Artist at Pine Needles Residency Program

Artist at Pine Needles

With the vision to enhance scientific understanding through art, the St. Croix Watershed Research Station welcomes three to four creative individuals to our historic Pine Needles cabin as our Artists in Residence.

Since 2002, the summer Artist at Pine Needles program has hosted over 75 artists and writers who seek to  deepen the recognizable connection between the arts and sciences and pass that understanding on to the community. In this unique program, each resident is invited to expand their intersection of art and science by interacting with the research scientists, utilizing the reference library, gathering resource materials, and immersing themselves back into the natural world.

*Check back in December for information on the 2026 application window.

If you would like to see some of the artworks highlighting the beauty and dynamisms of this program, check out the Artist at Pine Needles Gallery on Level 4 of the museum.

2025 Application Details

STIPEND: $650/week and up to $400 in additional travel support

ELIGIBILITY: Applications are accepted from writers and artists of any discipline who focus on environmental or natural history topics. The Artist at Pine Needles Residency also includes an emerging artist category to encourage and support upcoming artists with this same calling. Emerging artists show evidence of achievement but, to date, do not have a substantial record of accomplishment and are not yet recognized as established artists by other artists, curators, critics, and arts administrators. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older.

APPLICATION: Interested artists must submit a completed application form, artist statement, program statement, community engagement proposal, and example work. Please review the application packet for specific submission instructions. Failure to submit all required materials within guidelines will disqualify your application and remove it from consideration. Applicants also agree to donate an original work developed from their experience within one year of their residency.

RESIDENCY DATES: May through October. See annual application packet for specific two-, three-, or four-week residency windows.

LOCATION: Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047, United States

DEADLINE: Postmarked or electronically received by 11:59 p.m. CST on March 2, 2025. Notice to applicants by April 4, 2025.

For questions contact Operations Manager, Alaina Fedie, at afedie@smm.org or (651) 433-5953 x12.

The 2024 Artist at Pine Needles Program is graciously funded by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment—Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.