Residency Programs

The Preservation Texas Institute will welcome a diverse range of participants to its residency programs, including local and academic historians, writers, architects, photographers, preservationists, conservationists, curators, community advocates, and other professionals engaged in historic preservation, cultural documentation, or creative works directly inspired by Texas's material culture. Residents will be given the time and space to work on books, articles, presentations, exhibits, and similar projects, allowing them to produce substantial work while benefiting from the Institute’s resources. 

The Institute's residency programs will be an important offering of PTI, designed to accommodate a wide range of schedules and research needs. Programs may last anywhere from a focused one-week retreat to several months of in-depth study. The tranquil setting of Tehuacana will provide an ideal environment for sustained work. Some residencies might be structured around specific themes, encouraging participants to delve deeply into underexplored areas of preservation, material culture, and Texas history. Collaborative opportunities will be a key feature: for example, a historian might partner with an oral historian to record firsthand narratives, work with a photographer to document historic buildings and landscapes, or team with a conservationist to study and preserve artifacts.

Pictured: Historic buildings have inspired artists for generations.

Residents will be housed in the rehabilitated barracks, which will provide eight private apartments, alongside communal dining and kitchen facilities for self-prepared meals. Eight dedicated studios will be available on the fourth floor of Texas Hall, with large windows and inspiring views of the surrounding countryside. The PTI Library, with its rich collections of archival materials, books, and visual resources, will be made available to residents for inspiration and research needs.

Pictured: The Institute’s library and archives will serve as inspiration for researchers and writers from across the state.