Fresh Arts STAR 2027: Houston Artists Can Apply for a $3,600 Gallery Residency by 23 November
A residency for public-facing art, not simply a private studio
Fresh Arts is accepting proposals for the 2027 Space Taking Artist Residency (STAR), a Houston-based programme for emerging and mid-career multidisciplinary artists. Applications opened on 14 September 2026 and close on Monday, 23 November 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, according to the official application. Applicants based outside Houston should review the strict location requirement before investing time in a submission.
The programme will choose two artists or artist-led teams. Each will receive approximately six weeks of access to the 1,800-square-foot Winter Street Studios gallery at Sawyer Yards in Houston, alongside a preceding period of project development and mentorship. This is designed for exhibitions, media installations, screenings, performances, workshops, talks and other programmes that actively engage the public.
Who is eligible?
Applicants must live within approximately 50 miles of the Greater Houston metro area and may not be currently enrolled in an art-related degree programme. Importantly, every artist participating in the proposed residency activities must meet those conditions. Applications may come from individual artists, collectives or curators across visual, media, performance, literary and interdisciplinary practices. The form asks how the proposed project serves the public, not only how it benefits the applicant.
This is not a residential artist-in-residence programme: housing is not provided. Participants must be able to organize and deliver their own public events, and the host limits production, technical and installation assistance.
Funding, space and responsibilities
The stated artist honorarium is US$3,600 per selected project, inclusive of project costs and artist fees. An additional creative-services stipend is listed, but its amount is still to be determined; it should not be treated as guaranteed unrestricted cash. Fresh Arts provides mentorship, communications and documentation support, and access to gallery equipment such as projectors and a large screen. Resident artists retain revenue from approved ticketing, art and merchandise sales.
Artists take responsibility for installation and deinstallation, appropriate payment of collaborators, their own promotion, open-house participation and audience engagement. Weekly or biweekly mentorship meetings form part of the preparation phase. The organizer recommends no more than five proposed public events in addition to opening and closing activities.
2027 dates and application materials
Applicants can request the spring activation period, 15 March–25 April 2027, or the summer period, 19 July–30 August 2027; final dates are subject to confirmation. The application requests contact information and a Houston-area ZIP code, an artist statement and biography (each up to 500 words), a project title, a project proposal (up to 2,500 words), a public-programming approach and up to ten supporting work samples. A CV is optional. Applicants also provide an image list and up to two references.
A jury assesses artistic work, project feasibility, community engagement and suitability for mentorship. Up to five applicants may be interviewed, followed by the selection of two projects. There is no promise of acceptance or income beyond the published support terms.
Why the organizer is credible — and what to verify
Fresh Arts, previously known as Spacetaker, is a Houston arts-support organization; its STAR programme launched in 2021. The organizer reports 12 supported artist-led projects, more than 150 public events and over 125 collaborators in its first six years. The official application also names support from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Houston Endowment, the Brown Foundation and the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. These verifiable organizational details help distinguish the call from anonymous fee-based listings.
Before applying, confirm the organizer's current programme conditions, the ability to meet the local-residency and public-event obligations, and the real cost of production after the US$3,600 stipend. This article summarizes the official call as checked on 18 October 2026; the host's application form remains authoritative.
Official information and application
Fresh Arts' official application: https://fresharts.submittable.com/submit/27c1634b-783e-4d11-ad6f-a85993c2c667/2027-space-taking-artist-residency-call-for-proposals
Organizer: Fresh Arts, Houston, Texas. Application deadline: 23 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. Editorial source verification date: 18 October 2026.