The Manship Artists Residency provides the time and space for up to thirty residents per year who are interested in pursuing uninterrupted work. The Manship Artists Residency celebrates the following fundamentals: the development of new work and new ideas, fellowship, connection with place, and professional development and community.
The site of the Manship Artists Residency was once the summer retreat of Paul Manship, the sculptor of the Prometheus Fountain at Rockefeller Center. Many of the same opportunities and qualities that attracted Manship to Cape Ann are available to those who come here today seeking an escape into a restorative natural setting to spark their inner muse.
As a resident, you will have access to the entire Starfield property and its facilities, as well as access to the Manship Artists Residency’s partner studios. Applications for 2026 are closed. Submissions will reopen in the fall.
The Manship Artists Residency is dedicated to inclusion and diversity. We aim to create an environment that is welcoming to everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, age, or religion. We believe that everyone deserves equal opportunity to pursue creativity. We commit to providing an experience that is free of discrimination.
Named Residency Programs
Walker Hancock Residency
Manship Artists Residency is honored to establish a residency in memory of Walker Hancock, FNSS (1901-1998), a celebrated local artist who is among the first to be commemorated in this way. More than a colleague, Walker Hancock was a close friend and in-law of Paul Manship. They also shared a deep love of Cape Ann and Lanesville, where Manship had a summer residence and studio, and where Hancock settled.
Eligibility
Preference will be given towards an artist who is both a working sculptor and a teacher and who has dedicated themselves in some way to the service of their community. The sculptor-in-residence (‘SIR’) must be available to live and work at the Manship Artists Residency for the duration of the residency. Residency candidates must be citizens of, or residents in the United States with a social security number. The residency is awarded without regard to sex, ethnicity or religion.
The selected sculptor will receive:
- Two weeks lodging at the Manship residence
- $2,000 cash award from the National Sculpture Society
The deadline for the 2026 Walker Hancock Sculptor-in-Residence application will be announced in early 2026. To learn more and to apply to this residency program, please visit the National Sculpture Society website.
Margaret Cassidy Manship Residency
In recognition of Margaret Cassidy Manship’s trailblazing work as an American woman artist and art teacher, the Manship Artists Residency created a residency fund in her name on the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in 2020. We are currently collecting donations to support future residencies in Margaret’s name. Manship Artists Residency is honored to be able to celebrate Margaret’s life as an artist and the contributions of women artists through a residency in her name.
The residency will be awarded to an accomplished female faculty member or an emerging female artist, and will nurture artistic creativity and development, while preserving the spirit and legacy of Margaret Cassidy Manship. The resident artist will be afforded a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the unique cultural heritage of Starfield and surrounding Cape Ann.
During their two-week residency, the selected female artist will receive:
- Studio space (indoor and outdoor)
- Peace and quiet in a natural setting
- Equipped kitchen and dining area
- Sleeping quarters (including bedding)
- Laundry facilities
- Living space (lounge area and study area)
- Internet access and mobile reception (the latter is spotty in some areas)
- Accessibility to public transportation
The residency has yet to launch. To learn more, please contact us.
Guidelines / What To Know
- Starfield is an historical property, and the buildings have the character of structures their age.
- We are investigating how to update our facilities according to ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The public areas on the first floor of the residence and barn studio are accessible and much of the immediate landscape surrounding the residence and studio can be traversed on foot or with a wheelchair.
- Each resident is provided with their own bedroom in the main building, a private or shared bath, and full access to the stunning grounds and on-site studios.
- Residents are responsible for cooking their own meals, and have full access to the kitchen and pantry.
Eligibility
The Manship Artists Residency encourages all interested creatives to contact us. Recognizing that creative people are not just visual artists, but also scientists and thought leaders, the Manship Artists Residency has an interdisciplinary approach when selecting residents. We accept the following disciplines: sculpture, painting, drawing, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting and screenwriting, performance, film and video, photography, music composition, and inter- and cross-disciplinary art.
Submissions are reviewed annually by a jury of distinguished artists for the coming year and will reopen in the Fall.
