Pie Ranch’s mission is to cultivate a healthy and just food system from seed to table through food education, farmer pathways, and regional partnership.
We are thrilled to offer The Pie Ranch Artist Residency Program. This program will welcome seven artists to live and work on the farm from November 2-15, 2026.
Pie Ranch is an educational non-profit, and an organic farm in Pescadero on the beautiful California coast nestled in a valley with ocean views. We welcome all food-justice focused artists to apply.
The Pie Ranch Artist Residency is specifically designed for artists whose work addresses food issues, farmworker issues, agroecology, Indigenous foodways, and/or food self sufficiency or artists who would like to propose and create new work that address these topics.
We are excited to host artists from multiple disciplines and/or artists who work across many disciplines including but not limited to: visual artists, painters and muralists, film makers, writers and poets, musicians, chefs, photographers, dancers, and more.
We also welcome artists’ collaborations that would like to work on a project together during their time at the residency.
This residency will be self-directed and project-based. Artists can choose to continue working on a pre-existing project that addresses topics of food justice or work on a new body of work.
We prioritize proposals aligning with Pie Ranch’s mission and values and that align with the intersections of art, food, and farming.
As a non-profit educational farm, we are committed to creating a community of artists from diverse backgrounds.
The mission of our Artist Residency is to expand the impact of our vision and mission of food resilience through arts and culture. We believe that creativity is essential to the soul, that artistic expression is vital to society, and that art can change the world. Because of that, we believe that art can have a deep imprint in the food movement by being able to express and contribute ideas or concepts differently (through visual arts or other) in order to create a deeper connection to the land, community, and the larger food movement.
As a non-profit educational farm, we are committed to creating a community of artists from diverse backgrounds.
Eligibility:
Artists or artist collaborator teams whose work addresses food justice, agro-ecology, and/or food sovereignty movements or artists who would like propose new works addressing these topics
Artists who are 23 years of age or older
Artists who are not currently in a 4-year degree seeking program
This residency cannot accommodate partners, children, pets, or additional overnight guests.
FAQ:
Last year the residency was fully funded. Why are there residency fees this year?
We had a grant last year that covered all our operational costs. This year without the funding source, we are opening the farm to up to 7 artists, who can cover the residency costs. We have already applied to funders for the 2027 season as we hope to have scholarships available again in the seasons to come.
If you are an artist who is unable to pay for a residency, please email us to be on our invite list for funded residency opportunities.
If you are a funder, please reach out to Kelly@pieranch.org.
Can I apply with a partner and/or collaborator?
Yes, please have each person apply and share your role and vision for collaboration. And please include any accommodation or space needs that would be shared.
Residency Fees per Resident:
Due to lack of funding, this year we can only offer paid residencies. These are the Rental Options for the 2 week residency:
Farmhouse + Studio $ 2,030.00
Farmhouse $ 1,750.00
Yurt + Studio $ 1,330.00
Yurt $ 1,050.00
The artist residency fee includes the following for each of the artist residents:
Your own private and comfortable bedroom in a recently built farmhouse or 13ft yurt.
Shared beautiful kitchen with cohort, toilet, bathtub, laundry, wifi.
28 beautiful acres of land to explore and be inspired by.
A safe and supportive creative community to explore new projects.
For a small additional fee you can also have your own shared studio, our farm’s Classroom barn with heating, wifi. Open 24/7. Each station has a desk with an oil cloth, chair, and large window for natural light.
Important Dates
Applications: Rolling till positions filled.
Notification to Artists: September 22
Residency: November 2-15
We look forward to reviewing your application. Please email artist@pieranch.org with any questions.