Conferences & Residencies

Conferences at Pocantico bring together people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to engage on critical issues. The majority of conferences and meetings held at Pocantico are two- or three-day events for up to 30 participants designed by RBF staff, grantees, and other nonprofit organizations and public-sector institutions working on issues of priority to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Pocantico also hosts a limited number of foundation retreats and smaller one-day meetings.

The Pocantico Center selects conferences to host based on five criteria:

• Direct and strong relationship to the RBF's program objectives
• Diversity of perspectives, range of opinions, and breadth of experience
• Involvement of skilled, experienced conference leaders, organizers, or facilitators
• Clarity of objectives and an agenda to accomplish them
• Demonstrated added value of having The Pocantico Center as the site of the meeting

If you’re considering The Pocantico Center as the site for your next conference, view our Conference Eligibility Guidelines and Facility Information. More information on The Pocantico Center's meeting facilities is available here. 

In conjunction with the Culpeper Arts and Culture grantmaking program, Pocantico provides residencies for performing, visual, and literary artists selected by the Fund’s grantee organizations based in New York City. Away from the bustle of daily life, these residencies support the creative process, advance cultural awareness, and foster artistic collaborations by creating time and space for aesthetic exploration and nurturing artistic imagination.

Artists-in-residence stay in the residential buildings at Pocantico, including the Marcel Breuer House. The David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center provides access to a rehearsal space and a visual arts studio. View our Facility Information to learn more.

During their residency, artists are encouraged to engage with the local community through work-in-process performances, talks, readings, exhibits, and other interactions to share the creative process. 

For more information, view the Pocantico Residency Welcome Guide [PDF].

The Pocantico Prize for Visual Artists pairs a $25,000 cash prize with a two-month artist residency at the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center (DR Center) at Pocantico. In alternating years, the Prize will be awarded to a visual artist working in the Hudson Valley and one chosen from a national pool.

Pocantico Prize awardees are nominated by select arts organizations and leaders in the field. Nominations will be based on the artist’s experiences, qualifications, trajectory of artistic excellence, and potential for further growth and societal impact. Nominators are encouraged to consider nominating artists as described above who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color; disabled; women, queer, or gender non-binary, or as belonging to another group that has been historically disadvantaged, or denied opportunities or recognition. Past nominators include El Museo del Barrio, MoMA PS1, Studio Museum of Harlem, Wave Hill, the Katonah Museum, and Arts Westchester). Winners are chosen by a jury of RBF staff and outside experts.