Iowa Writers, Poets, and Songwriters, This Is Your Chance to Shine

Are you artistic? A storyteller? Well, there may be a job with your name on it in Cedar Falls!

The Hearst Center for the Arts has opened its doors to the next wave of storytellers.

The person selected will earn $1,000 for their efforts.

How to Apply for the Hearst Center for the Arts Residency

Applications are now being accepted for the 2025–2026 James Hearst Writer-in-Residence program, a residency designed to nurture writers while connecting them to the Cedar Valley community.

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Applications are due Friday, September 26, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Applicants must be at least eighteen years old, live in the Cedar Valley for the entire residency term from October 30, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

They also must provide their own transportation to the Red House Studios.

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Applications are due by five o’clock on Friday, September 26, 2025.

Writers are asked to submit a resume or CV, a portfolio with up to three samples, and a cover letter with a project outline.

More About the Hearst Center for the Arts Residency

Now in its second year, the program honors the legacy of Cedar Falls poet James Hearst by providing writers with resources, a creative space, and opportunities to share their work.

The residency welcomes fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, playwrights, and songwriters who live in the Cedar Valley region.

The chosen writer will spend nearly a year pursuing an independent project while also engaging with the community through events such as workshops, readings, or artist talks.

In return, the resident will receive a one-thousand-dollar honorarium, a subsidized studio space at the Red House Artist Studios, and support from Hearst Center staff to help bring outreach ideas to life.

Proposals with a clear and promotable final product are encouraged.

When the Recipient of the Residency Will Be Notified

The selection committee will meet in late September, with the announcement of the chosen writer scheduled for October 17, 2025.

The James Hearst Writer-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Iowa Arts Council’s Cultural Leadership Partner grant and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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By fostering creativity in the Cedar Valley, the Hearst Center continues to celebrate its role as a home for the arts and a gathering place for ideas.

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