Purpose
In 2022, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) will host the third iteration of our Botanical Artist-in-Residence program.  This program supports exemplary botanical artists working nationally and internationally who can create beautiful and scientifically accurate depictions of plant species.  Residents selected for this award will reside at Oak Spring when spring is underway and the gardens and landscape are in bloom.  This residency provides botanical artists time and space to work on their own projects, utilizing materials from our formal garden or the broader 700-acre landscape, and to visit our rare book library that includes many exquisite examples of historical botanical art.

What We Provide
Residents will attend an expedited orientation tour of approximately two hours on their first day to familiarize them with the site and the resources available to them.  This will include brief tours of the formal garden, landscape and library, as well as an informal “meet-and-greet” with selected OSGF staff. After this introduction residents are free to work independently on their projects, explore our 700-acre sustainably managed landscape, and make appointments to visit the library during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm).

About Our Site
Residents are housed in nicely appointed homes where they will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen.  Botanical artists will also have a dedicated studio space in close proximity to their accommodation. Residents will be provided with a bicycle during the residency to help them get around our large, rural site. Due to the relatively isolated nature of our site, some residents may wish to bring or rent a car during their residency.

Award
This award includes a $1,000 individual grant and an offer to purchase one final work on paper for $1,000 that will be accessioned into the OSGF Florilegium, and a 2 – 4 week residence at OSGF. Residents should arrange transportation to Dulles International Airport. We will then arrange transport to the Oak Spring estate in Upperville, VA. Residents who complete this program will be able to apply to our annual Alumni Residency.

Eligibility
Botanical artists with an established track-record and a well-developed body of work. Only artists working from direct observation of plant specimen to create scientifically accurate depictions should apply. We will consider botanical artists who work in the following mediums: watercolor, pencil, pen & ink, colored pencil, mixed media, oil, acrylic, gouache, egg tempera, original prints (i.e. aquatints, etchings, etc.). We do not accept three-dimensional artwork including botanical sculptures, reproductions, photography, or digitally generated artwork.

Dates and Duration
2 – 4 weeks in the period of Sunday, March 27, 2022 – Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Selection Process
Preliminary vetting and final review of the applicants will be done by OSGF staff and representatives of the American Society of Botanical Artists.