The 2026 application deadline is August 23rd.
SEABA x Unsworth Properties Artist Residency was founded in 2020 as a way to give back to the community.
“In this incredibly difficult time, art has an exceptionally important role. Creative thinking is key to moving our nation and human race forward.”
— James Unsworth, Unsworth Properties
The Vaults at 28 Howard St in Burlington, VT
Current Residency Artist:
Cynthia Cagle
Cynthia Cagle is a Mexican-American artist whose work explores the metaphysical relationship between identity and nature. Using her experiences as a biracial woman, Cynthia creates paintings, pottery, collages and murals that investigate themes relating to biology, relationships, generational trauma and the impact of colonialism. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Cynthia studied primatology (which included stints at the Gibbon Conservation Center and Museum of Natural History). She received her BA in biological anthropology and studio art from Pitzer College. She relocated to Vermont in 2004 with her family.
Leveraging her unique style to reckon with her own story and drawing on her passion for flora and fauna, Cynthia’s work is activist in nature as well as a deeply personal interrogation of what it means to be of Mexican-American and indigenous ancestry, a woman and mother. She creates her distinctive imagery—ancestors, birds, animals and color—with oil paint on wood, as well as in other mediums such as ceramics, graphite, watercolor, printmaking, and acrylics.
The South End Arts + Business Association, in partnership with Unsworth Properties, is pleased to offer an ongoing annual artist residency program at The Vaults, located in the heart of the South End Arts District in Burlington, Vermont.
SEABA officialized the designation of the ‘South End Arts District’ due to the high concentration of creative businesses and artist studios within the South End of Burlington along the Pine Street Corridor. The collaboration with Unsworth Properties is a unique opportunity to give back to this creative community that we all hold so dear.
The Vaults’ Artist Studio Residency Program will allow one artist access to a private art studio, free of charge for one year, to create a new body of work or to further their creative practice.
Located at 28 Howard Street in Burlington, The Vaultsis a three-story new construction that hosts a number of artist studios and creative businesses, along with the offices of both SEABA and Unsworth Properties. The residency features a private 325-square-foot artist studio on the first floor, complete with a full-bay garage door that opens to a common alleyway that winds through a complex of buildings that similarly house an array of artist spaces.
Previous Residency Artists:
Erin Bundock 2020 - 21
Tonya Whitney 2021 - 22
Raphaella Brice 2022 - 23
Misoo Bang 2023 - 24
Nicolei Gupit 2024 - 25
The fine print…
Applications are open to visual artists, 18 years or older, living in the United States. Winner must be a current SEABA Member. Application fee is $25 and free for current members. Membership is $50 and includes one year in the art curation program, access to registration for the 2026 South End Art Hop, invites to artist member mixers and more! If you are interested in joining or renewing your membership visit SEABA Annual Membership here. You may also wait to join after you have received your residency status. Note that Art Hop registration requires current membership and has a deadline of July 31st, at seaba.com.
The SEABA Board of Directors and a representative of Unsworth Properties will review applications and select a winner following the submission deadline on Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 11:59pm EST; the winning artist will be invited to move into the space at the start of the following month, October 1, 2026.
SEABA will work closely with the artist to guide them through community engagement and exhibition opportunities—First Friday Art Walks, the South End Art Hop, and a reception open to the public at the end of the residency during the South End Art Hop the following year (move out end of Sept. 2027).