ASK ESA - Issue #2 Artist Residencies, Colonies and Communities

So, my little darlings, you paid stacks of green for that MFA and suffered long and hard the indignities of trying to be a practicing artist while holding down a full-time job at the local Tastee-Freez. Why not escape the rat-race for some uninterrupted creative time? The good news is there seems to be an upsurge in artists residency programs these days. Hundreds of artist residencies, colonies, retreats and communities are available throughout the nation and have become increasingly more democratic in their application procedures. The only problem is finding the right one...and then that little pesky matter of getting accepted.

Let's begin by clarifying a few important points (I love splitting hairs -- particularly when they're not my own). A "residency" can mean a "colony" or "community" -- both usually have a commune-like atmosphere. Residency can also refer to a collegiate environment with shared studios, dorm rooms, dining halls (note: Mistress Esa as a rule encourages boxer-raids). An "artist-in-residence" means you're working in a facility that has other functions, like a museum, school or community center. And then there are farms, ranches and retreats that may involve real actual non-virtual not-digitally-enhanced horses, milking cows or yoga (note: Mistress Esa as a rule favors the downward-facing-cow). "Fellowships" usually imply that you're paid to do your residency in more academic environment. When you find a residency that sounds appealing, do some serious sleuthing and find out what the atmosphere is like. There's nothing wrong with a little Burning Man-style art-orgy now and then, God knows; but all you may really want is access to a darkroom.

So which residency? Remember when you were applying to college and found the sheer volume of options overwhelming...so you ended up applying to places your friends went to? Well, applying for a residency can be just as daunting. Do you want to go to the party school? Do you want to be marooned in the middle of nowhere? Do you want to be with people who'll keep to themselves (and keep out of your @^#%)? How much are you willing to pay, or are you inherently brash and gifted like Mistress Esa and expect them to pay you? Ice-cold studios buried in snow or white-washed buildings bathed in Mediterranean sunshine? These are all serious considerations -- but the biggest question is: how much time can you afford to take off, especially if there's no stipend or you can't sublet your apartment (though I once met a ballsy artists in a cathouse in Bombay who ran a year-long scheme of getting accepted to residencies and then subletting his apartment for a tidy profit!).

The first thing to do is narrow your search. So, decide: 1) how long you can/want to be away; 2) whether you have money to spend; and 3) how far away from home you can/want to be. Most free residency programs, like the McDowell Colony, are harder to get into (on the average there are hundreds of applicants of which only a dozen will be selected.) Or you can go to a place like the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony and pay anywhere from $300 to $1,300 dollars a month for your residency, which not surprisingly makes them much easier to get into! Also, be aware that some places may require you to teach master-classes or spend your Saturday mornings with a gaggle of hyperactive toddlers clutching pipe-cleaners. Other places may require housekeeping or cooking duties, while some want you to bequeth one of your masterpieces, give lectures or open up your studio to the well-meaning locals.

I tell all my artists to begin their research with a book called Artists Communities from the Alliance of Artist Communities published by Allworth Press. The book includes some of the best known and well-respected residency programs throughout the world, as well as exhaustive charts indicating all aspects of the program down to the tiniest detail -- like whether or not they accept soap sculptors and what time meals are served. The Alliance also has an excellent web site that you can search: www. artistcommunities.org. Keep in mind, most deadlines for application fall between December and March. So rustle up your slides, statements and resumes in order and put it in gear. Which of course brings me to my grand finale this time around. My gracious hosts, the editors of ArtKrush, have created and just launched an amazing resource center for artists. AK SUPPORT is their new national listings for jobs, calls, grants, and, yes, residencies. Do check it out, right there on the navigation bar under "Residencies and Colonies."

Happy residency hunting!

Mistress Esa