Program Participation & Residency Benefits Page
Program Overview
As sea levels rise across the globe, reshaping shorelines, ecosystems, and communities, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Artist-in-Residence program is rooted in the belief that adaptation is not only a technical challenge, but a cultural one.
While traditional shoreline planning has focused on engineering and infrastructure, the scale and complexity of climate change demand new ways of seeing, feeling, and engaging with the world around us.
The “Rising Seas” residency invites artists of all mediums to explore the many dimensions of this transformation: from the physical reshaping of coastal landscapes to the emotional, cultural, and ecological impacts of living with water in a state of flux. Through your work, artists can help surface stories that are often overlooked in policy and planning spaces, such as stories of frontline communities, intergenerational memory, displacement, resilience, and care.
Intended Impact
This program seeks to deepen public understanding of sea level rise by making it tangible, human, and immediate. By embedding artists within shoreline resilience efforts, we aim to:
- Foster more inclusive and community-centered approaches to climate adaptation
- Create space for reflection, dialogue, and imagination across disciplines
- Translate complex environmental challenges into accessible and emotionally resonant experiences
- Inspire new narratives about what it means to live with and amongst rising sea levels
A quick overview of the program’s timeline highlights includes:
- Application Deadline: November 20, 2026
- Residency Period: December 7, 2026 – May 31, 2027
- Exhibit Period: May 3, 2027 – June 30, 2027
All artists-in-residence (AIRs) will receive:
- Stipends distributed in three installments
- Support from the ABG Art Group with a history of supporting artists through artist-in-residence programs
- Participation in a celebratory Exhibit event at the conclusion of the program
Website and Social Media Engagement includes dedicated profile pages for each Artist-in-Residence in the Art section of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership website, along with artist features on our social media channels during the residency period. We encourage artists to share photos or videos during their residency and tag our channels so that we can repost.
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