Programs
“The residency I won to Blue Mountain Center made possible one of the most happy and productive periods of my early writing life. I arrived exhausted—from years of odd jobs and freelance work to support my own reporting, from worry about an undone book, from the cumulative weariness of a too-hectic life. Within days, nourished by the good care of the staff in one of the most beautiful physical environments I’ve ever been in, I began the deep work of my book. I also had a terrific amount of fun. I wrote hard and ran and hiked. On that porch overlooking the lake and mountains, around that table in the dining room—always abundant with fantastic food—I made friends. We talked and argued and laughed an awful lot.”
credit: Mashuq Deen. A silhouette of a resident with their back to us sitting at a desk in the BMC Boathouse, facing Eagle Lake. Trees of green, orange, red, and yellow make up the opposite shore.
Residencies
During the summer and early fall, BMC offers month-long residency sessions. These sessions are open to creative and non-fiction writers, activists, and artists of all disciplines — including composers, filmmakers, and visual artists. These residencies offer time and space for residents to create new work, continue projects, rest, and be rejuvenated away from the distractions of their everyday lives. Applications are reviewed by accomplished authors and artists who are particularly interested in fine work that evinces social and ecological concern, and is aimed at a general audience. We do not host classes or workshops, BMC is designed to create space for each resident to focus on their work within a supportive community.
There is a $25 application fee. Our annual application deadline is February 1. Notifications are typically given by the end of March.
Each session is four weeks long. There is no cost for a BMC residency.
Dates for the 2024 residency sessions are as follows:
Residency #1 – Friday, June 14 – Friday, July 12
Residency #2 – Friday, July 19 – Friday, August 16
Residency #3 – Friday, August 30 – Friday, September 27
The application process will be for the 2024 season and will open December 1, 2023 and close February 1, 2024.
Guest rooms are simple and comfortable. Residents are lodged in individual bedroom/studies in one of two buildings. Click the “Learn More” button for more information about living at BMC.
Three conference guests are mid-discussion in the corner of BMC’s Clubhouse living room.
Conferences
Blue Mountain Center hosts weekend conferences bringing together individuals and organizations thinking about pressing social problems such as civil liberties, environmental health and safety, peace, racial and economic justice. The BMC conference season typically includes movement building gatherings, cross-silo conversations, issue-based discussions, and organizational retreats.
Some conference topics are generated by BMC staff and advisors, others come from external individuals, grassroots groups, and non-profit organizations who submit proposals. We are eager to support emerging conversations that do not have established institutional or foundation support. There is no charge for BMC conferences.
The application deadline for 2024 conference proposals is January 8, 2024. Individuals or groups interested in submitting a proposal can learn more about the guidelines by clicking the button below.
Focus Residencies
Blue Mountain Center periodically hosts special short residencies with specific themes. These sessions are developed through invitations and nominations. They are much like a traditional residency except residents are also encouraged to share their perspectives, ideas, and approaches to the theme with one another.
Focus Residencies are designed by BMC staff in collaboration with advisors and alumni. The deadline for focus residency proposals for the 2024 season is January 8, 2024. For more information, please click the button below.