--- title: Prairie Ronde Artist Residency Summer Session 2027 description: 5-6 week residency in Vicksburg, Michigan at a former paper mill and its 80 acres, with a $2,000 stipend, $500 travel grant and private housing. url: https://www.artsume.com/programs/6fc06528-47ad-43ca-9052-3c860a8c9da4 type: program status: upcoming createdAt: "2026-09-03" updatedAt: "2026-09-30" programType: Residency organization: Prairie Ronde Artist Residency organizationUrl: https://www.artsume.com/o/prairie-ronde-artist-residency deadline: "2027-03-01" entryFee: 25 USD location: The Mill at Vicksburg (former Lee Paper Company mill), Vicksburg, MI, United States isOnline: false compensationRange: $2,000 stipend paid upon completion of the residency, plus a $500 travel grant and private housing. disciplines: - digital media - drawing - ecology - electronic arts - environmentalism/conservation - illustration - interdisciplinary arts - mixed media - multimedia arts - music - painting - performance art - photography - poetry - printmaking - public art - sculpture - sound art - textile & fiber arts/weaving - visual arts --- # Prairie Ronde Artist Residency Summer Session 2027 **Hosted by:** Prairie Ronde Artist Residency **Type:** Residency | **Location:** The Mill at Vicksburg (former Lee Paper Company mill), Vicksburg, MI, United States | **Deadline:** March 1, 2027 | **Entry fee:** $25 ## About This Program > "Place-based work engaging The Mill at Vicksburg — the historic Lee Paper Company mill's industrial legacy, its 80-acre landscape and its ongoing sustainable redevelopment" ### About the Residency Prairie Ronde Artist Residency offers artists from a range of disciplines a 5 – 6 week, place-based experience in the historic Village of Vicksburg, Michigan. Centered within the former Lee Paper Company paper mill, the program invites artists to work within a 416,000-square-foot industrial site surrounded by 80 acres of land—a landscape shaped by history, scale, and transformation. Prairie Ronde is hosted by The Mill at Vicksburg, a redevelopment project of the former Lee Paper Company mill, whose extensive and ongoing plans focus on sustainability. Our goal is to bring artists into the space to engage with The Mill's historic legacy and its monumental transformation. We host three residency sessions per year: Spring, Summer and Fall. We accept 2 – 4 residents per session. **As of April 25, 2025, we are temporarily suspending our consideration of international applicants.** ### What We Offer - $2,000 stipend upon completion of the residency - $500 travel grant - Private housing - Gallery show in downtown Vicksburg - Video documentation - Membership to the Mug Club at the Distant Whistle Brewery ### What We Expect Process-based residency. Our aim is for independently driven artists to explore and grow their craft while creatively engaging with the space that we have to offer. While we are process-based, we ask that artists donate a piece of work produced during their time at the residency to our permanent collection. ### Summer Session **(June 1 – August 31)** Accepting applications – December 15 Applications Due – March 1 Selections Announced – April 1 ### Selection Process Resident applications are scored by a review panel following a rubric. Applications with the highest scores are then asked to interview with the Residency Director and Coordinator. We review each application using the criteria below: - **Body of work:** Does the applicant exhibit a high level of skill in their chosen medium? - **Statement of purpose:** What are the themes they are interested in exploring? Are the themes in conversation with the stated goals of The Mill? - **Plan for incorporating The Mill and/or Vicksburg:** Do they present a compelling proposal for how their work might fit include the Mill and/or Vicksburg? - **Clear interest in being a part of the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency:** Does the applicant appear to have researched Prairie, The Mill and Vicksburg? - **Ability to thrive independently:** Do the experiences listed demonstrate an ability to work with limited input? Are they capable of creatively utilizing their surroundings and other resources we offer? - **Openness to and awareness of the realities of living in a rural community:** Do they appear to be prepared and/or excited by the possibilities of living in this particular community? Our Review Panel is made up of six panelists: 3 former residents, 1 local community member, 1 Residency Director, and 1 Residency Coordinator. ### FAQs **Are writers allowed to apply?** The goal of our residency is to bring artists who will engage directly with The Mill in the creation of their work. Because of this, it is difficult for us to serve writers who are looking to complete projects that are already in progress. However, we have accepted writers who are open to creating new works that are directly related to The Mill and the surrounding area of Vicksburg. **Is there Wi-Fi in the residence & the Mill?** Yes, we have Wifi available in the artist's residence as well as in most areas of the Mill. **Can children join during the residency?** Children are not allowed on the active construction site. The artist is responsible for any costs incurred for caregiving. We could accommodate a child and caregiver in our housing arrangements and can offer a list of daycare facilities in the neighborhood. **How long do most residencies last?** Residencies can range anywhere between 5 – 6 weeks. Once accepted to the program, residents will coordinate with the Residency Director to find a suitable span of time. We encourage our residents to come for at least 5 – 6 weeks in order to fully acclimate and integrate into the community. **Do you accept collaborative applications?** Collaborators may apply on a single application. You should also know that the $2,500 stipend would need to shared amongst your group. We do not stipend per person. **Is there an application fee?** There is a $25 application fee to apply. The fee covers the costs associated with submitting applications through Slideroom and well as the honorarium we pay to our review panelists for their time. **Am I able to install my work in the Mill?** The Mill is currently an active construction site, so while we are able to give our artists access to the interior of the Mill to use as a source of inspiration, we are limited in accommodating installations in the space. **What is the weather like in Michigan?** Southwest Michigan features a continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Thunderstorms are to be expected in the summer! Late season ice and snow storms are a possibility. ## Eligibility & Requirements - **Geographic Eligibility:** International - **Disciplines:** digital media, drawing, ecology, electronic arts, environmentalism/conservation, illustration, interdisciplinary arts, mixed media, multimedia arts, music, painting, performance art, photography, poetry, printmaking, public art, sculpture, sound art, textile & fiber arts/weaving, visual arts - **Note:** Open to artists from a range of disciplines and any stage of career; no specific medium is required. Collaborators may apply as a team on a single application, though the stipend must be shared amongst the group. Applicants should be highly independent, engaged and curious, and prepared for the realities of living in a rural community. Writers whose projects are already in progress are generally not accepted, though writers open to creating new work directly related to The Mill and Vicksburg have been accepted. As of April 25, 2025, the residency is temporarily suspending consideration of international applicants. ### Additional Requirements - Body of work / work samples - Statement of purpose (themes explored and relation to The Mill's goals) - Proposal for how the work incorporates The Mill and/or Vicksburg ## Compensation & Benefits $2,000 stipend paid upon completion of the residency, plus a $500 travel grant and private housing. **Includes:** Stipend, Travel grant Accepted residents receive a stipend of $2,000 upon completion of the residency, a $500 travel grant, and private housing. Collaborators may apply on a single application, though the stipend is shared amongst the group rather than paid per person. There is a $25 application fee that covers the costs of submitting through Slideroom and the honorarium paid to review panelists. ## What's Provided - **Housing:** Provided - Private housing off campus (individual apartment/cabin/house). Residents have access to a private kitchen. Accessible housing: inaccessible. - **Travel Support:** Available - $500 USD travel stipend - **Studio Access:** Provided - Studios/special equipment and exhibition / installation space within the 420,000 square foot former Lee Paper Company mill and its adjacent 80 acres. Studios/facilities accessibility: inaccessible. ## Timeline - **Opens:** December 14, 2026 - **Deadline:** March 1, 2027 - **Program Start:** June 1, 2027 - **Program End:** August 31, 2027 ## How to Apply Apply at: https://prairierondeartistresidency.com/about/apply/