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Ruth Stiff and Rory McEwen Award

 The Oak Spring Garden Foundation Residency and Award in Botanical Art: in Honor of Ruth A. Stiff and Rory McEwen

Overview

In 2027 and 2028, Oak Spring will grant a special prestigious award in honor of Ruth A. Stiff and Rory McEwen to an outstanding botanical artist whose career and artworks have contributed meaningfully to the fields of botanical art and illustration. The artists selected for 2027 and 2028 will each receive a $5,000 individual grant and a three-week residency at Oak Spring.

This award is named after two key figures in the field of botanical art:

  • Ruth A. Stiff, prominent art curator, author, and Curator of International Exhibitions for the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. Ruth Stiff’s achievements reflect a lifelong dedication to curating exhibitions and publications that expanded appreciation of the beauty and skill of botanical illustration.

  • Rory McEwen, ground-breaking Scottish artist and musician whose innovative botanical works pushed the boundaries of the field. Through his botanical art Rory McEwen explored new ways to celebrate the inspirational beauty of the natural world.

The artists selected for this award will embody a similar dedication to encouraging appreciation of botanical art as Ruth Stiff, and will display a caliber of artistic expression that honors the work of Rory McEwen. This award is made possible by contributions from the friends of Ruth Stiff. If further contributions are received, this award may continue beyond 2028.

Who Should Apply?

All botanical artists with an established track-record and a well-developed body of work are eligible for this opportunity. The award is open to all botanical artists, including those who have previously held a residency at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and whether they are based in the US or overseas.

Timelines

2027 Application and Selection Timeline

  • Wednesday, September 30th, 2026: Award announced - application goes live

  • Wednesday, September 30th - Wednesday, November 11, 2026: Application portal open (6 weeks)

  • Friday, November 13 - Friday, December 18, 2026: Selection committee reviews applications (6 weeks)

  • Monday, December 21 - Selection meeting convenes via Zoom

  • Tuesday, December 22 - Award notices and regrets sent

2028 Application and Selection Timeline

  • Sunday, February 2027 - application live for the 2028 Rory McEwen award, and all other Oak Spring residencies and fellowships

  • Monday, May 31, 2027 - application portal closes 

  • June 14, 2027 - applications shared with external committee

  • Monday, July 26, 2027 - committee convenes via Zoom to select the awardee and 2028 botanical artist residencies

Application Process

Interested artists will be asked to submit the following:

  1. A resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages)

  2. In 200 -300 words, please describe your current body of work and creative projects in botanical art.

  3. A 200 - 300 word statement conveying your interest in Rory McEwen and demonstrating your connection to his artwork, including the techniques, artistic processes, and empathetic vision he embodied.

  4. 10 images that best represent your interests and abilities. Please include the dimensions, year, medium, and title of each work sample. 

Preliminary vetting of the applications will be done by OSGF staff. The final review and selection of the awardees will be done by a panel of established botanical artists, curators, and professionals in the field of botanical art.

What We Provide

Residents will attend introductory tours during their first week on site with other botanical artists, and Interdisciplinary Residents. This will include tours of the formal garden, landscape, and library. After this introduction residents are free to work independently on their projects, explore our 700-acre sustainably managed landscape, and make appointments to visit the library during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm).  Botanical artists are asked to join about 3-weekly meals with our 2-week Interdisciplinary Residents, who will be on-site at the same time. The meals are a good opportunity to socialize, and learn about what other residents are working on.

Residents are housed in nicely appointed homes where they will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other artists. Botanical artists will also have a dedicated studio space in their accommodations, or in close proximity. Residents will be provided with a bicycle during the residency to help them get around our large, rural site. Due to the relatively isolated nature of our site, some residents may wish to bring or rent a car during their residency.

Botanical Artists will be able to request to use plants in the formal garden, or other areas of the property. Please note that artists must request permission, and a staff person will most likely assist the artist in removing or transporting their specimen to their workspace.

In 2027, OSGF will be happy to offer connections at local organizations where botanical artists will be able to select and procure plant specimens to illustrate for their final piece. We welcome and encourage artists to let staff know their interests before they arrive, so we can make any useful connections ahead of time.

Award

This award includes a $5,000 individual grant and an offer to purchase one final work on paper for $1,000 that will be accessioned into the OSGF Florilegium, and a 3 week residence at OSGF. Residents should arrange transportation to Dulles International Airport. We will then arrange transport to the Oak Spring estate in Upperville, VA. Residents who complete this program will be able to apply to our annual Alumni Residency.

Eligibility

Only artists working from direct observation of plant specimens to create scientifically accurate depictions should apply. We will consider botanical artists who work in the following mediums: watercolor, pencil, pen & ink, colored pencil, mixed media, oil, acrylic, gouache, egg tempera, original prints (ie. aquatints, etchings, etc.).

We do not accept three-dimensional artwork including botanical sculptures, reproductions, photography, or digitally generated artwork.

Dates and Duration

Please note that the selected botanical artist for each year must arrive on the exact start date, in order to attend the introductory tour that will start early the following day.

Session I: Sunday, April 25 – Sunday, May 16, 2027

OR

Session II: Sunday, August 29 – Sunday, September 19, 2027

The 2028 dates will be shared in the 2028 application, which will go live on February 14th, 2027.