The mission of the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts is to support established and emerging writers, visual artists, and composers by providing working and living environments that allow uninterrupted time for work, reflection, and creative growth and to present and support arts-related programming that expands public awareness and appreciation of the arts.

Established in 2001, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts (KHN) is a renowned Artist Residency program that supports established and emerging visual artists, writers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists worldwide. Uniquely housed in a residential prairie-style complex in Nebraska City, Nebraska, KHN now awards up to seventy-eight residency awards per year and hosts five residents at any time. Residency awards are 2-8 weeks in length and include a weekly $175 stipend. In addition, residents receive their own private bedroom, bathroom, and studio.

Application Requirements:

• General Application Information including your preferred dates and length of residency.
• 2 Anonymous Statements: An anonymous Statement of Submitted Works that clarifies the work and/or its relevance within contemporary or historical creative practices, contemporary society/issues, or the evolution of your personal creative practice; and an anonymous Statement of Intent regarding how you intend to utilize your time and why a residency at KHN is important to you at this point in your career.
• KHN utilizes a blind jury process. The only items seen and reviewed by jurors are anonymous work samples and statements. Jurors rate applications based solely on the quality and relevance of the submitted work and the statements’ effectiveness in clarifying the work and the applicant’s intentions for a residency.
• Do NOT include your NAME, CREDITS, AWARDS, UNIVERSITIES, EMPLOYERS, COLLABORATORS, COMMISSIONING OR PUBLISHING AGENTS, GALLERY OR VENUE NAMES, or any other identifying information within the statements. For sample statements please check out the PDF’s provided on their wrbsite linked below.
• References: Please provide contact information for two professional references that are familiar with your work and your potential to be a positive member of our small community of residents.
• Professional History from your current resume or CV. Your name may appear in the contents of this information.
• Submit an Application Fee of $35 paid via credit card through their online portal.

Application Deadline: September 1, 2025 for residencies between January 5 – June 19, 2026

To submit your application, click here

For more details and guidelines, visit the website page for the residency linked below