Mount Auburn Cemetery Artist-in-Residence Program

It has been recognized since Mount Auburn’s early decades that its aesthetic richness, educational value, and historic significance are derived in large part from the remarkable tapestry formed by its diverse collection of monuments carefully sited in the landscape. Visitors experienced the site as an outdoor museum as well as a place of burial. Today, Mount Auburn continues its dual mission of active cemetery and cultural landscape by striving to inspire all who visit and commemorating the dead in a landscape of exceptional beauty. While we long offered public tours and programs, in recent years we have further embraced our role as a cultural resource by working with contemporary artists and art organizations to create original site-specific programming.

In 2014, Mount Auburn became the first cemetery in the United States to establish an artist residency program. Our program supports the creation of new work by a contemporary artist inspired by their in-depth experience at the Cemetery. The resident artist is charged with creating works for visitors, drawn from their direct experience, that convey a fresh and innovative perspective of Mount Auburn.

Since 2021, we have awarded smaller one-year residencies to a cohort of local artists to work on projects at Mount Auburn. Each artist is creating works or programs unique to and inspired by Mount Auburn. Artists also have the option to use their residency as a planning grant for a larger project to be completed the following year.

Apply by Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM

Apply by visiting mountauburn.org/artist-in-residence