-driven experiences. Situated in our family home, artists should expect a healthy balance of company and privacy (from humans and pets, we have a dog). The house has the vibe of a co-living space but with ample space for solo time. The grand central staircase connects all three floors in a way that means we will overlap in communal hallways. We invite artists to be as interactive or elusive as you choose. If you’re up for it, we love inviting artists upstairs for a home cooked meal shared together.

Please Note: Our family lives on the second floor and due to the realities of raising a small child, we can’t promise a completely quiet retreat. We do our best to mitigate sound and also provide residents with noise cancelling headphones. Additionally, we host a rotating number of Airbnb guests in our 3rd floor space, so expect a number of art tourists to come through the common spaces on the regular. As you’ve probably gathered by now, this is not your typical family home! It’s certainly never boring and there are lots of extra spaces built out to meet the needs of our residents, including a yoga and exercise room, separate residency kitchen, and private bathrooms to give you all the space you need.

In light of the live/work environment and the shared nature of the space, we ask that artists commit to working with non-toxic materials while in residence at the Walkaway House. This is important for the safety of yourselves and others living in the space. Talk to us about your creative needs. We have a lot of workarounds, including basement workspace, shop space and outdoor zones available for the overflow of messier processes from your private studio.

Covid-19 Precautions

While COVID-19 is still a concern, participating residents should feel comfortable joining the Walkaway House communal living environment. This includes Ben, Carolyn and our son Wylie who will be attending preschool plus guests coming and going from the 3rd floor. Our parents (Wylie’s grandparents) visit often to help with childcare. Maintaining open communication about comforts and concerns around COVID is key for all of us. We ask that residents agree to abide by any additional safety precautions that may still be in place during your residency to help prevent the spread/resurgence of COVID-19.

Pricing & Types of Residencies

Our residency season runs from March - December, offered as 2-week and 4-week sessions. We offer a range of possible residency types and weekly fees to accommodate different artists’ needs (see details below). Our residency model relies on short-term rental income from our 3rd floor in combination with our labor to subsidize the residency fees. The prices below reflect about half the real cost of operating the first two floors of the building where our residency takes place. We recognize, however, that artists have vastly different circumstances, access to resources, and barriers to paying for a residency experience. To accommodate for this reality, we have a handful of need-based fully-funded fellowships to offer made possible by our generous donors.

Studio # 1 pricing

• 2 week artist getaway: $700

• 4 week standard residency: $1100

Studio #2 pricing

• 2 week artist getaway: $1000

• 4 week standard residency: $1600

Extended Stays

• Longer stays of either 9 or 14 weeks are sometimes available depending on availability and time of year. Pricing is $275/wk in Studio #1 and $400/wk in Studio #2.

Come with a Friend or Collaborator

• Since we have two live/work studio spaces, we love the idea of helping you coordinate a residency at the same time as an artist friend, colleague, collaborator or family member. You don’t need to be working on the same project to benefit from the creative camaraderie of a trusted pal. If you’re interested in a shared residency experience please both apply and make note of this in your application.

Family Residencies

• Interested in bringing your family along? We love that! We will work with you to find an optimal time in our residency schedule to accommodate a family residency. Space-wise, there are a couple different ways we can host families. Pricing is determined based on which studio spaces will be used plus the option of using the 3rd floor Airbnb.

Artist Collective Retreats

• We offer extended weekend (Friday - Monday) retreats for artist collectives and/or groups. Retreats include use of both studios, the residency kitchen, yoga room and the 3rd floor Airbnb. We can accommodate groups of up to 6 individuals. Pricing depends on time of year. Meal options available.

Fully-Funded Fellowships

• Limited fully-funded fellowships are made possible by our generous donors. Fellowship applications will be accepted once a year through our residency Open Call. Applications are reviewed by a jury of Walkaway alumni and professional artists and judged based on a combination of portfolio strength, dedication to your work, overall need and the potential to benefit from the Walkaway House residency experience at that time.

How to Apply and Application Types

Open Call (including Fellowship app)

Once a year we put out an Open Call for residencies for the upcoming calendar year. Applicants accepted through our Open Call will be offered first pick of available sessions for that year. Open Call applicants may also select to be considered for available fellowships when they apply. This is a juried application. There is an Application fee of $12 which goes directly to paying our jurors. You may apply solo or with an artist friend (both must submit an application). This is a juried application and decisions are based on a combination of portfolio strength, dedication to your work, fit for the Walkaway House environment and the potential to benefit from the Tend artist residency experience at this time.

Applications for 2024 Tend residencies and fellowships are currently closed.

2024 Sessions

• March 11 - April 7 (4 weeks)

• April 22 - May 5 (2 weeks)

• May 13 - June 9 (4 weeks)

• June 24 - July 7 (2 weeks)

• July 15 - August 11 (4 weeks)

• August 19 - September 15 (4 weeks)

• September 30 - October 13 (2 weeks)

• October 21 - November 3 (2 weeks)

• November 18 - December 15 (4 weeks)

2024 Fellowships (3 available): Fellowships are designed for artists who would otherwise not be able to pay their own way. Awardees receive a either a fully-funded two or four week residency, meaning there is no residency fee to attend. This year fellowships also include a $250 stipend, delivered upon arrival. Fellowships are awarded based on the same factors listed above plus overall need. On the application you will have the opportunity to select whether you are interested in a fellowship and explain why it would be beneficial for you at this time. One of each of the following will be awarded…

✽ 2 week fully-funded residency in Studio #1, plus a $250 stipend
✽ 4 week fully-funded residency in Studio #1, plus a $250 stipend
✽ 4 week fully-funded residency in Studio #2, plus a $250 stipend

Rolling Application

Our Rolling Application is currently open. Artists are accepted on a first come/first serve basis based on overall fit for the Walkaway House residency experience, should a spot become available.Artists accepted through our rolling application are not eligible for fellowships but it is always free to apply. Please note that there are no spaces currently available in our 2024 season.