Sundress Academy for the Arts & VIDA: Now Accepting Applications for Fall Artist Residencies

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is excited to announce that they are now accepting applications for short-term residencies writers in all genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, academic writing, playwriting, and more. Each residency includes a room of one’s own, access to a communal kitchen, bathroom, office, and living space, plus wireless internet. 

SAFTA is currently accepting applications for our fall residency period, which runs from August 24, 2020 to January 3, 2021. The length of a residency can run from one to three weeks. The deadline for fall residency applications is May 31, 2020. 

For the fall residency period, SAFTA will be pairing with VIDA to offer two fellowships (one full fellowship and one 50% fellowship) for a week-long residency to women and/or nonbinary writers in any genre. VIDA’s mission as a research-driven organization is to increase critical attention to women’s writing as well as further transparency around gender equality issues in contemporary literary culture. Fellowships will be chosen by guest judge, Christina Mun-Lutz. 

Christina Mun-Lutz is a Korean-American poet who lives in St. Petersburg, FL where she teaches creative writing and is a staff member at Eckerd College. Her work has appeared in Puerto del Sol, RHINO, Juked, Spoon River Poetry Review, and elsewhere. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at VIDA: Women in Literary Arts and is the Editor-in-Chief of the VIDA Review.

The SAFTA farmhouse is located on a working farm that rests on a 45-acre wooded plot in a Tennessee “holler” perfect for hiking, camping, and nature walks. Located less than a half-hour from downtown Knoxville, an energetic and arts-forward city of 200,000 in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, SAFTA is an ideal location for those looking for a rural get-away with access to urban amenities. 

The residency bedrooms are 130 sq. ft. with queen-size platform bed, closet, dresser, and desk. There is also a communal kitchen supplied with stove, refrigerator, and microwave plus plenty of cook- and dining-ware. The facility also includes a full-size working 19th century full-size letterpress with type, woodworking tools, a 1930’s drafting table, and an extensive library of contemporary literature. 

One fully-funded Writer’s Coop residency scholarship is also available for Fall 2020. 

A Note Regarding COVID-19: We are moving forward with fall applications with the assumption that travel will be permitted again by late summer. However, if you are accepted for this residency and are unable to travel due to continued social distancing measures or other coronavirus-related problems, your residency can be moved to the fall of 2021 with all scholarships still applicable.