Veterans Residency Program

Veterans Artist Residency Program

Kala Veterans Artist Residency Program provides artist residencies to local, national, and international Veteran artists. Veteran artists producing innovative work in mediums including printmaking, film and video, digital media, sculpture, textile and fiber arts, installation, social practice, photography, and book arts are encouraged to apply here.

HOW TO APPLY

July 26th, 2025, deadline. Please visit kala.slideroom.com here to apply.

APPLY BY JULY 26TH in one application for:

– Veterans Artist Residency (national, regional, and local artists)
– Artist Residency (AIR) Program (international, national, regional, and local artists)
– Jen Cole Artist-in-Residence Award (Bay Area printmaker)
– CCA Hamaguchi Emerging Artist Resdiency at Kala

– Complete application questions in SlideRoom
– Upload artist resumé or CV
– Upload work samples, up to 5 images and/or 5 minutes of video (include title, medium, size, year)
– $15 Application Fee

2025-2026 VETERANS RESIDENCY INCLUDES

– Cash Award: $1,000
– 1-4 months of a studio residency with 24/7 studio access
– 1 month of housing at Kala’s apartment for artists coming from outside the Bay Area
– Individual project spaces (150-200 sq ft) or a large shared project space (400 sq ft) available to artists staying in Kala’s apartment
– Free Kala Class or Workshop
– Community and network of approximately 75 artists working at Kala
– Participation in Kala events and support of Kala staff

APPLICANT RESOURCES

– How to Apply
– Residency Experience
– Kala Facilities

Questions: please reach out to Artist Residency Manager Leyla Rzayeva at kalaair@kala.org, T:510.549.2977 x 303 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm PST).

2024-2025 Veterans Residency Artists:

Robert Hill (Harbor City, CA)
Javier Enrique Piñero (Long Island City, New York) (2024-2025 Fellowship Artist)
Emilio Gallegos (San Jose, CA)

2023-2024 Veterans Residency Artists:

Emilio Gallegos (San Jose, CA)
John Yoyogi Fortes (Sacramento, CA) @jy4tes (2023-2024 Fellowship Artist)
Phil Jones (El Cerrito, CA)
Amber Zora (Rapid City, SD) @amber.zora

In 2023-2024, the Veterans Residency Program was generously supported by the California Arts Council through the Impact Projects grant; one of the six 2023-2024 Fellowship and Special Program Awards was designated for a veteran artist with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

2019-2020 Award Recipients:
Rodney Ewing
Dayton Grant
Rob Hill
Sara Stacy

2018-2019 Award Recipients:
Fanny Garcia
James Hardy
Michael Mokuau
David “DC” Spensley

Honorary AIR Awardees:
Phil Jones

2017-2018 Award Recipients
Adam Allegro
Roger Ourthiague Jr.
Gregory Rick
Ehren Tool

Honorary AIR Awardees:
Stephen Funk
Fanny Garcia