Deep Ecology Artists Fellowship - United Plant Savers

Artwork by Julia O. Bianco, Artist Resident 2021

We welcome artists to spend time each year at the sanctuary to explore their artistic perspective in regard to the role of native medicinal plants in the ecosystem through photography, writing, music, and mixed media.

Lodging is provided for the artists for the duration of the program, in return United Plant Savers asks for artwork to be shared in our Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation, a piece of artwork left onsite (painting, mural, installation, etc.), or other creative outlets of sharing your artwork that was made during the residency.

Lodging Options

Option 1: Cohort Residency at the Brickhouse Apothecary

There will be four spots available for this option (dates TBD). The residents will stay at the historic Brickhouse Apothecary in Pomeroy, Ohio, about 20 minutes from the UpS Botanical Sanctuary. The Brickhouse has separate bedrooms but shares common spaces such as the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. The yurt at the sanctuary is available for use by the artists during the day, with options for overnight stays throughout the duration of the program. This will allow artists to work together in collaboration and provide them with access to the resources of a small town along the Ohio River, while allowing for time spent in nature at the Botanical Sanctuary. Pomeroy has a weekly farmer’s market, a hip coffee shop, a nice local music scene, and other unique qualities that make it a great space to stay as an artist visiting the area. Since this option requires some driving, if you don’t have your own vehicle, you should coordinate with other members of the cohort for rides to and from the Sanctuary.

The Brickhouse Apothecary

Option 2: Solo Residency at the UpS Yurt

The second option is to stay onsite at the UpS Botanical Sanctuary yurt. This is a solo option and you will be the only artist in that space for the duration of the residency. Our onsite lodging includes a yurt, that is privately nestled in the woods, with a private bathroom, kitchen, internet, landline phone, etc. We are located in a rural area, there is no cell phone service once on-site and the nearest town is about 20 minutes away. This is a great option for those who are looking for more of a solo retreat in nature, without access to all the normal amenities of city life. These solo slots are very limited, only a few folks will be chosen for this option.

The Yurt

Applicaton Information

Prospective applicants must be a member of United Plant Savers and should submit a description of their interest in applying for the fellowship, a project idea, and an example of their artwork along with a CV or resume. A $30 non-refundable application fee is required. All application fees go to support the artists fellowship program.

Apply Here for the 2027 Artist Fellowship Program

Those who are accepted to participate in the program will be asked to share their work in our annual Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation. Artwork is expected to be submitted to United Plant Savers by the end of the year in which you complete your residency. We hope that this program will offer an opportunity for those seeking sanctuary for artistic inspiration to have the time and space to connect with the healing plants. We look forward to attracting a diverse range of individuals who will explore the meaning of sanctuary and share their art experience with our membership and the broader plant community.

If you have any questions about the application process or the program, please email Chip at

Deep ecology is an ecological and environmental philosophy promoting the inherent worth of living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, plus a radical restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas. Deep ecology argues that the natural world is a subtle balance of complex inter-relationships in which the existence of organisms is dependent on the existence of others within ecosystems. Human interference with or destruction of the natural world poses a threat therefore not only to humans but to all organisms constituting the natural order.