The primary benefit of the residency is the use of an award-winning vacation rental as a private residence and working space. The luxurious flat is fully furnished, beautifully decorated and filled with original West Virginia contemporary art.

Fayetteville, a bustling tourist destination from May-October, turns into a sleepy small town in the winter and will provide the creative with a relaxed pace of life and opportunities for interaction with the diverse and eclectic people who make their home here. The adjacent New River Gorge National Park provides room to roam and opportunities to commune with nature in one of the most beautiful areas of the United States.

New River Gorge
Creative Residency at Lafayette Flats

The application deadline is November 1. Finalists will be notified by November 15 and interviewed via teleconferencing. Final selections will be announced by December 1.

Please forward the completed application form along with a CV of no more than 4 pages to: hello@LafayetteFlats.com.

Letters of recommendation should also be sent to hello@lafayetteflats.com directly from the individual providing the recommendation. The applicant's name should be included in the subject line of the recommendation email. A telephone interview will be conducted with the references of the candidates under consideration.

2015 - Eric Shonkwiler

2016 - Mary Ann Henry

2017 - Kathleen M. Jacobs

2018 - Wendy Welch

2019 - Rosalie Haizlett, Matt Browning

2020 - Carly Thaw, Kimberly Trathen

2021 - Jessica Sands, Amy Pabst

2022 - Michele Sons, L.Renee, Nevada Tribble

2023 - Brian Micheal Reed, Hannah Watters, Nicole Westfall

2024 - Odana Chaney

It is our desire to support the development of creative people by providing a unique opportunity for artists and writers to live and work at Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals in Fayetteville, WV during the month of January. Creatives may use this time and space to develop their skills or to devote time to a particular project.

The completed application.

A CV of no more than 4 pages.

Two current letters of recommendation for the residency submitted by your references.

Complete application packets should be emailed
to hello@lafayetteflats.com by November 1.

A complete application Packet includes the following documents

Creating a fresh narrative for West Virginia

The selected creative will live on site the entire time of the residency, which shall be January 1 through January 31.

Each creative will have a private flat (living space, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom) in which to live and work. There are laundry facilities on site.

This residency is designed to be a month-long working retreat; frequent absences and visitations are discouraged. Parties or gatherings are prohibited.

Each creative will be asked to provide one short essay to the owners reflecting on his or her experience during the residency. The essay will be shared as a blog post on LafayetteFlats.com.

Each creative will be required to place a $250 refundable security deposit prior to check-in, but otherwise will live and work rent-free for the duration of the residency.

The creatives will be responsible for all other living costs during the residency. No meals or other necessities will be provided.

Past Creatives in Residence

For this residency, creatives are defined as writers and visual artists. We are looking for people who are interested in contemporary Appalachia and people who possess a willingness to help craft its fresh narrative. The successful candidate will be a person of integrity who can be entrusted with the Lafayette Flats building and its contents.