Installation Residencies in Canada

Ada X

Montréal, Canada

Ada X is a bilingual feminist artist-run centre in Montreal offering eight-week production residencies for women, trans, non-binary, and queer artists working in media arts and digital culture. Residents receive a $2,995 fee, workspace access, equipment, mentorship, and opportunities to present their work publicly.

Adélard (Adelard)

Frelighsburg, Canada

Adélard is a non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary art, located in Frelighsburg, Quebec, offering immersive residencies for professional artists. Their six-week residencies provide artists with time and space to develop projects while creating connections with the local community. Residencies take place in a heritage barn, with exclusive studio access during weekdays and public engagement on weekends. Artists are required to participate in at least one cultural mediation activity. The program includes a private apartment, an honorarium, and exhibition space. Adélard aims to foster artistic development and community interaction, contributing to both the artist’s career and local cultural life. Applications are open to artists worldwide, with a focus on diverse and high-quality projects.

Avatar Audio and Electronic Art

Québec, Canada

Avatar is an artist-run centre in Québec City dedicated to research, creation, production, and dissemination of audio and electronic artworks. The organization offers multiple residency programs ranging from one to four weeks, designed to support emerging and established artists in developing innovative sound art projects with access to specialized studios, equipment, and technical expertise.

Caetani Cultural Centre

Vernon, Canada

The Caetani Cultural Centre, located in Vernon, British Columbia, offers international self-directed residencies for emerging and established artists, writers, curators, and cultural researchers. Situated within a historic 1895 heritage home, this residency provides private living spaces and two on-site studios designed for visual and interdisciplinary artists. Participants are encouraged to explore creative practices across a variety of mediums, including visual arts, writing, music, and digital media. Artists can book short-term residencies from three days to up to three months, with extended stays available upon negotiation. The residency fosters a quiet, independent atmosphere while offering optional opportunities for community engagement such as artist talks, open studios, or workshops. The nearby Vernon Community Arts Centre provides additional access to ceramics and printmaking facilities. Nestled in the Okanagan Valley, the Caetani Centre allows residents to immerse themselves in nature, history, and a vibrant local arts scene. Residents are responsible for travel and project costs, but the program provides affordable fees for both accommodations and studio spaces.

Fonderie Darling is a visual arts center in Montreal's Old Montreal that offers international artist residencies through its Open Access program, welcoming contemporary artists and curators of all nationalities for tailor-made residencies lasting one to six months in a 19th-century industrial complex. The residency includes access to live-in studios, common areas, technical workshops, and support for artistic development, networking, and promotion.

Fogo Island Arts

Fogo Island, Canada

Fogo Island Arts is an international residency program founded in 2008 that invites professional contemporary artists, curators, writers, filmmakers, musicians, designers, and thinkers to live and work on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, fostering creation, research, and connections around themes of sustainability, ecology, economy, and belonging. Residents stay in saltbox houses within local communities, with access to individual studios in scenic locations, and are expected to engage publicly through presentations or workshops. The program, part of the Shorefast Foundation, supports a range of disciplines and has specific opportunities like the fully funded 6-8 week Newfoundland and Labrador Artist Residency.

Gibraltar Point

Toronto, Canada

Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts on Toronto Island, Ontario, Canada, offers two types of artist residencies: self-directed and thematic/programmed. The self-directed residencies provide artists, writers, and composers with private accommodations and studio spaces for short-term stays in a distraction-free environment, ideal for creative focus, research, or collaborative work. Studios are well-equipped, ranging in size and amenities, and the serene, car-free island provides a peaceful retreat year-round. The thematic residencies, on the other hand, bring together up to 18 artists to explore specific topics under the guidance of facilitators, fostering collaboration, dialogue, and new perspectives. Gibraltar Point offers accommodations, shared facilities like kitchens and lounges, and access to beautiful outdoor spaces, including scenic lakefront views, making it a unique and inspiring environment for artists across disciplines.

Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts

Toronto, Canada

Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts offers fully subsidized month-long residencies for professional artists on Toronto Islands, providing uninterrupted time to think, create, and experiment. The center hosts various residency types including self-directed programs, thematic residencies, and specialized programs like graduate research-creation residencies, accommodating up to 19 residents at a time.

Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA)

St. Andrews, Canada

Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA), founded in 2016, is a prestigious artist residency program located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. Designed to support artists across various disciplines, KIRA provides six selected artists with a multi-week immersive experience, including individual studio space, private accommodation, and two meals per day. Participants are encouraged to engage with the local community through public teaching sessions and open studios, offering unique opportunities for cultural exchange. Situated on a historic seaside property, the residency provides access to the renowned Kingsbrae Garden and an amphitheater for public events. Artists bear costs for materials and travel, but enjoy full support through dedicated studio and living facilities. KIRA welcomes artists from all career stages who demonstrate a strong work ethic and collaborative spirit.

Klondike Institute of Art and Culture

Dawson, Canada

The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Artist in Residence Program, founded in in partnership with Parks Canada, accommodates two artists at a time in historic Macaulay House in Dawson City for research, development, and production of new or ongoing work. It welcomes visual artists, media artists, interdisciplinary artists, and curators of all levels from Canada and internationally, providing free housing and studio space while requiring a public talk or open studio and possible community outreach. Participants cover their own travel, food, and materials, with no stipend or fees provided.

La Chambre Blanche

Québec, Canada

La Chambre Blanche is an artist-run centre in Québec City, Canada, founded in 1978, dedicated to promoting experimentation and dissemination in visual and digital arts, including performance, photography, installation, and new media practices. It offers research residencies and master's degree residencies to artists and curators, providing opportunities to explore artistic practice, production, and contemporary cultural issues in real and virtual spaces. The centre serves as a hub for artists, makers, and the community interested in visual arts and digital innovation.

Main & Station Nonesuch

Parrsboro, Canada

Main & Station Nonesuch is a privately funded artist residency program based in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, and Montreal, Canada that encourages artistic activity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community involvement. The program hosts 1-10 residents at a time (up to 6 in Parrsboro facilities) who are self-directed in their practice and expected to give artist talks, provide community arts programming, and participate in the life of the centre.

MOTHRA

Toronto, Canada

MOTHRA is an artist-parent collective based in Toronto, Canada, that offers child-inclusive residencies to support the integration of caregiving and art practices. Founded in 2018, MOTHRA aims to normalize the presence of children in the arts sector, providing a platform for artists to work alongside their children. The residency, hosted at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts, encourages collaboration, co-working, and dialogue on issues relating to caregiving and art. It supports artist-parents by addressing the challenges of maintaining an art practice while caring for children, promoting a more inclusive and vibrant art community. The program emphasizes the need for systemic change in arts funding, studio practices, and societal attitudes towards caregiving. MOTHRA also engages in research, activism, and networking with similar groups globally to advocate for the rights of artist-parents.

Struts Gallery

Sackville, Canada

Struts Gallery offers an annual Open Studio Residency Program for professional visual and media artists in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. The residency lasts for five weeks, typically running from May through October, and supports artists at all career levels by providing a space for experimentation without the pressure of creating a finalized work. Selected artists receive 24-hour access to a 400-square-foot studio within the gallery, along with a private, fully furnished two-bedroom apartment located above the gallery. The program is artist-driven and independent, with staff available for assistance in community outreach and logistical support. As part of the residency, artists are required to engage with the community through at least one public event, such as an artist talk or workshop. The residency includes an artist fee, per diem, travel costs, and access to the gallery’s media arts equipment. Applications open annually after Labour Day, and the selection process is highly competitive.

The Ou Gallery

Vancouver Island, Canada

The Ou Gallery is a gorgeous and intimate place to nurture your creative rest and renewal. Artists and writers have 24-hour access to their own designated studio in a 100 year-old boat-building workshop and a thoughtfully appointed private bedroom in a shared suite with a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Our Great Room, with its modern fireplace, original fir floors, 12’ ceilings and huge windows overlooking a creek fed by Mount Swuq'us (and frequented by herons and owls) is a perfect spot to unwind and connect with other creatives after a full day in the studio. Located in the Quw'ustun Valley, in the heart of Vancouver Island, a stunning, nature-filled place. Come here to decompress, gather new inspiration alongside like-minded artists and devote space and time to your work. There is no fee to apply. Residencies are two or four weeks long. See website for details: www.theougallery.com.

Toronto Artscape Inc.

Toronto, Canada

Toronto Artscape Inc. operates artist residency programs, most notably at Artscape Gibraltar Point on the Toronto Islands, offering affordable short-term studio and accommodation rentals for artists seeking focused creative work in a distraction-free environment. The organization is a not-for-profit that develops real estate projects, programs and services to empower artists and connect them to communities across Toronto.

Woodhaven

Kelowna, Canada

The Woodhaven Artist in Residence Program, hosted by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, is a unique opportunity for artists from various disciplines to immerse themselves in a serene natural setting. Situated within a nature conservancy in Kelowna, British Columbia, the program supports artists engaged in visual arts, digital arts, performance, social, and community-based artistic practices, with a special encouragement for BIPOC artists and those from marginalized groups. The residency offers accommodation in a two-bedroom home and full use of a studio at the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, promoting work that explores sustainable and just relationships with nature amidst climate change. Artists are expected to engage in community programming, contributing to the vibrant exchange between the artist, the university, and the broader Kelowna community. The program highlights UBC Okanagan’s commitment to ecological stewardship and creative exploration, providing a paid residency for artists to develop site-specific projects that engage with the local environment and communities. This residency is a testament to fostering artistic innovation and environmental consciousness, offering a contemplative experience for artists to create, reflect, and connect.