Artist of Color Summer Residency
We are excited to invite local ceramic artists of color, at any career stage, to apply for a short-term residency at Mudflat. This residency offers dedicated studio time, financial support, and a community of fellow makers, so artists living and working in our region can focus on their practice without the added burden of relocating for the summer.
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The residency takes place during a flexible period within the summer months, with the timeframe determined by the resident based on their schedule and residency goals. Applicants will propose how they intend to use the residency. Options include, but are not limited to:
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Developing teaching experience in a workshop format
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Developing a solo show hosted at Mudflat
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Dedicating time to creating a body of work
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Mudflat will support the resident in structuring the residency to further their artistic career, including facilitating mentorship relationships in their areas of interest. We hope the successful applicant will be in active dialogue with the artistic community at Mudflat, and we are glad to help build connections that continue beyond the residency itself.
About the Artist of Color Residency
This residency is open to ceramic artists of color living in Massachusetts, or New England residents who live within about an hour of Somerville, MA. We are focusing on local artists so the residency can be as accessible and sustainable as possible, with no need to arrange temporary housing.
Residency Dates
Residencies can be one, two or three months long during the months of June, July & August, to be determined by the applicant based on residency goals & schedule
Residency Includes
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A studio space at Mudflat Pottery School
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A $2,000 per month stipend to support studio materials & kiln firings, living expenses, and time away from other work
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Opportunities to teach in our educational programs or workshops
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Opportunities for retail sales of work
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​Firing and technical support will be provided by the Mudflat staff
Eligibility
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Self-identifying ceramic artists of color at any stage in their ceramic career
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Current resident of Massachusetts, or new england residents who live within an hour of Somerville, MA
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Must be 21+
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Experience with clay is required. Applicants should be able to work independently with clay. An undergraduate degree in clay or the equivalent is required.
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Clay must be the applicant's primary medium
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Residents are required to give a short public presentation at the start of their residency
Application Requirements
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Application form
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Resume
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Up to 10 images ( Please note, clay should be the primary media depicted in application images)
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Image description sheet
Applications are due on: March 5, 2027
Applicants will be notified: late-March, 2027
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of Mudflat studio artists, board members, staff and/or faculty.
Meet our 2025 Resident,
Elizabeth Peña-Alvarez
Based in Cranston, Rhode Island, Elizabeth Peña-Alvarez is a sculptor working primarily in clay. Born in Miami, Florida, of Ecuadorian heritage, the city's lush, diverse vegetation left a lasting impression that continues to inform her studio practice. Her work explores Post-Traumatic Growth through the interplay of opposing forces—light and darkness, life and loss, growth and destruction—rooted in the belief that profound challenges can lead to transformation. Peña-Alvarez holds MFAs in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design and in Artisanry from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her work is exhibited nationally, and she has held residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation, Penland School of Craft, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, and the Hambidge Center.