Ragdale is a nonprofit artist residency program and preservation site located on the historic Arts & Crafts country estate of architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and poet and playwright Frances Wells Shaw.
Over 200 residencies, numerous fellowships, and a variety of themed residencies and creative sabbaticals are offered annually to creative professionals of all types, making Ragdale one of the largest interdisciplinary artist communities in the country. Ragdale residents represent a cross-section of ages, cultures, experiences, and disciplines, creating a diverse and vibrant community.
In ten to eleven 18-day sessions, artists-in-residence enjoy uninterrupted time for work and creativity on the idyllic Ragdale campus, a supportive environment, dynamic artist exchanges, an adjacent 80 acres of wilderness preserve including a remnant Illinois prairie, and community dinners. Artists in themed residencies and creative sabbaticals, students, and the general public are also invited to take part in the creative magic that is Ragdale.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Ragdale Ring Design-Build Competition.
The Ragdale Ring Summer Performance series launches on June 20 & 21
Current Residents
“Magic happens all the time in our lives, but we don’t take the time to notice. And at Ragdale, you finally have the time, and then you notice all this magical world that you are surrounded by."
-Ragdale resident