Minnesota Writing Residency 2026–2027 | Upstream Creative Writers & Grassroots Journalism Program

Writing About Natural Places, Stewards, and the Spaces We Care For: East Side St. Paul – West Central Minnesota – Iron Range 

Applications Open June 8, 2026 – Closes July 6th, 2026 11:59 PM

Program Overview

Upstream Creative Writers/Grassroots Journalism Residency: Writing About Natural Places, Stewards, and the Spaces We Care For is a 9-month remote residency designed to support creative writers, poets, storytellers, and grassroots journalists interested in engaging deeply with Minnesota’s natural spaces, local communities, and environmental stewards.

This residency invites literary artists and writers to spend intentional time in Minnesota state parks, local parks, trails, waterways, forests, and rural landscapes using observation, reflection, interviews, and creative practice to explore place, identity, stewardship, and our relationship to the land and water.

We are seeking writers who care about storytelling rooted in community, connection, environment, and everyday people. Whether through poetry, essays, journalism, hybrid writing, fiction, or creative nonfiction, this residency encourages artists to slow down, listen deeply, and amplify stories that help others reconnect with the spaces and people who care for our shared environment.

At its heart, this residency is grounded in a grassroots approach — uplifting local voices, honoring lived experiences, and celebrating the power of storytelling to inspire care, connection, and action.

About Upstream

Upstream channels Minnesotans’ love for our shared natural places into trust, connection, and stewardship. We envision a future where all who live and work in Minnesota express their connection across race, ideology, and geography through a unified culture of caring for our place and each other.

We make change with a spirit of optimism because real solutions require a belief that better is possible.

We seek out and include all people and perspectives because our shared natural spaces belong to all Minnesotans, and we are stronger stewards together.

We amplify our shared connection to place and common experiences because storytelling shapes culture, identity, and our collective future.

We celebrate progress, creativity, and community-driven ideas because meaningful change happens through collaboration, care, and imagination.

Remote MN Residency Timeline

• Applications Open: June 8, 2026
• Applications Closes: July 6, 2026, by 11:59 PM
• Artists Notified: July 27, 2026
• Online Artist Orientation with Full Cohort: August 2026 
• Residency Begins: August 2026
• Residency Ends: April 30, 2027

Artist Eligibility 

• All Artists must be a Minnesota Resident
• Artists must have a residence in the region they are applying to
  • East of Side St. Paul Minnesota
  • West Central Minnesota (Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties)
  • The Iron Range, Minnesota (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and Saint Louis Counties)
• Must be years 18 or older
• Artists must have their own transportation to travel to natural places in their region
• Apply: https://form.jotform.com/261462966442160

This residency aims to

• Support literary artists with dedicated time, funding, and creative support
• Foster deeper connections between people and Minnesota’s natural environments
• Highlight the beauty, diversity, and importance of parks, waterways, forests, and rural landscapes
• Amplify stories of place, stewardship, community, and environmental care
• Increase public engagement with both the arts and natural spaces
• Uplift underrepresented voices and perspectives in environmental storytelling

Residency Structure

• Format: Remote, self-directed residency with light structure and periodic check-ins
• Residency Window: Flexible scheduling within the residency period
• Stipend: $3,000 per selected artist
• Participants: Three literary artists selected per region

Each regional cohort will include:

• One creative voice working in poetry, fiction, hybrid writing, or experimental forms
• One journalistic/storytelling voice focused on reporting, interviews, or creative nonfiction
• One creative writer working across genres or community storytelling practices

Artists will independently visit Minnesota State Parks and natural spaces throughout the residency. Participants are encouraged to spend intentional time observing, journaling, interviewing community members and stewards, walking, listening, reflecting, and engaging deeply with the environments they visit.

Creative Focus

Residents may explore themes including:

• Sensory writing and observation
• Environmental storytelling and conservation
• Climate awareness and ecological reflection
• Personal connection to landscape and place
• Rural communities and stewardship
• Cultural and historical relationships to land and water
• Profiles of local caretakers, park staff, conservationists, artists, and community members
• Stories that encourage connection, care, and public engagement with natural spaces

Final Deliverables When Residency is Completed April 2027

Each resident artist will produce one or more of the following:

• Three polished written works
  • Essay series
  • Poetry collection
  • Journalism/nonfiction pieces
  • Hybrid or experimental writing
• One zine or small handmade artist book
• Optional short-form journal entries or excerpts for social media and digital storytelling
• A brief written reflection about their residency experience

Final works will be

• Published on the Upstream website
• Shared across social media and digital platforms
• Considered for future anthology or zine publications

Each resident artist will also have the opportunity to present or share their work publicly at the Unsung Caretakers Awards taking place in either:

• East of Side St. Paul Minnesota
• West Central Minnesota (Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties)
• The Iron Range, Minnesota (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and Saint Louis Counties)

The Unsung Caretakers Awards happen in October 2026 and celebrates the individuals, stewards, and communities caring for Minnesota’s people and places while creating opportunities for artists to connect directly with audiences through storytelling and conversation.

Artist Support

Selected artists will receive:

• $3,000 artist stipend (50% upon contracting, remaining 50% upon completion of the works est April 2027)
• Minnesota State Parks Pass
• Mileage reimbursement up to $500
• Supply stipend
• Light-touch mentorship and peer support with Naomi RaMona Schliesman
• Promotion through Upstream platforms and partner networks

Community Impact

This residency is designed to:

• Encourage Minnesotans to engage more deeply with natural spaces through storytelling
• Build bridges between creatives, cultural bearers, conservation, and community care
• Elevate grassroots narratives and underrepresented perspectives
• Inspire audiences to care for, advocate, and explore local parks and landscapes
• Foster connection across geography, identity, and lived experience through creative practice

Outreach & Accessibility

This opportunity will be shared widely through:

• Arts organizations
• Literary and journalism networks
• Community organizations
• Environmental groups
• Social media platforms

Special outreach efforts will prioritize:

• Rural writers/Urban writers
• Emerging writers
• BIPOC artists, cultural bearers and storytellers
• Community-rooted, grass-roots, and nontraditional voices

We strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and creative practices to apply.

We Believe Stories Matter

The stories we tell shape how we care for one another and the places we call home.

We invite writers, poets, storytellers, and grassroots journalists to join us in exploring Minnesota’s natural spaces, uplifting local voices, and creating work that inspires connection, stewardship, curiosity, and community care.

Apply Today: https://form.jotform.com/261462966442160

For questions or help reach out to Naomi RaMona Schliesman at naomi@mnupstream.org or call 320-288-5369