Our mission is to provide dedicated artists of all backgrounds, abilities, and mediums with live and work space on the Warnecke Ranch and Vineyard located in Sonoma County, California. The program is interested in established, emerging, and visionary artists.

 

Founded in 2010, Chalk Hill Residency is inspired on the vision of the late John Carl Warnecke, internationally renowned architect (1919-2010). In 1983, he laid out plans for an art colony on his 280-acre property near the town of Healdsburg, bordering the Russian River. He established a 501c3 non-profit and began a master plan for the property to fulfill his vision: that artists could live and work together in what he deemed as the most beautiful place in the world. 

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Our community partnerships allow us to work closely with organizations that support artists with disabilities to participate in studio days at the residency. Studio days bring together our current artist in residence and disabled artists to spend an afternoon in the studio. This creates a space where artists across a spectrum of ability are able to create authentic human connection through art, celebrate individual ways of artistic expression, and foster creativity between one another. Since 2010, the studio program has proven to be nationally recognized and has been enthusiastically received by participants.