Call for Applications: 2027 Crafts and Design Residencies

Villa Albertine’s crafts and design residency is aimed at artisans and designers who are developing an original research project requiring an immersive stay in the United States. Such a stay may also include a period of prospecting to explore new professional opportunities.

Villa Albertine’s exploratory residencies are not intended as studio-based work but as field investigations that inspire and foster connections. The proposed project may be based on a new initiative specifically conceived for Villa Albertine or continue a pre-existing research project that would benefit from a unique development during the residency. In both cases, it is the project’s relationship to the territory that defines its interest.

Residencies take place outside institutional walls, in direct contact with communities, and are dedicated to the resident’s research, visits, and exchanges in the United States. They are not production residencies, but they provide the conditions for inspiration and exploration necessary for the completion of creative projects after the residency. To support the transition from research to concrete outcomes, Villa Albertine offers post-residency grants for the most promising projects.

For Applicants to the Crafts and Design Residency in New York:

The program will be based at Industry City, a complex of former industrial buildings converted into hundreds of coworking spaces, production workshops, and shops for creators, manufacturers, and designers. Located in Brooklyn, Industry City has become a dynamic creative district focused on the economy of innovation, particularly in the fields of engineering, design, manufacturing, and production.

This program is especially suited for artisans and designers seeking to establish themselves in the New York market, providing access to a professional network that can foster new opportunities and collaborations, particularly in the field of interior design.

Residencies in New York will last two months, taking place during one of the following three periods: February – April 2027, May – July 2027, or October – December 2027.

For applicants to a Crafts and Design residency in one or more U.S. cities, outside New York:

Residencies outside of New York may take place over one to three months during 2026.

Applicants may focus their residency project on the city or cities of their choice (two maximum). They will be supported by the Villa Albertine branch corresponding to the chosen territory, among the cities where Villa Albertine has a presence (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Washington DC). For example, a residency taking place in Seattle would fall under the responsibility of Villa Albertine in San Francisco.

Villa Albertine will provide individualized support, tailored to the expectations and profile of each resident. The selected resident will benefit from networking opportunities with relevant professionals, communities, and institutions in the city and/or region chosen for their residency project. This format is particularly suited to residents seeking time for reflection and exploration in a U.S. environment, enabling them to carry out exploratory work across all fields of crafts and design.

Villa Albertine provides individualized support, tailored to the expectations and profiles of each resident.

This support relies on a team of 80 staff members across 10 cities, as well as on established partnerships with French and American organizations, ensuring that residents are immediately immersed in an ecosystem that fosters exchanges, discoveries, and critical inquiry.

For a residency based in New York, support will be provided to residents through WantedDesign.

For a residency in the United States outside of New York, the relevant Villa Albertine branch will support the resident by providing its knowledge of the local artistic and cultural scene and its network of partners. Depending on the resident’s proposed areas of exploration, preliminary research will be conducted to identify the most relevant contacts across sectors, communities, and the chosen territory.

In both configurations, a program of meetings and visits will be organized for each resident according to their project and specific needs. Villa Albertine will also assist the resident in assessing the material and logistical requirements necessary for the successful completion of the project.

Alongside this support, the exploratory residency model emphasizes initiative and autonomy, essential qualities for making the most of a field-based research experience.

Villa Albertine also covers travel and living expenses associated with the residency, under the following conditions:

• A residency stipend to cover daily expenses (meals, local transportation, etc.), ranging from $100 to $110 per day
• For a residency in New York, access to a shared workspace at the heart of Industry City, in direct contact with the WantedDesign team
• Round-trip international travel (and, if necessary, domestic travel for itinerant residencies)
• Housing
• Health, liability, and repatriation insurance

Villa Albertine cannot cover expenses other than those listed above.

This call is open to individual applicants only.

Villa Albertine’s residency framework encourages residencies without accompanying persons (family members or others not directly involved in the project). In cases where accompaniment is necessary—such as a parent traveling with dependent child(ren) or a person with a disability requiring assistance—these situations will be accommodated by providing suitable housing. Accompanying persons will not receive residency support or coverage of their travel and living expenses.

Each applicant is required to involve a French partner, based in France, in their residency project. Depending on the case, the partner’s support may take one of three forms:

• Residency Project Design: Assistance with drafting the residency project, identifying resources and contacts that could support the applicant, etc.
• Promotion of the Residency: Communication on social media, creation of content related to the residency (articles, podcasts, videos, etc.).
• Post-Residency Activities: Presenting the work carried out in the United States in France (lecture, meeting with professionals, etc.), supporting the further development of the artistic or intellectual project.

Partners are not required to provide financial support for the residency.

Any public or private organization under French law and based in France may serve as a partner.

Applicants cannot base their project solely on an organization that they direct or have founded. They must have the support of a distinct partner.

Applicants may also draw on additional French partners as well as American organizations that could support the project’s development (networking, provision of workspace, etc.).

For reference, the list of partners involved in past residencies can be found on the residents’ pages on Villa Albertine website.

I. Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Professional practice in the fields of artistic and intellectual creation, through the submission of a career portfolio of no more than 10 pages.
• Proficiency in English, demonstrated through a short video presenting their background and project, lasting no more than three minutes (no editing is required; a simple face-to-camera video is sufficient, and the applicant should not read from a script).
• Involvement of a French partner in the residency project, which may be any public or private French organization based in France (cultural institution, association, publishing house, company in the creative and cultural industries, etc.). The partner must express their interest in supporting the applicant through a letter (submitted in PDF format) addressed to the Director of Villa Albertine.
• Applicants must be over 21 years old before the planned start date of the residency.

II. Evaluation Criteria:

Applications will be assessed based on:

• The applicant’s career: the applicant practices their artistic or intellectual work professionally, is recognized by peers, and the proposed Villa Albertine project follows logically from their previous work.
• Quality of the project: the project is clearly defined, and its artistic, cultural, and intellectual objectives are relevant.
• Territorial anchoring: the project demonstrates a strong connection to local dynamics and challenges, and requires the applicant’s presence in the United States, specifically in the chosen territory;
• Feasibility of the project: Villa Albertine reserves the right to decline projects it is not able to support.

Additionally, applicants must be able to adapt to the specific conditions of the territory where they plan to undertake their residency. For example, it is strongly recommended to hold a driver’s license for residencies in sprawling cities such as Los Angeles.

Each applicant may submit only one application per year to the Crafts and Design call. Any incomplete or non-compliant application will be deemed ineligible. Any false statement will automatically result in disqualification.

Applications must be completed on the platform by January 29, 2026 via this link.

• Application Deadline: January 29, 2026, 11:59 PM (French time)
• Mid-June 2026: Announcement of results