Djerassi Resident Artists Program
Djerassi Resident Artists Program is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the largest fee-free artist residency in the western US, awarding competitive month-long residencies across six disciplines on a 583-acre ranch in northern California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersSan Mateo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Djerassi Resident Artists Program does
The Djerassi Resident Artists Program is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the largest fee-free artist residency in the western United States. Founded in 1979 by Stanford chemist Carl Djerassi in memory of his daughter Pamela, the organization awards month-long residencies on a 583-acre ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains of northern California to approximately 32 competitively selected artists per year across six disciplines: literature, visual arts, music composition, choreography, media arts, and the interdisciplinary Leonardo@Djerassi art-science track. Applications are submitted via Slideroom and reviewed by discipline-specific panels, with a 4% acceptance rate in 2025 from a pool of 800 applicants representing 54 countries. The program has hosted 2,700+ artists since inception, including Pulitzer and Lasker Prize winners.
The core product is fully subsidized: housing, meals, studio space, and local transportation are provided at no cost to residents, with each residency carrying an estimated $15,000 cost to the organization. Supporting offerings include shorter paid alumni residencies ($1,400-$2,000 per two-week session), facilities rentals for retreats and conferences, a permanent collection of 60+ site-specific sculptures accessible via guided hikes, and public events including annual Open Studios and the Artful Harvest benefit. The 583-acre property is protected in perpetuity by a 1999 conservation easement held by Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
The business model is donation-dependent: the organization raises revenue from foundation grants and individual contributions, supplemented by the newer paid alumni residency and facilities rental lines. Go-to-market is community-led through word-of-mouth in artistic communities, the djerassi.org website, an email newsletter, sculpture hikes, and partnerships with arts organizations including Leonardo/ISAST. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees (including founding trustee Dale Djerassi), employs 1-10 staff, and as of 2024 is led by Executive Director Craig Adams, whose mandate includes expanding workshops, corporate retreats, and funding sources ahead of the program's 50th anniversary.
Djerassi Resident Artists Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Djerassi Resident Artists Program
- Legal name
- Djerassi Resident Artists Program
- Website
- https://djerassi.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Djerassi Resident Artists Program is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the largest fee-free artist residency in the western US, awarding competitive month-long residencies across six disciplines on a 583-acre ranch in northern California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Djerassi Resident Artists Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artist Residency Programs
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)
Keywords
Where Djerassi Resident Artists Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Mateo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Djerassi Resident Artists Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual and Foundation Donations: As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Djerassi relies on contributions from foundations and individuals to fund operations and provide free residencies.
- Facilities Rentals: The Artists' Barn, studios, and sleeping rooms are available for a use-fee on a very limited basis for retreats and conferences. Both non-profit and commercial rates are available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Standard Artist Residency - Free of Charge |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Alumni Residency - Self-directed stay |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Djerassi Resident Artists Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Djerassi Resident Artists Program provides fee-free month-long artist residencies on a 583-acre ranch in Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains for writers, visual artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers, and scientists. The program covers housing, meals, studio space, and local transportation at an estimated value of $15,000 per residency. Complementary offerings include the Leonardo@Djerassi art-science collaborative residency with Leonardo/ISAST, shorter alumni residencies, environmental stewardship of six distinct habitats, an outdoor sculpture collection, and limited facilities rentals for retreats and conferences.
Product overview
Djerassi Resident Artists Program is a nonprofit organization providing fee-free artist residencies. The core offerings include month-long residencies for writers, visual artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers, and scientists at its 583-acre ranch; the specialized Leonardo@Djerassi program in partnership with Leonardo/ISAST for interdisciplinary art-science collaboration; and shorter alumni residencies for returning artists. Supporting offerings include environmental stewardship across six habitat types, a collection of 60+ outdoor sculptures, and facilities rentals for retreats and conferences. All residencies are provided at no cost to artists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Leonardo@Djerassi: A collaborative initiative with Leonardo/The International Society for Arts, Sciences and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST) that includes month-long residencies for artists and scientists, public and academic forums, and published articles in LEONARDO journal by MIT Press.
Products and services
- Artist Residencies
Quantifiable outcome
- 2700+ artists have completed residencies since 1979
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Djerassi Resident Artists Program
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Djerassi Resident Artists Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Djerassi Resident Artists Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST)corePOST purchased a conservation easement on the 583 acres owned by the Djerassi Program in 1999, ensuring protection of the land as open space in perpetuity. This partnership is central to the program's land preservation mission, with the easement becoming part of the property title and legally binding all future owners.
- Leonardo/The International Society for Arts, Sciences and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST)flagshipLeonardo@Djerassi is a collaborative initiative featuring month-long residencies for five artists and five scientists at the Djerassi ranch. The partnership includes public and academic forums, published blogs and articles in the LEONARDO peer-reviewed journal published by MIT Press. Leonardo@Djerassi residents participate in the program's annual Open Studios.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Djerassi Resident Artists Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ucross Foundation: Wyoming-based artist residency providing free residencies on a 20,000-acre ranch; comparable rural, fee-free residency model supporting multidisciplinary artists.
- Ragdale Foundation: Illinois-based nonprofit artist residency on a historic estate; similar model of free/discounted residencies in a designed natural setting supporting writers, visual artists, and composers.
- MacDowell: New Hampshire-based nonprofit artist residency offering fee-free residencies to ~300 artists per year; comparable in mission, fee-free model, and ~115-year operating history.
- Headlands Center for the Arts: Bay Area artist residency in Marin County offering fee-based and sponsored residencies on a protected coastal property; comparable Northern California geography and multidisciplinary artist support.
- Blue Mountain Center: Adirondack-based nonprofit residency focused on writers and artists; similar small-staff, fee-free model on a protected rural property with a focus on community.
- Anderson Center: Minnesota-based artist residency offering month-long residencies with stipends; comparable structure for working artists across disciplines on a dedicated rural campus.
- Yaddo: Historic artist residency in Saratoga Springs, NY hosting ~200 artists annually across disciplines; like Djerassi, it provides fee-free month-long residencies on a large, protected natural estate.
- Hedgebrook: Whidbey Island, WA residency exclusively for women writers; comparable fee-free, rural residency model with strong donor-supported funding structure.
Others
- Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Partner and conservation easement holder for the Djerassi property; comparable mission in protecting open space on the San Francisco Peninsula and a strategic institutional relationship rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Joan Mitchell Center: New Orleans-based residency operated by the Joan Mitchell Foundation providing residencies and stipends to visual artists; comparable in serving established artists with fully funded programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Djerassi Resident Artists Program social profiles
Digital presenceDjerassi Resident Artists Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Djerassi Resident Artists Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Djerassi Resident Artists Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Djerassi Resident Artists Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Djerassi Resident Artists Program
What does Djerassi Resident Artists Program do?
The Djerassi Resident Artists Program provides fee-free month-long artist residencies on a 583-acre ranch in Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains for writers, visual artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers, and scientists. The program covers housing, meals, studio space, and local transportation at an estimated value of $15,000 per residency. Complementary offerings include the Leonardo@Djerassi art-science collaborative residency with Leonardo/ISAST, shorter alumni residencies, environmental stewardship of six distinct habitats, an outdoor sculpture collection, and limited facilities rentals for retreats and conferences.
Is Djerassi Resident Artists Program a public or private company?
Djerassi Resident Artists Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Djerassi Resident Artists Program founded?
Djerassi Resident Artists Program was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Djerassi Resident Artists Program based?
Djerassi Resident Artists Program is headquartered in San Mateo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Djerassi Resident Artists Program make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual and Foundation Donations are the primary driver. The others are facilities Rentals.
Who are Djerassi Resident Artists Program's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ucross Foundation, Ragdale Foundation, MacDowell, Headlands Center for the Arts, Blue Mountain Center, Anderson Center, Yaddo and Hedgebrook. Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is listed as an others. Joan Mitchell Center is listed as an emerging player.
Does Djerassi Resident Artists Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for Djerassi Resident Artists Program.
What industry is Djerassi Resident Artists Program in?
Djerassi Resident Artists Program's product category is Artist Residency Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAH, Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking), with a secondary code of THAAAGAF, Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized). Its NAICS code is 711510 and its SIC code is 7000.