Fayetteville Creates

Where art, nature, and people come together to inspire and be inspired.

Welcome to the official page for Fayetteville Creates, an artist residency program excited to launch it's second year January 2027 in the heart of the New River Gorge, West Virginia.

About the Fayetteville Creates Residency

Fayetteville Creates is a month-long, town-wide artist residency held each January in Fayetteville, West Virginia, at the heart of the New River Gorge.

This is the second year we are welcoming a group of creatives across disciplines and at different stages of their careers to live, work, and become part of the Fayetteville community. Visual artists, writers, musicians, illustrators, photographers, textile artists, makers, performers, and other creatives are encouraged to apply.

What makes Fayetteville Creates a little different is that the residency doesn't happen behind the doors of a single studio or institution. The town is part of the experience. Throughout January, residents share their work through free public workshops, demonstrations, performances, talks, and other events hosted in spaces around Fayetteville. Informal weekly gatherings give residents, local creatives, and community members more opportunities to meet, spend time together, and make connections.

At the same time, this is still your residency and your creative time. January is a quieter season in Fayetteville, and there is plenty of opportunity to work independently, explore the New River Gorge, start something new, or simply have some uninterrupted time to focus. 

What Residents Receive

Selected residents receive lodging in a donated Fayetteville-area vacation rental at no cost, providing a home base for the month, as well as a minimum $250 artist stipend to help support their time in Fayetteville.

Each resident is paired with a Local Guide, a Fayetteville-area artist, arts enthusiast, or enthusiastic community member who serves as a point of contact throughout the residency. Your Guide can help you get oriented, make local connections, find supplies or spaces, assist with your community engagement project, or point you toward a favorite coffee shop, trail, or place worth exploring.

You'll also be part of a small group of fellow residents, with opportunities throughout the month to connect with local and regional creatives, businesses, and community members.

What We Ask of Residents

Community engagement is at the heart of Fayetteville Creates. Each resident is asked to contribute at least two hours of free public programming during their stay. What that looks like is intentionally flexible and should make sense for your creative practice. It might be a workshop, demonstration, artist talk, reading, concert, performance, open studio, community project, or something we haven't thought of yet. 

Our committee and Local Guides help connect you with spaces, supplies, businesses, organizations, and other resources to make your project happen and cover the costs of materials and space.

Residents are required to attend the opening orientation and closing celebration. We also encourage you to attend the events of your fellow residents and our informal weekly gatherings, but beyond the required commitments, your level of involvement is yours to determine.

The Experience

Fayetteville Creates is really about a balance: time to create independently and an invitation to become part of a community that is excited to have you here.

Spend January working on your own practice, meeting other creatives, sharing what you do, exploring Fayetteville and the New River Gorge, or some combination of all of it. We hope you leave with new work and ideas, but also new relationships, experiences, and a connection to this little corner of Appalachia.

Applications now open! Deadline to Apply October 31, 2026!

The Bullet Points

• When: January 1–31, 2027
• Where: Fayetteville, West Virginia
• Who: Visiting creatives across all disciplines—visual artists, writers, photographers, musicians, textile artists, culinary creatives, and more
• What: One-month stay in a donated vacation rental and a $250 artist stipend; participants engage the community through workshops, pop-up events, or public art while developing their own work. 

Click here to apply!

-2026 Fayetteville Creates Residents

"This residency gave me the space to create and hone my craft in the serene peace of the woods in the winter. Not only was I surrounded by nature, but also by a beautiful community with a wellspring of rich cultural history that would inspire even the most stuck creative into action. With the support of the Fayetteville Creates team and this residency, I dared to take the leap and become a full-time musician this year. I am so immensely grateful for this opportunity, and I now take any chance I get to visit my home away from home in the NRG." 

- Becks Lipshultz - 2026 Inaugural Resident Artist

"My name is Blue and I was one of the first 7 artists in the 2026 Fayetteville Creates Artist Residency. I will say that it changed my perspective on my art. I was having coffee with other artists in the morning, hiking with them in the afternoon and doing art every other second of the day and night. The workshops and get togethers were just amazing and we had our own personal guides to show us around as well! There was also plenty of solo time to do whatever we wanted. We all felt like rockstars in town as all of Fayetteville was excited to have us. I cannot recommend this enough!"

- Blue Miskelley aka Captain Blue - 2026 Inaugural Resident Artist

Timeline

• Summer 2026: Artist application opens (Applications open 8/15/26. Deadline to apply 10/31/26)

• Fall 2026: Residency selections announced

• January 2027: Residency period

Calling All Vacation Rental Owners

Want to be part of this community-powered project? We are currently seeking vacation rental owners who are willing to donate their space for one month in January 2027. In return, you’ll receive:

• Recognition as an arts supporter

• A special "Residency Supporter" badge for your listing

• Possible tax benefits for your in-kind donation (check with a tax advisor)

• A cleaning stipend

Email us at fayettevillewvcreates@gmail.com with the subject line "Host" and we'll be in touch.

Become a Guide for Fayetteville’s Artist Residency Program

Do you love Fayetteville, have a passion for the arts, and enjoy meeting new people? We’re looking for local guides to help welcome and support visiting artists as part of our new town-wide artist residency program!

What Does a Guide Do?

As a guide, you’ll serve as a friendly point of contact for 1-3 visiting artists, helping them feel at home and connected to the community. Your role is simple but meaningful:

• Meet informally once a week – Grab a coffee, show them a favorite river spot, or invite them to dinner with friends

• Be available by phone, text, or email – Help them navigate town, answer questions, and offer support as they settle in

• Help them orient themselves – Introduce them to Fayetteville’s creative culture and must-know spots

• (Optional) Support their work – If you're interested, you can assist in connecting them with space, resources, or people who can help their artistic practice while they’re here
  
  

Who Can Be a Guide?

We welcome local artists, community members, or anyone with a love for Fayetteville and the arts who wants to help make this residency a success. The most important qualifications are friendliness, hospitality, and a willingness to connect.

What You Get in Return

• A small stipend for your time

• A chance to build meaningful relationships with artists from around the country

• A chance to build meaningful relationships with artists from around the country

• The satisfaction of helping shape Fayetteville’s growing arts community

• A fun, low-commitment way to be involved in the residency program

Join Us!    

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re an artist yourself or just someone who loves showing off Fayetteville’s unique charm, you can play an important role in making this program a success.

Email us at fayettevillewvcreates@gmail.com with the subject line "Guide" and we'll be in touch.

Connect With Us

Follow along at www.fayettevillewvcreates.com and on Instagram @fayettevillewvcreates, and Facebook Fayetteville WV Creates, for updates, featured artists, and upcoming public events.

Have questions or want to get involved? Reach out at fayettevillewvcreates@gmail.com.

Let’s create something beautiful, together.

— The Fayetteville Creates Team