Introduction to The Barn
NOTE:
The application window for the Summer/Fall period will open on February 1st, 2025 and will remain open until 11:59pm, March 16th, 2025.
Please visit our Guidelines & Submitting page to read about how to apply.
FAQ:
Is this the same old thing I've read before?
A revamped FAQ is in progress, but let this suffice for now. We're busy over here!
What exactly does the Barn provide?
The Barn hosts an annual summer residency program designed to offer space to five creative persons for four and six week periods between June and the middle of October. Writers receive a large bedroom equipped with a desk, bed and dresser; Visual Artists receive a slightly smaller room (with a bed and dresser) and a rather large studio space (forty foot ceilings).
Wait, I thought you guys were expanding after a highly ambitious, at times protracted, nerve wracking and now wonderfully accomplished renovation?
Oh, that's RIGHT!!! Hang on a sec while we pinch ourselves...
What exactly does the Barn ACTUALLY provide NOW?
The Barn hosts a year-round residency program designed to offer space to four creative persons for month-long periods. Writers and Visual Artists receive a generously sized ensuite bedroom (individually, of course, not one big sleep-away camp nightmare) and private studios. The communal library is also really really cool. So is the eat-in kitchen. And the patio. (Yeah, we like our new space quite a bit.)
Do you provide stipends or grants?
Sadly, no, not yet. We are working on eventually offering stipends to our Fellows to mitigate costs of staying with us, but we're not quite there yet.
Are there any fees to stay at The Barn?
No. We wouldn't dream of asking creative people for money to spend time at what is ostensibly meant to help them get their own careers moving forward at a time when they likely can't afford to pay any extra fees for anything at all.
How long are the residencies?
Residencies are entire calendar months, minus one day for transition.
Example: June 1 - June 29.
Can a Fellow stay for a shorter residency than the full calendar month?
We ask that Fellows make totally sure they can stay for the entire duration of the time they are awarded.
What if I have to leave early?
While circumstances may arise that a Fellow must leave before his or her residency is up, we deeply frown upon this and, if it seems less like an emergency and more like a casual choice to go somewhere else, we may choose never to invite that Fellow to return.
Why so harsh?
Because there are other artists who would love to have the space and it would be a terrible shame to waste any of that time.
With whom will I be sharing my month?
Usually we have two visual artists and two writers staying with us during a cycle.
Usually?
Occasionally someone will flee in the night.
The application window for the Summer/Fall period will open on February 1st, 2025 and will remain open until 11:59pm, March 16th, 2025.
Please visit our Guidelines & Submitting page to read about how to apply.
FAQ:
Is this the same old thing I've read before?
A revamped FAQ is in progress, but let this suffice for now. We're busy over here!
What exactly does the Barn provide?
The Barn hosts an annual summer residency program designed to offer space to five creative persons for four and six week periods between June and the middle of October. Writers receive a large bedroom equipped with a desk, bed and dresser; Visual Artists receive a slightly smaller room (with a bed and dresser) and a rather large studio space (forty foot ceilings).
Wait, I thought you guys were expanding after a highly ambitious, at times protracted, nerve wracking and now wonderfully accomplished renovation?
Oh, that's RIGHT!!! Hang on a sec while we pinch ourselves...
What exactly does the Barn ACTUALLY provide NOW?
The Barn hosts a year-round residency program designed to offer space to four creative persons for month-long periods. Writers and Visual Artists receive a generously sized ensuite bedroom (individually, of course, not one big sleep-away camp nightmare) and private studios. The communal library is also really really cool. So is the eat-in kitchen. And the patio. (Yeah, we like our new space quite a bit.)
Do you provide stipends or grants?
Sadly, no, not yet. We are working on eventually offering stipends to our Fellows to mitigate costs of staying with us, but we're not quite there yet.
Are there any fees to stay at The Barn?
No. We wouldn't dream of asking creative people for money to spend time at what is ostensibly meant to help them get their own careers moving forward at a time when they likely can't afford to pay any extra fees for anything at all.
How long are the residencies?
Residencies are entire calendar months, minus one day for transition.
Example: June 1 - June 29.
Can a Fellow stay for a shorter residency than the full calendar month?
We ask that Fellows make totally sure they can stay for the entire duration of the time they are awarded.
What if I have to leave early?
While circumstances may arise that a Fellow must leave before his or her residency is up, we deeply frown upon this and, if it seems less like an emergency and more like a casual choice to go somewhere else, we may choose never to invite that Fellow to return.
Why so harsh?
Because there are other artists who would love to have the space and it would be a terrible shame to waste any of that time.
With whom will I be sharing my month?
Usually we have two visual artists and two writers staying with us during a cycle.
Usually?
Occasionally someone will flee in the night.
Applying
(General Questions)
Is there an application fee?
Happily, no! Edward Albee didn't believe in charging creative people money to try to move their careers forward. (If they could afford the fee, they'd probably not need the time and space we offer.)
What is the application deadline?
Due to the increase in our residency periods from summer-only to year round, the application process will be broken up into a bi-annual cycle. The deadline for the current application period is midnight, November 1st, 2024 (meaning super-late on October 31st, like 11:59:59 late.)
Will you send me an application form?
We no longer provide paper application forms as we no longer accept applications by mail. We are now "Powered by Submittable" (which is fun to say and possibly a legally-required phrasing, but this arrangement is too exciting to us to have bothered to read the fine print.)
Wow, so, wait... I really can't send my application in by mail?
That's right . And don't try re-asking that question with the emphasis on "really" or you'll just get the same answer with extra emphasis on "right".
What gives?
Our semi-reluctant, belated entrance through the cyberpunk-themed antechamber and onward into the grand ballroom of the 21st century with all of its various and sundry concomitant onuses and pressures.
I understand.
That wasn't phrased as a question; nor is it frequently said.
Yes, but will you please just go on explaining the specifics of the application process as long as I agree to quit asking "why"-natured questions?
With pleasure.
So how and where do I submit?
You can either go straight to the application process using the Submittable button on the Guidelines page, or continue to read this page until you get to the bottom of this section. Or be impatient and just click here.
What is Submittable?
It's a web-based platform for submitting your entire application, including work samples, digitally. It's all the rage and keeps our overhead low while shrinking everyone's carbon footprint and so on.
Is it intuitive?
It seems to be. Anyone operating it on our end is nicely over 30 (actually, at the time of this writing, now really nicely over 40), which should tell you something. If you can't figure it out generally, ask someone to show you how the internet works. If anything specific about the application process confuses you, please feel free to contact us to assist you with it. The fault is likely ours, as it often is.
Won't you miss anything about the tactile nature of physical applications?
Yes. The one or two per year that are composed entirely in crayon.
Were these questions about physical submissions written like 100 years ago or something?
They were written like 20 years ago or something. Which in this era may as well be like 1000 years ago or something.
(Detailed Questions)
I am a student, may I apply?
Sure. We don't discriminate against that. However, if you're still considered a minor in either your or our jurisdictions, please wait until you're old enough to join the armed forces. (At the time of this writing that means >18.)
I am a playwright / screenwriter. Can I send an incomplete script?
No, playwrights and screenwriters should send only complete scripts, not partial scripts. The good news is that we don't discriminate against writers of short scripts. That 15-page play or 20-minute script? It's complete for our purposes as long as it's complete for yours. (I.e.: you'd be happy to see it on a stage or screen.)
I am a writer who has written quite a few pieces. Can I just submit a smorgasbord of scribblings and let you decide what to read?
Please don't. Your application will have a stronger chance of success if you limit the work samples to exactly what we ask for. But please do use the word "smorgasbord" somewhere in your work sample -- inclusion of umlauts and other Nordic diacritics is voluntary.
I am a writer working on a novel where each chapter comes in at about 156 pages, should I still send in two chapters? / I'm a poet that only writes epic sagas on 20' scrolls, do you still want 12 poems? / I'm a screenwriter adapting the Mahabharata and think Peter Brook made the previous experience 6 hours too short. Etc.
Please try to find a reasonable number of pages to send in. We recommend that writers send in work samples that fall roughly within these guidelines:
Fiction / Non-fiction: Under 40 pages
Playwriting / Screenwriting: Under 130 pages.
Poetry: 12-20 Pages (12 poems averaging between 1-2 pages each; or two poems at 8 pages each, etc.).
If I am a playwright and fiction writer, can I submit more than one application during the same year? One for plays, one for fiction?
Excellent question (thanks, Zachary!). The answer is yes. If you truly feel that you wear both hats equally well, you may apply to both categories. Just make sure that you submit two applications (this way we can keep track of your multiple personalities).
NB: This applies to Poets who are also Sculptors; Painters who are also Playwrights; Translators who are also Astronauts (etc., use your imagination...)
I am a visual artist...
That's terrific.
I wasn't finished.
You used the pause of a modern playwright. Sorry. Go on.
...and all of my paintings/sculptures/those things I do with my neighbor's hose are all called "Untitled". Should I include any information that might help the review panel differentiate between each image/clip/segment of said hose?
Please do. If you don't have basic information (title; medium; dimensions; date of execution, etc.) embedded in the image file, you may also upload a document that serves as a "slide list".
Should I submit my most recent work, or the work I feel is the strongest?
We hope that's the same thing! But as far as what you should submit: we prefer to see your most recent work.
My work is done in collaboration with another artist / writer. Can I submit this as my work sample?
We ask that you only submit work that you can take 100% credit for. If you submit a collaborative work, you must apply as a collaborative team. If you apply as a collaborative team, you must submit separate applications. If you submit separate applications but include identical work samples you must explain how your own contribution works.
Not only is my resume impressive, but I've received a smattering of great reviews. Should I submit a packet of promotional materials as well?
Congrats on the great reviews! Please don't include them. We only need to see your resume to get a sense of where you stand in your career. We look forward to reading more about you once you're a Fellow and can boast about how your month at The Barn springboarded you into fame and inspired you to donate the funds for that tennis court and swimming pool you thought we so badly lacked. Until then, though, keep it simple!
What should I say in my Artist's Statement? And how long should it be?
Please don't sweat too hard over this. It's an important introduction to who you are as a writer or artist, but you don't have to kill yourself trying to impress us. Just let us know a bit about who you are, what you've done, what you hope to do, and why the Barn sounds like it would be useful to you at this point in your career. This does not need to read like a full proposal of what you would work on at the Barn (we know that it's highly improbable what you say you will work on is really what you'll be inspired to accomplish once you're out there.) As for length, we cut you off at 500 words so...fewer than that. (No extra points for exactly 500, though cool if you can pull it off, first-draft, without live-editing.)
What if I can't get any recommendation letters from people who know my work and/or me at all?
You shouldn't have that much trouble getting letters from two people (who aren't your relatives). These can include peers in your field; mentors; teachers; gallerists; literary managers; artistic directors; etc. If you really can't find anyone to write you a letter of recommendation, call us and we will work with you to find a solution (if possible). Until then, though, keep meeting people who respond honestly (and positively) to you and your work!
I applied last year, do you still have my recommendation letters on file?
Yes.
I applied in 1976, do you still have my recommendation letters on file?
No. Please get and submit new recommendation letters every five years at the outset.
Should my recommendation letters be current and specific?
Yes. Please do not have your recommenders send aged photocopies of recommendation letters written on your behalf, for a different organization, a decade ago. Each letter should be written reasonably recently and specifically about your application to our foundation. Otherwise we will gladly award you a fifteen minute residency in December, 1998.
I applied last year as a poet; this year I'm going to impress you with my playwriting skills -- what say you of my letters on file?
Another excellent question posed by a prospective applicant. Basically, when you submit letters of recommendation, we keep them on file in the anticipation of receiving another application from you within the bounds of the same medium. Should you choose to re-apply with a work sample in a different medium -- whether reflective of a leap as broad as painter to memoirist, or as relatively narrow as journalist to playwright -- please do have new letters written on your behalf, specifically detailing the recommenders' experience with your work in this new medium or, if this is a new step for you, the recommenders' sense of what your recent interest in this new medium says about your work as they have known it up to now.
Do you favor certain types of artists / writers?
While the Barn would love to extend a hand to all creative people, we can't. So we make certain choices based mostly on talent and need.
Talent?
It's a subjective experience. Hopefully we subjectively find you talented. If it seems we don't share that opinion it is understood that you may personally find us objectively dumb.
Need?
This does not only mean financial need, necessarily, but that is one of the considerations. If you are a famous sculptor who has a large summer cottage in East Hampton but would love to "slum it" in Montauk for a month, you are much less likely to get in than a painter who holds a terrible day job and lives in Brooklyn with her three roommates. If you have never been seen in print before you are more likely to get in than a novelist who is about to enjoy his 3rd major contract with a large publisher. Basically: we look for people who are earlier on in their careers (not necessarily younger by age, just younger by obvious measures of success.)
Mostly?
Well, there are other subtle points. For instance, being that the Foundation was started by a playwright who also has a great love for fiction and poetry, we tend to focus mostly on playwriting, fiction, and poetry when it comes to writing. As for what sort of visual artists tend to get attention here...soon enough (one day before the Great Collapse or however the AI historians will eventually refer to that age) we will have a page featuring links to the visual artists who have stayed with us, and you can judge for yourself. If you're curious about who stayed with us in recent years, you can find them here.
It says I should list the periods in the order of my preference. How likely is it that I will get my first choice?
We do our best to accommodate Fellows by giving them the months they want. Inevitably, most people want July or August, and so this makes it rather difficult to accomplish successfully each time. What we do is judge how serious the need for a specific month is, then try to fit less dire requests in around those.
How do you know if my need for a certain month is "serious" or not?
That's what you should let us know. If you really need July because you teach from May through June and September through October, and have to work at a supermarket throughout August, you are most likely to get July as your Fellowship month. If you just think July has the nicest weather for sunbathing, and can do any of the months we offer, you might have to take what we can give you.
So, should I just say that I have to have July, even if I don't?
If everyone did that, we'd still have to fill those other months, so at that point we would offer first-choice months to the first Fellows we reach on the phone. The best bet is to be absolutely clear about which months you can do and which months you can't.
I can do any month you have to give me, what should I put down on the application?
You are wonderful. Please indicate this by writing just that* in the space provided. This will help us schedule everyone who can't be so flexible.
*(Meaning the flexibility, don't actually write the words "I am wonderful" - though we'll be certain to share a nice laugh if you do.)
Does this mean I am more likely to get in if I put down other months?
No. We choose our Fellows before worrying about schedule conflicts and then just do the best we can. It won't change the likelihood of your acceptance, but it will make us thank the stars that we chose you once we do.
So, what's the deal -- are the months sandwiching July and August awful times to be in Montauk?
Not at all. In fact, some people find out the rest of the year is even better than the mid-summer months, as there are fewer (or zero) tourists -- which means more room on the beach, more room at the bars, etc. Of course, we hope that you spend less time at the beach and bars than at your desks and in your studios (which are two of the rare spots in Montauk we can guarantee you won't be crowded by tourists.)
Ok, ok, UNCLE, UNCLE!!! I've got it, I'm convinced, where do I go to apply???
Here.
After Applying
I applied but I've since moved. And I dropped my phone in a gas station toilet, fried the SIM card (see, this FAQ was started 1000 years ago) and found out that Sprint offers a better unlimited plan than Geico. Also my Gmail account got hacked and I decided to join a tiny start-up in Estonia and now get all of my important emails through a highly encrypted backdoor server called Hotmail. Should I remember to notify you that my information has changed?
That's a great idea!
When will I find out if I got in?
We will do our best to notify applicants by the first week in December (for the winter/spring residency) and by the first week in May (for the summer/fall residency).
By what means?
Email. Powered by Submittable.
Should I call you every Monday between the day I applied and the day you promised to reveal the outcome to find out what's happening with my application?
Yes. But only at 4:48am.
That's a great idea!
When will I find out if I got in?
We will do our best to notify applicants by the first week in December (for the winter/spring residency) and by the first week in May (for the summer/fall residency).
By what means?
Email. Powered by Submittable.
Should I call you every Monday between the day I applied and the day you promised to reveal the outcome to find out what's happening with my application?
Yes. But only at 4:48am.
After Getting In
Oh boy oh boy! What's next?
You'll see.
After Not Getting In
Wow. I did not get in. How is this possible?
We stand at your side in disbelief.
(Deep breath). But maybe if someone drops out...?
Sorry. We have a tiered system including a Wait List. If someone drops out, the first person on the Wait List is offered the spot and so on. Please do apply again, though!
I was placed on the Wait List --
We know.
Shhh!
Sorry.
And the residency period I applied for is now over. Does this mean that I will automatically be moved from the Wait List into next period's slots or do I have to reapply?
Sorry, you have to re-apply. If we automatically moved people from the Wait List into the following period's slots, we could probably close down submissions for the next decade or so. No, everyone must try again.
Is there a better chance I'll get in next year if I was put on the Wait List?
Maybe. It's certainly a good sign. And it certainly means you should try again.
Other Circumstances
I was accepted but then couldn't come. Am I automatically moved into next period's slots?
No.
Are you mad at me for dropping out?
We're not mad, no. But we do want to know why you dropped out on us. If it's because of a job you had to take, or a terrible emergency, etc., we totally understand and are happy to have you apply again (see the "Wait List" question above to address likelihood of re-acceptance). But if you dropped because you got a residency with a more attractive program, we will remember that. Think of it like this: you don't ask someone for a date, wait for the "Yes", then say you found someone cuter, and then expect an automatic raincheck date after your new relationship ends.
Can a Fellow apply to come back again the next year?
Fellows may reapply after waiting one year (i.e.--if you got in for the 2025 season, you should reapply in 2027.)
I'm curious to meet and/or bribe you into slipping me into the Barn. Can I visit your offices?
Mmmmm....tempting as that may be, not really. The Foundation office does not host any drop-in hours.
I might be in Montauk next weekend and am just curious to see the Barn. Can I visit for a quick look?
Yes, that should be no problem. Send us an email and we can discuss the possibility.
Oh boy oh boy! What's next?
You'll see.
After Not Getting In
Wow. I did not get in. How is this possible?
We stand at your side in disbelief.
(Deep breath). But maybe if someone drops out...?
Sorry. We have a tiered system including a Wait List. If someone drops out, the first person on the Wait List is offered the spot and so on. Please do apply again, though!
I was placed on the Wait List --
We know.
Shhh!
Sorry.
And the residency period I applied for is now over. Does this mean that I will automatically be moved from the Wait List into next period's slots or do I have to reapply?
Sorry, you have to re-apply. If we automatically moved people from the Wait List into the following period's slots, we could probably close down submissions for the next decade or so. No, everyone must try again.
Is there a better chance I'll get in next year if I was put on the Wait List?
Maybe. It's certainly a good sign. And it certainly means you should try again.
Other Circumstances
I was accepted but then couldn't come. Am I automatically moved into next period's slots?
No.
Are you mad at me for dropping out?
We're not mad, no. But we do want to know why you dropped out on us. If it's because of a job you had to take, or a terrible emergency, etc., we totally understand and are happy to have you apply again (see the "Wait List" question above to address likelihood of re-acceptance). But if you dropped because you got a residency with a more attractive program, we will remember that. Think of it like this: you don't ask someone for a date, wait for the "Yes", then say you found someone cuter, and then expect an automatic raincheck date after your new relationship ends.
Can a Fellow apply to come back again the next year?
Fellows may reapply after waiting one year (i.e.--if you got in for the 2025 season, you should reapply in 2027.)
I'm curious to meet and/or bribe you into slipping me into the Barn. Can I visit your offices?
Mmmmm....tempting as that may be, not really. The Foundation office does not host any drop-in hours.
I might be in Montauk next weekend and am just curious to see the Barn. Can I visit for a quick look?
Yes, that should be no problem. Send us an email and we can discuss the possibility.
Living Conditions
What does the Barn look like?
Like this. As of this writing it's pretty darned new. We're proud of it and kinda want to hug and pet it, but mostly we're just jealous of all of you who will actually get to stay there for a month.
It's near the beach, right?
Yes. You can get to the ocean within a few minutes by car and somewhat longer by walking or biking. Just remember that -- as one former Fellow scribbled on our kitchen door as a caveat to all who reside with us -- "This Is Not A Vacation!" Like Santa Claus before him, Edward Albee's eternal spirit knows when you've been working and knows when you've been surfing.
Does the Barn provide sheets, towels, etc.?
Yes. We have an abundance of sheets, towels (both for bath and beach), toilet paper, etc. Please distinguish between those things as appropriate.
Does the Barn provide laundry service?
No. But we do have laundry machines and dryers that you can use. They're free and we provide detergents, laundry baskets, etc.
What am I missing here, I know there's something I should be bringing that I'm just not quite...?
Could it be bug spray? Sun block? We have both on hand but these things tend to deplete quickly, so do bring some with you, or remember to pick some up at the local pharmacy (you will likely need to use both.)
Does the Barn provide meals?
No. While the Barn does have a fully equipped kitchen with two refrigerators, lots of pots, pans and skillets, plates, glasses, and silverware, a rather unusual looking but functional-esque ice cream maker, spices, coffee and a working sink, it is up to the Fellows to stock their own food.
Is there a store nearby?
Yes. Several. There's the IGA (normal large supermarket), farmers markets, as well as fresh seafood available daily at the docks.
But nearby?
Oh, right, sorry, yes. Nearby-ish. You can take a nice 1.6 mile stroll, or a nicer 1.6 mile bike ride, or if you have a car you can take that, which is less nice but perhaps more useful.
What about internet access?
Absolutely not! Unfortunately, yes.
Wait, what?
This answer is split-dedicated to those certain Former Fellows ca. 2000 - 2010 who described their time at the Barn as "One of the richest experiences thinkable! (But I almost died from lack of web-exposure, please please please do something about this horrible blight on an otherwise stellar environment!)" and those few ca. 2010-2015 who described their time at the Barn as "One of the richest experiences thinkable! (But I almost died from having such easy internet access, please please please do something about this horrible blight on an otherwise stellar environment!)".
What about an exercise room?
Hahahahaha -- like you work out! (Actually, a very thoughtful Fellow Emeritus donated a nice set of free-weights* recently - Thanks, Ranbir!)
*At the time of this writing the free-weights are mostly rust-free.**
**At the time of this update the free-weights are probably once again raw iron at one with the earth.
How do I get mail forwarded to me?
The Foundation maintains a PO Box to which you can have mail sent.
How do I access the box?
The mail is delivered daily. Or usually daily, often. At some point during your stay, though. What's so important that can't wait? Get back to work!
Is there somewhere to park my car?
Yes. Our renovation includes a proper parking area, including one ADA-compliant spot.
Do you have any bicycles I can borrow?
Yes. We have several bikes on hand for Fellows to use.
Can I bring my spouse/psychotherapist/drinking buddy/etc.?
Fellows may invite the occasional day-guest, provided visits do not disrupt the peace of the other residents. Overnight guests are not allowed, with the exception of someone driving you (or otherwise accompanying you) to the Barn, who may stay for your first night only.
NOTE: Care assistants for anyone with a disability are, of course, permitted at any time -- with the caveat that we cannot provide additional overnight accommodations.
Can I bring my dog/cat/lizard/etc.?
Unfortunately, for various reasons, we have had to change our policy on this issue. With the exception of service animals we can no longer accept non-human residents.
Anything else I should know?
Sure. But worry about getting in first, then we'll talk!
Can you believe we've gotten this far and no one's asked anything about Showtime's The Affair?
Just barely.
Does Ruth Wilson ever come by The Barn?
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