The Residency Experience
Your residency journey may unfold as follows:
01. Live — A Place to Belong Temporarily
Go beyond the tourist experience in Washington, DC.
Reside in a historic community near Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, and Rock Creek Park.
This program fosters intentional city engagement, allowing you to discover local history and cultivate a meaningful connection to your surroundings.
02. Create — Independent Practice
Focus on your own artistic, academic, or cultural projects.
We support diverse practices like writing, visual arts, music, design, and experimental research.
There are no restrictive production quotas or required outcomes.
03. Exhibit — Share Your Work
Request access to beautiful communal spaces for exhibitions, talks, or workshops, subject to building availability.
Format options include installations, readings, film screenings, and community dialogue.
Sustainably Sinful offers up to $200 in programming support for up to four resident-led events.
Funding use is flexible, and participation is entirely optional.
04. Connect — Community & Cultural Exchange
Build relationships with local artists, neighbors, galleries, and creative organizations.
Residents explore skill-sharing, informal gatherings, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Our network includes BPIA and nearby arts spaces, with specific connections varying by partner availability.
05. Contribute — The Living Museum & Living Archive
Each residency brings new perspectives to our shared history.
Share a reflection, photo, recording, or creative experiment with the Sustainably Sinful Living Archive.
Contributions are fluid and developed through dialogue.
You retain full ownership of your work; public use requires your explicit permission.
06. Explore — Washington, DC as a Living Classroom
Discover a city defined by its contrasts: global yet local, rooted yet transient.
Engage with local archives, universities, independent galleries, and public landmarks.
Let the capital serve as your ultimate source of inspiration and inquiry.
PRIVATE 1.5BR RESIDENTIAL SUITE
CURATED MID-CENTURY ARCHIVAL FURNISHINGS
ACCESS TO BUILDING AMENITIES, GYM, & ROOF DECK
OPTIONAL ON-SITE RESEARCH STUDIO ACCESS
ALL UTILITIES & HIGH-SPEED INFRASTRUCTURE
Neighborhood & Location
The residency is situated within The Ontario, a historic landmark in Lanier Heights. Bordering Adams Morgan, the location offers a perfect intersection of architectural quietude and vibrant urban culture. Residents are steps away from rock-creek park trails and the diverse culinary landscape of 18th Street.
Lanier Heights · Adams Morgan Border
Woodley Park Metro · Red Line (10 min walk)
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS METRO GREEN AND SILVER LINE (15 MIN WALK)
Smithsonian National Zoo · Rock Creek Park
The Line Hotel · 18th St Cultural District
The Living Every Cent™ Housing Sponsorship is designed to lower the barrier for artists, researchers, and creators.
Through shared resources and institutional support, we provide subsidized rates to residents who align with our mission of cultural inquiry and ritual recording.
Standard Rate
$2,200 /mo
With full Sponsorship
$1,700 /mo
Note: The Living Every Cent™ Housing Sponsorship requires a separate application process from the general residency application.
Join the Residency
Our residency is designed as a growing platform for creative exchange, not simply a place to stay.
Currently Offered
Independent Creative Residencies
Self-directed residential experiences of one to three months, supporting individual creative and research practices.
Living Every Cent Housing Sponsorship
Reduced housing contributions for eligible residents, supporting access to creative opportunities in Washington, DC.
Resident Exhibitions & Cultural Events
Opportunities to propose exhibitions and gatherings in approved spaces at The Ontario, with up to $200 in programming support.
Living Museum & Living Archive
Optional opportunities to document experiences, contribute creative reflections, and participate in Sustainably Sinful's evolving cultural archive.
Initiatives in Development
Living Every Cent Opportunity Exchange
A proposed resource connecting artists and cultural practitioners with residencies, grants, scholarships, affordable accommodation, and international mobility opportunities.
International Housing Exchange Network
A developing model for reciprocal accommodation and creative exchanges between independent residency programs and hosts in different countries.
Living Museum Fellowship
A proposed editorial and creative development pathway supporting resident essays, visual work, sound portraits, interviews, and interdisciplinary publications.
Resident Alumni & Global Hosts Circle
A future network connecting former residents, collaborators, international hosts, and creative practitioners through shared opportunities and ongoing exchange.
Visiting Scholars & Independent Researchers
A developing pathway for independent historians, educators, translators, journalists, and cultural researchers seeking temporary residential access to Washington, DC.
Languages & Cultures Exchange
A proposed series of conversations, workshops, storytelling events, and cultural exchanges connecting residents with local communities.
NOT A GUIDE: Resident Editions
An optional editorial initiative inviting residents to explore and document their relationship with Washington, DC through creative, place-based inquiry.
Accessibility & Flexible Residency Pathway
Ongoing work to improve application accessibility, document accommodation features, and develop more flexible participation options.
Global Residency Partnerships
A developing international network of artist-run residencies, cultural organizations, and creative hosts supporting reciprocal learning and future exchange opportunities.
The Access Fund
A proposed financial support initiative intended to help reduce additional barriers such as transportation, materials, and participation expenses, subject to future funding.
Sponsor a Residency Month
A developing sponsorship pathway for individuals and organizations interested in supporting affordable creative accommodation and resident programming.
These developing initiatives are not guaranteed services or currently funded awards. Opportunities will be announced as partnerships, resources, and program capacity are established.