The submission window for the 2026 Mountain AIR (artist in residency) Program is now open through November 28, 2025.
The Art in the Libraries program at West Virginia University Libraries invites artists from all backgrounds and disciplines to apply for the 2026 Mountain AIR Program—an initiative that invites artists to draw inspiration from the Libraries’ rich environmental archives at the West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC).
Inspired by decades of West Virginia and Appalachia activism, conservation efforts, and community engagement, the Mountain AIR Program seeks to spark dialogue around place, memory, and environmental justice by activating archival material for broader audiences and transforming history into creative expression.
Building on the success of the 2025 Pilot Residency, this initiative now aims to connect artists with environmental archives at the WVRHC—the home of decades of materials documenting environmental activism, conservation, and community response across the region. Using the archives as inspiration for new creative works and public engagement, the 2026 artist in residency will explore these collections and create new works that reveal West Virginia and the greater region’s complex ecological story.
By connecting creative practice with historical materials, WVU Libraries’ Art in the Libraries fosters new ways of understanding West Virginia’s environmental past and future. Through this residency, the Mountain AIR Program seeks to breathe new life into archival materials and support artists to explore. Works may reflect personal or collective experiences, historical narratives, or the intersection of land, labor, activism, and art in West Virginia.
All artists must apply by November 28, 2025. Submit Your Art.
This residency is open to all U.S.-based artists working in art and cultural heritage-related fields, with a preference for WVU Alumni and underrepresented artists. Selection of works will be based on submissions that meet the guidelines, with stronger consideration for proposals that highlight underrepresented narratives, elevate local knowledge, or explore environmental history of the region.
Artists receive funding for travel, materials, and an honorarium, along with the opportunity to present their work through public exhibitions, talks, or performances during Earth Week in April 2026.
For more information, submission guidelines, a timeline, and requirements, visit the Mountain AIR Program page.
For questions, participants may contact Sally Brown at sally.brown1@mail.wvu.edu for a consultation before submission.
This programming is made possible in partnership with the Appalachian Community Development Association and the Oakland Foundation.