REACH Residency invites artists to explore environment through community art

REDLANDS, Calif. — A new artist residency program is calling on artists and writers across the Inland Empire to turn environmental awareness into creative action.

The Regional Eco Arts Community Hub (REACH), a program of The Artlands Creative, will provide one-month, work-only residencies for four artists and four writers between March and June 2026. Each will receive a $2,800 stipend and studio space to develop a community-engaged project exploring local environmental issues—from climate change and drought to biodiversity loss and food insecurity.

Participants will also host two public events during their residency and contribute to a culminating exhibition and publication at the historic Asistencia, hosted by the Redlands Conservancy.

“We’re excited for creative work that sparks curiosity, fosters connection, and brings people together in shared outdoor spaces,” said Daniel Gohman, executive director of The Artlands in a statement.

A Program Rooted in Community

REACH will operate in two locations: one in Redlands, with community programming centered at Sylvan Park, and another in the Morongo Basin, in partnership with Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.

Project director Danielle Giudici Wallis, a sculptor and environmental artist who formerly led the San Bernardino County Arts Council, said the program grew from years of imagining how art could deepen people’s relationships with place and the environment.

“During the pandemic, people were out walking and connecting with nature more than ever,” Giudici Wallis said. “I kept thinking how great it would be to have an artist residency in a Redlands park—something that would make art more accessible and get people thinking about the environment in creative ways.”

The Redlands residency will be anchored by the creation of a community garden at Sylvan Park, just north of the Rose Garden, designed and planted with help from the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD), University of Redlands students, and community volunteers.

Collaboration across the region

REACH has drawn together a wide network of partners, including the City of Redlands, University of Redlands Community Service Learning, IERCD, Redlands Conservancy, Accelerating Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA), Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, and Inlandia Institute.

Selected artists will participate in a professional development session hosted by Arts Connection, the arts council of San Bernardino County, to refine their ideas and learn strategies for community engagement.

Giudici Wallis said REACH aims to nurture collaboration between artists and residents, blending creative practice with local environmental action.

“It’s about finding ways to make art in community, not just about producing an object,” she said. “We want artists to explore environmental issues that matter here, and to do it in a way that builds connection.”

How to apply

Applications for the REACH residency are open through December 14, 2025. The program is open to artists in all disciplines—visual, literary, performance, music, film, and interdisciplinary practices—with a preference for those living in San Bernardino County.

Selected residents will be announced in January 2026.

An informational webinar will be held November 13 at 6 p.m., and applications can be submitted through The Artlands Creative at www.theartlands.org/reach.

Application available here.

For questions, contact REACH@theartlands.org.

About The Artlands Creative: The Artlands Creative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting emerging and underrepresented artists across Southern California and beyond. The Artlands builds creative opportunities through exhibitions, residencies, public art projects, and community partnerships and champions accessible, community-driven arts programming in California’s Inland Empire.