**FALL 2026 RESIDENCY CALL OPENS ON JULY 3 at 9pm**
Mineral Arts & Residencies (formerly Mineral School) is an artists residency program near Mt. Rainier, in Mineral, Washington. During fall 2026, we'll host 18 creative people during three sessions ranging from one to two weeks in length, providing them with time, space, nutritious food, community, and access to the outdoors as well as the wild and wonderful energy of the region. Mineral features a fishing lake, boat rentals, in-town hiking trails, a bar, a general store (with electrical vehicle chargers!), an operating church as well as a former church we own, a post office, and many deer. It's a 25-minute drive to the Ashford/Nisqually entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.
We provide accepted applicants space and time to create new work without the interruptions of normal life and with the bonus of healthy meals. During each session, six residents will live at the historic and low-key haunted Mineral Lake Lodge, which offers views of Mineral Lake and Mt. Rainier and boasts lots of history. Each artist will have a private bedroom in the lodge, with linens provided. For writing workspace, each writer's room will offer a small desk area, and we will also set up private out-of-room space at the lodge for writers to work solo (including the second-floor sunroom and ground-floor den) as well as spaces at the church. Up to two visual artists may work in the lodge's 750-square foot "conference center" directly facing the lake and The Mountain (and which has two bathrooms and a kitchenette as well as an 1150-square foot deck), free-range around town, or set up shop at the church in its sanctuary area.
At the lodge, four bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms, while two bedrooms share a hall bathroom. Residents are provided box breakfast and lunch each morning and will dine together nightly at the church -- they will also have 24/7 access to a snack fridge and coffee/tea in the lodge as well as at its conference center and at the church. Meals will be prepared by a caterer who cooks with regional organic produce and eggs wherever possible; all residents are issued a food survey on acceptance so we can build menus that accommodate food allergies/exclusions as well as preferences.
Accessibility notice: During fall 2026, all residents will stay at the Mineral Lake Lodge which requires the use of stairs (both to enter the lodge and to access the bedrooms which are on the second or third floor). We are working to find partner accessible spaces for 2027 and beyond so that artists who are unable to use stairs may join us.
Visiting authors and artists: During each residency, special guests will visit and present work. Typically, alumni presenters visit and in some cases bring with them a special guest artist they've chosen to introduce to Mineral. These events are free and open to the public, and are casual dessert potlucks held after dinner.
Resident presentations: If they wish, residents can share with one another and the public at each session's "show and tell" held during residency. These presentations are typically held after dinner and are dessert potlucks.
We are accepting applications from July 1, 2026, through August 1, 2026 (Midnight, PST) for fall 2026 residencies. Notification will be given at least two months before the residency period for which you've applied.
FALL 2026 RESIDENCY DATES
Residency sessions will be held during the following time periods:
- September 19-September 27, 2026 (Alumni -- all genres)
- October 11-October 25, 2026 (All genres)
- November 8-November 22, 2026 (All genres)
RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS FALL 2026
During fall 2026, we are able to offer 6 fellowships so writers and artists may attend residency at no cost; fellowshipped writers are provided with travel assistance to Mineral from within the I-5 corridor between Portland and Seattle. Otherwise, one-week residency costs $475 and two-week residency costs $950, which includes all meals, linens, and programming.
Alumni Fellowship (1) is open to one alum of Mineral School/MARS from any year who wishes to return for the September 2026 one-week session.
June Dodge Fellowships (3) are open to poets or writers from the Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon) and whose work is inspired by adventure, travel, the outdoors, and a feisty won't-give-up spirit. Though named for a woman, applicants of any identity may apply! These fellowships will support one artist for a one-week session and two artists (total) attending two-week residency and include transit to Mineral from Portland, Seattle, or points between along I-5.
The Mona Lisa Roberts Visual Artist Fellowship (1) supports a two-week residency for one visual artist who self-identifies as LGBTQ+ and lives in the Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon). This fellowship funds a two-week residency any month. Depending on the medium and artist preference, the accepted artist can work in the studio room where they also sleep, spread out in the gym, or work outdoors.
The Erin Donovan Writing Fellowship (1) supports one woman writer at midlife (40+). A fan of small town culture, travel, dive bars, nature, wordplay, and late-night talks about the meaning of life, Erin Donovan lived with abandon. Her friends and family co-created a fellowship in her memory open to applicants from the states where Erin lived. This residency is open to a woman-identifying writer of poetry or prose living in Massachusetts, New York, Washington, or Oregon, who is at least 40, and whose writing expresses wit and compassion. This fellowship funds the two-week residency fee and offers travel support upon proof of travel purchase or mileage, up to $175 (OR/WA) or $400 (NY/MA).
RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIPS 2027
Continuing annually in 2027, we'll offer the above fellowships and continue the TLR fellowship described below.
The Tahoma Literary Review Fellowship (1) will offer one writer of poetry or prose who identifies as part of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color) community support for a two-week residency. Applicants may request that their submission be read solely for residency or also considered for publication in Tahoma Literary Review. TLR is supporting this fellowship and publication opportunity to recognize and uplift BIPOC voices. The fellowship also includes travel assistance from points between Portland, OR and Seattle, WA along the I-5 corridor, if needed.
Come get your hands dirty with us! We're offering a five-session hands-on fundamentals course on working with clay led by Emiko Naito, with four two-hour sessions devoted to teaching participants how clay works, how to use clay to create functional objects (for everyday/household use), and how to use sculpting tools (sponges, wire tools, wooden knives, trimming tools) and techniques. At the fourth session, each student can choose one item they’d like to see kiln-fired and glazed by instructor Emiko. At the fifth and final session, course participants will come to collect their finished works at a celebratory show-and-tell where guest speakers Rick Mahaffey (ceramics artist and longtime professor at Tacoma Community College) and Jana Gardner (ceramic artist and co-owner of Ashford Creek Pottery) will share examples of pottery techniques they use or have used in their work.
Who can enroll? No experience is necessary, and anyone 12 or up can register. Course is capped at 20 participants.
Dates: Clay Camp takes place Fridays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on July 31, August 7, August 14, and August 21. The final class is a celebration and pottery pickup to be held mid-day on Sunday, August 23 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.), with special guest speakers and snacks. (If you cannot make the final class, we will have an alternative pickup location in Mineral.)
Location: MARS World Headquarters, 116 Lincoln Ave., in Mineral. (We’re in the former church directly across from the Post Office.)
Accessibility: We have a rear door that is accessible for those who use wheelchairs or walkers (please advise if that applies to you); otherwise, the front entry requires the use of stairs.
Cost: $25 per person, which includes all materials, hands-on clay time, and instruction.
Scholarships: If cost is a barrier, Mineral Lake Lions Club has offered to cover the cost of six participants (more if there is demand), with preference for teens ages 12-18 and residents of East Lewis County/Pierce County near Mt. Rainier.
This course is made possible with project grant support from ArtsWA.
Who should apply? If you write poetry (prose poetry, poetry in stanzas, free verse, limericks, Haikus, etc.), or any other form of poetry, this is where you should apply. Writers at all career stages are encouraged.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of established poetry writers. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing process and/or what life experiences and literary influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer. Be yourself! The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding awards, published work, or identifying or biographical information (you can put that in your bio). This assures admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 20 pages of poetry in 12-point font, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or two) explaining the sample (i.e. -- this is a selection of a cycle of sonnets etc..). Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages. Please do not use your name in the title of the file you upload. (If your name is Jane Doe, don't upload janedoe.doc!)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during your preferred residency period, do not designate 2nd choice residency periods. If all dates are equally fine, tick that box.
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all elements are attached!
Who should apply? If you are an artist alum of Mineral School/Mineral Arts & Residencies (from any year), or an alum who worked as a host or cook for the program (from any year), you may apply on this form.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of established poets, writers, or visual artists. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing or visual art process and/or what life experiences and literary or visual art influences have shaped your work and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer, poet, or visual artist. Be yourself! The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding awards, published work, or identifying or biographical information (you can put that in your bio). This assures admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 8,000 words of prose, up to 20 pages of poetry in 12-point font, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or two) explaining the sample (i.e. -- this is a selection of a cycle of sonnets etc..). Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages. Please do not use your name in the title of the file you upload. (If your name is Jane Doe, don't upload janedoe.doc!)
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all elements are attached!
Who should apply? If you write prose (fiction, nonfiction, memoir, essay, things that occur in large blocks of text over long series of pages) or any other form of prose, this is where you should apply. Writers at all career stages are encouraged.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of established poetry and prose writers with competence in your genre. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing process and/or what life experiences and literary influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer. Be yourself. The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your particular creative process. This will help in making final decisions. For the artist statement do not include identifying/biographical information (such as naming yourself in the file). This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 10,000 words in 12-point font, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or so) explaining the sample (i.e. -- this is a prologue, this is a memoir excerpt, etc.). Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages. Please do not use your name in the title of the file you upload. (If your name is Jane Doe, don't upload janedoe.doc!)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during your preferred residency period, do not designate a 2nd choice residency period. If you are willing to attend any session, indicate so.
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all elements are attached!
Who should apply? If you are a visual artist who can bring your own supplies to Mineral and work in improvised studio space, this is the place for you to apply. We have a lot of space, though we don't have a specific "visual art studio" -- you can work on a covered patio, inside our gym (which has a mix of natural and overhead light, a lockable door, locker rooms with janitor sinks, and walls to pin/tape/tack work up), plein air about town, or, if your medium (graphic novelist? pen-and-ink artist? fabric guru? editing your digital photos?) isn't too stinky to live with, you can work in the room where you sleep (which has chalkboards and pushpin surfaces etc.). Because of fire risks, we currently cannot have portable kilns, blowtorches, or other flame-required art-making processes onsite.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of visual artists. Your work is presented anonymously and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, shows, gallery presence or other public experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your process and/or what life experiences and influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as an artist. Be yourself. The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding shows (if your name is Vincent Van Gogh, mention your work was at X or Y museum but not that you were the subject of "Vincent Van Gogh: A retrospective") or identifying or biographical information (aka, your name). This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to five images of your art in JPEG, GIF, or TIFF form. Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample files. (If your name is Jane Doe, don't upload janedoe.jpeg -- change that file name to something without your name embedded in it.)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during your preferred residency period, do not designate a 2nd choice residency periods. If you have a preferred residency period but are willing to attend other sessions in the event your first choice isn't possible, mark a 2nd choice.
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all elements are attached!
Who should apply? The Mona Lisa Roberts Visual Artist Fellowship is open to an artist who self-identifies as LGBTQ+ and lives in the Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon). This fellowship funds a two-week residency any month and transit assistance if needed from Seattle, Portland, or points between. If you are a visual artist who can bring your own supplies to Mineral and work in improvised studio space, this is the place for you to apply. We have a lot of space, though we don't have a specific "visual art studio" -- you can work on a covered patio, inside our gym (which has good light, a lockable door, and walls to pin/tape/tack work up), plein air about town, or, if your medium (graphic novelist? pen-and-ink artist? fabric guru? editing your digital photos?) isn't too stinky to live with, you can work in the room where you sleep (which has chalkboards and pushpin surfaces etc.). Because of fire risks, we currently cannot have portable kilns, blowtorches, or other highly flammable art-making onsite.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of visual artists. Your work is presented anonymously and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, shows, gallery presence or other public experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your process and/or what life experiences and influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as an artist. Be yourself. The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding awards, shows, or identifying or biographical information. This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to five images of your art in JPEG, GIF, or TIFF form. Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample files. (If your name is Vincent Van Gogh, don't upload vvangogh.jpeg -- change that file name to something without your name embedded in it.)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during your preferred residency period, do not designate a 2nd choice residency period. If all choices are equally fine for you, tick off that box. If you have a 1st/2nd/3rd choice, let us know.
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all elements are attached!
June Dodge Fellowships are open to poetry or prose writers from the Northwest -- Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon) -- and whose work is inspired by adventure, travel, or the outdoors. The June Dodge fellowship includes your room/writing studio, meals, and transit assistance (if needed) to Mineral from Portland, Seattle, or points between those two cities along the I-5 corridor.
About June Dodge: June Dodge is not a real person -- but she's got a real heart. June Dodge emerged from a typo in the local newspaper, but what a great typo, what a great muse. We picture June Dodge as a wild west character, tough but gracious, with a little dirt on her brow from a hard day's work, an Aries spitfire, probably ready to spend the evening talking quatrains or Coltrane over a tin cup of moonshine before kicking her chair over with her boot and going back to the typewriter to make the words fly like bullets. It takes grit to write and June Dodge has it. If you've got character and determination she'd like to support that, even if your character and determination are nothing like hers.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of established prose writers. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. (If your name is June Dodge, do not upload a document titled JuneDodgePoems.doc.) Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision? Think of this as the sort of short bio that someone might read before you step up to the stage to give a public presentation.
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing process and/or what life experiences and literary influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer. Be yourself! The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding awards, published work, or identifying or biographical information. This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 10,000 words, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or two) explaining the sample. Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages. Also, do not include your name as the title of your document. (That is, if your name is Sylvia Plath, don't upload sylviaplath.doc.)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during one residency period, do not designate a 2nd choice residency period. If you are willing/able to attend any session, you may designate that. You can also share 2nd and 3rd choice session dates. Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all these elements are attached!
June Dodge Fellowships are open to poetry or prose writers from the Northwest -- Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or the provinces of western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon) -- and whose work is inspired by adventure, travel, or the outdoors. The June Dodge fellowship includes your room/writing studio, meals, and transit assistance (if needed) to Mineral from Portland, Seattle, or points between those two cities along the I-5 corridor.
About June Dodge: June Dodge is not a real person -- but she's got a real heart. June Dodge emerged from a typo in the local newspaper, but what a great typo, what a great muse. We picture June Dodge as a wild west character, tough but gracious, with a little dirt on her brow from a hard day's work, an Aries spitfire, probably ready to spend the evening talking quatrains or Coltrane over a tin cup of moonshine before kicking her chair over with her boot and going back to the typewriter to make the words fly like bullets. It takes grit to write and June Dodge has it. If you've got character and determination she'd like to support that, even if your character and determination are nothing like hers.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by a panel of established poets. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample. (If your name is June Dodge, do not upload a document titled JuneDodgePoems.doc.) Your application will be assigned a number once it is completed.
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision? Think of this as the sort of short bio that someone might read before you step up to the stage to give a public presentation.
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing process and/or what life experiences and literary influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer. Be yourself! The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. For the artist statement you do not include information regarding awards, published work, or identifying or biographical information. This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 20 pages, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or two) explaining the sample. Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample. Make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages. Also, do not include your name as the title of your document. (That is, if your name is Sylvia Plath, don't upload sylviaplath.doc.)
Preferred Residency Dates: Our application lets you choose your preferred residency period. If you can only attend during one residency period, do not designate a 2nd choice residency period. If you are willing/able to attend any session, you may designate that. Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all these elements are attached!
The Erin Donovan Writing Fellowship is open to an emerging woman writer of poetry or prose living in Massachusetts, New York, Washington, or Oregon, who is at least 40 years old as of August 1, 2026, and whose writing expresses both wit and compassion. This fellowship includes room and board as well as a travel stipend of ($175 max for WA/OR, $400 max for MA/NY) and is available during any two-week residency in 2026.
About Erin Donovan: This fellowship was established to honor the memory of Erin Donovan (1965-2015), a talented fiction writer, beloved teacher, and independent creative spirit who made her home in the Pacific Northwest. Beloved for her joie de vivre, sense of humor, and compassion, Erin was a gifted and intuitive thinker, attuned to human nature and the brilliant particulars of the everyday. Offering this fellowship in her name, her friends and family seek to support the talent and literary potential of other women writers who will find creative space and time at MARS.
Selection: Your work will be evaluated by established poetry and prose writers (depending on your application genre), and short-list finalists may be additionally reviewed by friends and family of Erin. Your work is presented anonymously to the readers and they will make choices based on the merit of your artist statement and work sample and boldness of your voice. Please do NOT include your name on your artist statement or work sample or the title of the documents for those samples (eg, if your name is Jane Doe, don't title your document "JaneDoe.doc").
What you will need to prepare before beginning the application process:
Short bio: In one paragraph, how would you describe your education, publication or public readings experience, and any paid or service work that helps further your artistic vision?
Artist Statement: In a one-page (maximum) statement, please discuss how a residency would help you advance your creative work. Also share a short statement about your writing process and/or what life experiences and literary influences have shaped your art and its themes and how you have grown or are growing as a writer. Be yourself. The jurors want to get a sense of you as an artist and your creative process. This will help in making final decisions. For the artist statement please do not include information regarding awards, published work, or identifying biographical information. This assures that admissions are blind.
Work Sample: Create a work sample of up to 8,000 words (prose) or 20 pages (poetry) in 12-point font, in a Word Doc, Docx, or PDF format. Work samples can be work-in-progress or already published work -- whatever you feel will make the strongest application. You are welcome to include an introductory note (a paragraph or two) explaining the sample (i.e. -- this is a prologue, this is a memoir excerpt, etc.). Do not include biographical or identifying information in your work sample, i.e. make sure your name is not on any of the work sample pages.
Consider Dates: These residency sessions are your date options:
- October 11 - 25, 2026
- November 8 - 22, 2026
Please don't hit the "submit" button on your application until all these elements are attached!