RESIDENCY

​

The Beecher Residency is an artist residency housed in Marcel Breuer’s historic Stillman House in Litchfield, Connecticut. Established by collectors John Auerbach and Ed Tang to provide artists with the resources, space, and time to continue developing their practice, the six-week residency will take place multiple times per year and artists will be selected by a committee. The aim of the Beecher Residency is to support and highlight emerging talent from diverse backgrounds and those working across a variety of media. 

 

The Beecher Residency takes its name from Beecher Lane in Litchfield, Connecticut. Named for Reverend Lyman Beecher, whose daughter Harriet Beecher Stowe spent her formative years in the area and became a celebrated author and abolitionist in the 1800’s. In 1950, collectors and champions of American Modernism, Rufus and Leslie Stillman, inspired by Marcel Breuer’s House in the Garden at MoMa, commissioned the architect to design their first home on Beecher Lane. Later, the Stillmans invited their friend and fellow Litchfield County resident, Alexander Calder, to design and paint a mural in the pool area. The Stillmans and their home inspired a generation of modernist homes, with architects including Richard Neutra, John Johansen, and Edward Durell Stone being drawn to the area. 

 

In addition to Calder, many creatives have sought refuge in the region including Jasper Johns, Carroll Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Arthur Miller, Stephen Sondheim, Philip Roth, and John Richardson, to name a few. Litchfield Country also plays host to a rich assortment of museums, theater, dance and musical festivals. Participants in The Beecher Residency will enjoy the opportunity to live and work in the Stillman House and to explore the rich cultural setting.