Rare A.I.R
Artist-in-Residence Program in the Visual Arts, Music & Theater Programs at Adams State. Visual and performing artists seek ways to expand their talents and inspire their creativity. The Adams State University Art, Theatre and Music Departments initiated an Artist in Residency program in the fall of 2018 that brings artists, from all disciplines, to campus for long and short term stays. This program presents visual and performing artists with an opportunity to complete projects, spark new ideas, or collaborate with students and the community. Launched in the fall of 2018, the Artist-in-Residence Program at Adams State University invites visual, musical, and performing artists from all disciplines for both short- and long-term stays.
The program offers a supportive environment for artists to focus on creative development, complete projects, explore new ideas, and collaborate with students and the broader community. Located in the distinctive high-altitude setting of Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Adams State provides residents with uninterrupted time for reflection and deep engagement with their craft. In return, resident artists enrich campus life by sharing their diverse practices and perspectives, helping to foster a vibrant and dynamic creative community.
About the San Luis Valley:
The San Luis Valley, located in southern Colorado just north of the New Mexico border, is a distinctive high desert region nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges. The San Luis Valley was ceded to the United States by Mexico following the Mexican-American War, and is the ancestral land of the Nuchu (Utes), Abáachi (Jicarilla Apaches), Numunu (Comanches), Ka’igwu (Kiowas), InunaIna (Arapahoe), Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), Diné (Navajo Nation), and Pueblos who consider this valley sacred.
At its heart runs the Rio Grande, shaping the valley’s ecology and culture. Adams State University sits in the town of Alamosa, near the center of this unique landscape and a short forty minute drive to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The valley is a critical stopover for many migratory birds, including the sandhill cranes, and offers access to a multitude of wildlife refuges that teem with biodiversity.
Resident Recipients Receive:
- Free Application
- Studio Space
- Private Room (Shared Bathroom and showers)
- Access to faculty and facilities
- Opportunities for presentations, performances, ect.
Apartment Accommodations:
- Private Room
- Wi-fi
- Kitchen
- Mircowave
Recommendations:
- Supplies: Residents are encouraged to bring their own supplies. Alamosa is a rural town, and at least 2 – 2.5 hours from a well equipped art store. Residents therefore should be prepared to bring their own materials.
- Transportation: Residents are encouraged to have their transportation. If not there is the San Luis Regional Airport to fly into, and a car rental company located at the airport.
- Weather: Since the SLV is a high desert, temperatures and climate vary throughout the year. Be prepared to bring clothes suitable for the weather conditions you will experience in the valley.
Apply Now!
Application open from August 17th, 2025 – November 3rd, 2025
Artist Bios
Spring 2020
Jane O’Hara
Visual Arts Resident
Jan 13 – Feb 1
Jane O’Hara is a curator and artist who has mounted solo exhibitions of her paintings and participated in group shows nationally with her paintings of animals. With her paintings she examines the relationship we have with animals in contemporary society. During her residency, she would like to accomplish two paintings (she will be prepared for three) of her series she began recently titled ‘State of the Union’. This series will include all 50 states at its completion. Each painting of each state will include picture postcard imagery of that state, the state flag, state animal, and other positive imagery and animals associated with that state, and juxtaposed will have the behind the scenes scenarios of animals’ ‘state’ in that state. For more go to www.janeohara.com
Cory Hills
Social Practice Resident – Music
January 15 – June 30
Cory Hills is a multi-percussionist musician and composer. His project will engage the elementary and middle school-aged children throughout the valley in a Percussive Storytelling program. This program brings classical music and storytelling to children in fun and accessible ways. Hills’ has presented more than 520 programs to over 135,000 children in nine different countries, released two international award-winning children’s albums and two children’s books. One common thread his stories share is nature; specifically, how indigenous peoples relate to the natural environment around them. Learn more about the Social Practice Residency Program.
Resident Archive
Explore the work of our past residents in our past resident archive.