There is no application fee. DORF open calls are, and will always be FREE to apply. This is an online application process only. Applications will not be accepted by postal mail or email.
poolboy 2024, photo by Ryan Thayer Davis @ryanthayerdavis
DORF FISHBOWL RESIDENCY: SAM MAYER / AUG 10-SEP 5, 2026
The transgressive playwright transforms DORF's gallery into a live rehearsal room, inviting audiences to watch—and participate in—the creation of a new play.
DORF is excited to announce Sam Mayer as the second artist featured in Fishbowl Residency, DORF's summer residency program that transforms the gallery into a visible, working studio and public-facing site of creative exploration.
From August 10–September 5, 2026, Mayer will use the gallery as a rehearsal room, attempting to write, workshop, and stage an original, unproduced play over the course of the residency. Working with collaborators in full public view, the residency embraces uncertainty, experimentation, and the often-unseen labor of theatrical creation.
"I will use the residency to attempt to write and rehearse a new play," Mayer says. "A play about what, I don't know, but probably the usual subjects: desire, violence, boredom, your phone."
Programming Schedule
SATURDAY OPEN REHEARSALS
Each Saturday, the gallery will open its doors for Open Rehearsals, inviting audiences to step inside the process. Visitors are encouraged to observe rehearsals as they unfold and, at times, may be invited to participate. Come watch, participate or observe from outside!
Saturday, August 15 / 12–5 PM
Saturday, August 22 / 12–5 PM
Saturday, August 29 / 12–5 PM
PREMIERE SHOWING
The residency culminates in a Public Premiere of the work developed during the residency—a process presentation that embraces both the discoveries and the inevitable failures that accompany making new work. Free and open to the public.
Saturday, September 5
Doors at 7:30 PM, Show Starts at 8PM
poolboy 2026, photo by Ryan Thayer Davis @ryanthayerdavis
CARPENTER HOTEL X DORF:
ARTIST TALK + WALK
Thursday, August 27 / 7–9 PM
Locations: Carpenter Hotel and DORF
Join Sam Mayer for an evening conversation on his residency process, beginning with an artist talk at Carpenter Hotel, followed by a short walk to DORF’s gallery space to experience the evolving work in person.
Cash-bar with full food and drink offerings available at Carpenter Hotel.
Learn more about our partnership series with Carpenter Hotel here!
poolboy 2024, photo by Ryan Thayer Davis @ryanthayerdavis
Video Streaming
Additional digital and livestreamed programming will emerge on the DORF Youtube account throughout the residency, extending the project’s exploration of visibility, performance, and artistic process into online space. Watch here for upcoming streams!
ABOUT FISHBOWL RESIDENCY
Named for DORF’s floor-to-ceiling glass walls, Fishbowl Residency invites audiences to witness artistic process unfolding in real time, transforming the gallery into a living studio where process becomes performance, and the boundaries between private creation and public encounter begin to dissolve.
Leaning into experimentation, collaboration, and improvisation, the residency will function as an evolving site for artistic play, process-sharing, and interdisciplinary exchange.
Throughout each residency, DORF will host weekly open studio hours on Saturdays from 12–5 PM, inviting audiences to witness works in progress and engage with the artists.
With Fishbowl Residency, DORF continues its commitment to building artist-centered cultural infrastructure in Austin—advancing experimental models that support creative risk-taking while critically examining the social, economic, and psychological conditions shaping artistic practice today.
Carpenter Hotel x DORF
The Fishbowl Residency is part of DORF’s broader programming partnership with Carpenter Hotel this year. Together, we’re bringing a year of curated, artist-led experiences to Carpenter Hotel and the Austin community—from workshops and artist talks to residencies, guided experiences, and custom art commissions.
Rooted in a shared commitment to supporting artists and celebrating Austin’s evolving cultural landscape, the partnership prioritizes meaningful engagement, accessibility, and fair artist compensation. Through this collaboration, visiting artists will receive complimentary accommodations, and all resident artists will receive a food and beverage stipend during their residencies. Learn more about Carpenter Hotel and the partnership here.
ABOUT DORF
DORF was founded in 2018 with a mission to build a village of artists, advocates, and innovators. DORF’s values of openness, intention, expression, and community have guided its programming, which includes exhibitions that tackle social justice, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful dialogues.
We have received recognition in publications like Texas Monthly, Sightlines Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, Glasstire, Southwest Contemporary, and more, and received “Best New Experimental Art Gallery” in The Austin Chronicle.
For more information, contact us at dorf@dorfworld.org.
PARKING:
Paid parking is available in the Zilker Point garage (near DORF entrance on Toomey Road) at $5/hour (max $30). Additional public paid parking is available along Toomey Road west of the building.
ACCESSIBILITY
ADA accessible parking is available at Zilker Point garage, with elevator access to DORF. DORF is also accessible via S. Lamar Blvd’s sidewalks.
DORF’s gallery is wheelchair accessible and stroller friendly. Onsite restrooms are wheelchair accessible with baby changing stations.
Service animals and friendly animals of most kinds are welcome at DORF!
Please check in at the Reception Desk or email us with questions or for assistance.
DORF:
218 South Lamar Blvd.
Suite 140
Austin, Texas, 78704.
Acknowledgements
This project is supported in part by an Austin Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment, Carpenter Hotel, and DORF’s generous community of volunteers and donors.
