The Estelle Center for Creative Arts
La Veta, Colorado
2028 Artist-in-Residency Program
Application Timeline
November 1, 2026 — Application opens, 9:00 AM MTN
November 26, 2026 — Application closes, 5:00 PM MTN
March 1, 2027 — Notification of acceptance decisions
Two Winter Sessions of Three Weeks Each
Two Residents Per Session / Four Residents for 2028 Season
Studio Access & Private Room Included
$500 Stipend
The Program
The Estelle Center for Creative Arts exists to give artists a place to grow — in their creativity, in their professional practice, and in community — while developing new work or carrying works in progress toward completion. Founded by Jennifer Peterson in honor of her grandmother, Estelle Yates, the Center sits in a landscape made for introspection: 270 days of sunshine, serene high-country quiet, rugged backcountry trails and alpine climbing, giant granite formations, and sweeping mountain views. Scattered across it are leaning root cellars, cedar-shingle smokehouses, and tool sheds slowly being reclaimed by wild grasses, along with hand-built split-rail fences and weathered juniper posts bound with twisted, oxidized baling wire. Together, these elements invite creativity and reflection.
In La Veta, a small town by Colorado’s Spanish Peaks, our residencies give you dedicated studio time and space to create, away from daily distractions, offering the focus you can’t often find at home. Each session hosts two artists, who share the studio and living spaces while working independently. Whatever brings you here, Estelle offers room to reinvigorate your practice and follow the work wherever it leads.
Before you apply, please read the Artist-in-Residence Handbook. It describes the town of La Veta, the Estelle building, the Colorado winter climate, and what to expect from daily life during a residency. It is the best way to evaluate whether the Estelle Artist-in-Residence program is right for you.
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
Residency at a Glance
Where: The Estelle Center, in the historic small town of La Veta, at the foot of the Spanish Peaks in southern Colorado.
How Many: Two residents per session · four residents for the 2028 season.
Length: Three self-directed weeks.
Cost: Free to the resident — studio access and a private room are fully included; bathrooms are shared
Stipend: $500 upon successful completion of the full term and all program requirements
Application fee: $35, non-refundable
Meals: Residents are in charge of their own meals. There’s a commercial kitchen with everything needed to cook. Residents must bring in their own groceries.
Laundry: On-site washer and dryer is available to residents.
Artistic Mediums: Dry media — fiber art, art quilting, collage, printmaking, mixed media, photography, writing, composing, and other large-format or dry work.
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
The Setting
Located on Highway 12, south of US 160, La Veta is a small town that serves as a hub for nearby ranches and boasts an impressive arts scene for its size. It is also home to Francisco Fort, the last surviving original adobe fort in Colorado.
The town is surrounded by the Great Dikes of the Spanish Peaks, which are unique granite formations in this part of Colorado. Southern Colorado’s scenic beauty is yours to discover with abundant hiking and biking trails, plus fishing opportunities on the Cuchara River and at Wahatoya State Wildlife Area.
The Estelle Center itself is a free-standing, two-story building that has been home to working artists since 2003. In 2022, artist and real estate developer Jennifer Peterson transformed it into a live-in residency and retreat center, naming it after her grandmother, Estelle (Yates).
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
The Studio
The main workroom is a 41-by-49-foot open-concept space with high ceilings, wood floors, bright color-balanced lighting, and large street-facing windows — including a decorative Kiva fireplace with padded seating. The high clearance was intentionally preserved to accommodate large vertical design walls, making the space well suited to fiber art, collage, printmaking, mixed media, writing, composing, and large-format work. It is unobstructed and configurable, with two half bathrooms, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, and high-speed internet on the ground floor.
Each resident receives three dry-work design walls (4′ × 8′), three work tables (6′ × 3′), an iron station, two to three chairs, and a natural-light orientation within the shared studio.
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
Estelle’s Upstairs
The upper floor houses six individually themed guest rooms, each bright, clean, and designed to feel like a genuine home away from home. The smoke-free residence is heated and air-conditioned, with individual thermostats in each bedroom. Residents have full access to the commercial kitchen to prepare food they bring in for the duration of their stay. Please note: a flight of stairs reaches the sleeping quarters; there is no elevator, and the upper floor is not ADA accessible.
What We Ask of You
A residency at Estelle is a two-way relationship with the town that hosts it.
Community Engagement
The Estelle Center is part of the La Veta community. We ask our artist residents to share their work with the community weekly, not for entertainment, but to build connections, through an open studio or community session.
Each resident contributes one work to the Estelle Center Artist-in-Residence Group Exhibition which is held every November. Works are offered for sale, with proceeds going directly to the Estelle Center Scholarship Fund, which supports creatives who might otherwise be unable to attend the multi-day instructional retreats offered at Estelle.
Group Exhibition
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
Is This Residency Right For You?
Estelle is a unique place, and it suits some artists better than others. You're likely a strong fit if:
You have a committed, ongoing practice and a portfolio that showcases your distinct voice, regardless of whether you’re a beginner, experienced, or resuming your work.
You work in dry media and would benefit from using large design walls and room to work at scale.
You're energized, not distracted, by sharing a studio and home with one other resident.
You’re genuinely drawn to a remote small town at high-altitude (7,000 feet) featuring vast winter skies and few services, and are curious about how it might influence your work.
You're comfortable being visible in the community and glad to open your studio once a week to the La Veta residents.
The Estelle residency may not be the right fit right now if you:
Rely on wet media, a kiln, or heavy equipment we don't provide
Need a major metro area
Require extensive services, or an ADA-accessible sleeping floor
Prefer a purely solitary retreat with no community component
If you're unsure, read the Artist in Residence Handbook. If you still have questions, reach out. We'd rather have an honest conversation than see you arrive somewhere that isn't right for you.
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
2028 Session & Key Dates
We offer two winter sessions and will make every effort to honor your preference, though placement cannot be guaranteed.
Session I: January 9–29, 2028
Session II: February 6–26, 2028
Application Timeline
November 1, 2026 — Application opens, 9:00 AM MTN
November 26, 2026 — Application closes, 5:00 PM MTN
March 1, 2027 — Notification of acceptance decisions
Please note: Estelle does not permit deferrals. Before applying, confirm you are available for the session dates you select. An individual may take an Estelle residency only once every two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There is no fee for studio access and lodging — both are fully included. There is a non-refundable $35 application fee, and Artists in Residence receive a $500 stipend upon successfully completing the full term and all program requirements.
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Emerging and established artists working in dry media. We welcome artists at various career stages and strive to build a resident community that mirrors diverse artistic practices and lived experiences.
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Two per session, four for the 2028 season. Individuals may hold an Estelle residency only once every two years.
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Your stay includes a private room, bedding and towels, access to a full shared kitchen, high-speed internet, and your dedicated studio area with design walls, tables, an iron, and seating. You bring your own art materials and supplies, personal toiletries, any specialty food or kitchen items, and cold-weather gear. The Artist in Residence Handbook has suggestions on what to pack.
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No, residents self-cater using the building's commercial kitchen. Groceries are available to purchase at Charlie's Market, with larger stores in Walsenburg, about 16 miles east.
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We strongly recommend a personal vehicle because La Veta is rural and offers very limited public transportation. The nearest major airports are Colorado Springs (about 2 hours) and Denver (about 3.5 hours), both offer rental cars.
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The ground floor and the studio are ADA accessible. The sleeping quarters and shared bathroom are up a flight of stairs and are not ADA accessible; there is no elevator. Please be candid about your needs in the application so we can talk honestly about whether the space is right for you.
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Both sessions fall in the heart of a Colorado mountain winter. At 7,013 feet above sea level, La Veta is cold, bright, dry, and snowy in winter. Expect strong high-altitude sun and real elevation effects for the first day or two. The Artist in Residence Handbook covers climate, altitude, and suggestions on what to pack.
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No, Estelle does not permit deferrals. If you cannot attend, we will release your slot to another applicant, and you are welcome to reapply in a future season.
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Each week, you will participate in an open studio for the La Veta community, and you will donate one piece of work to Estelle’s November art show, which raises funds for the Scholarship Fund.
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
Ready to Apply?
The Artist-in-Residence Handbook will be available here on October 1st. The application portal will not open until November 1, 2027.
