The Studios of Key West

About

A multidisciplinary arts center on the island of Key West. Its Peyton Evans Artist Residency (PEAR) Program selects nearly 40 artists a year for month-long residencies (the 2nd to the last day of the month) across five categories: visual, literary, media, musical, and performing arts. Residents stay in a renovated guesthouse with private studios; there is no residency fee once accepted, though artists cover travel and living costs. The annual deadline falls in mid-May.

Open Calls

2027 Studios of Key West Residency

140d left

Two- to four-week residencies in a renovated historic armory in Key West, FL, for visual artists, writers, composers, and scholars. ~80 residents per year; private studios, apartments, and a busy schedule of communal events.

Deadline: October 15, 2026$$35 fee80 spots

Reviews

Anonymous Artistanonymous

Attended 2014 · January 19, 2014

TSKW is an incredibly residency, especially if you are new to the

TSKW is an incredibly residency, especially if you are new to the whole residency circuit. The housing they offer you is incredible! Everything is modern, clean, nice, and new in the three houses they offer artists. The houses form a small compound, so you will have the chance to interact with other artists while in residence. Each house offers lots of privacy to work on your own work in peace as well. Residents receive a bicycle which is all you need to get around the area. The folks who run TSKW are fabulous lovers of art and the island life, and they are always willing to help artists with whatever they may need. Key West is incredibly isolated from the rest of Florida, so this residency helps bring in interesting people for the locals to meet. The entire island is a beautiful, and there is art everywhere in Key West. It's a great retreat. Go to TSKW ready with a specific project ready to complete. Do all of your pre-work (research, sketches, etc), and make sure you have all of your supplies before you go to TSKW. Once you are on the island, it's a long way to the mainland; you'll want to be ready to work as soon as you arrive. There aren't really good beaches in Key West. The Keys are rock lumps trickling down from Florida, and sand isn't natural down there. Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West is a pretty good man-made beach. Bahia Honda (a few keys up, reachable by Keys Shuttle) is the best beach in the keys. — Anonymous, 2014. Imported from the original ratemyartistresidency.com archive.