Mudhouse Residency

The setting, a mountain village with stone alleys flanked by wild grape vines and olive trees, is adventurous and inspiring. My accommodation was very pleasant. I met new artists who became my friends. The wind keeps things somewhat cool but be prepared for heat and mosquitos. The organizers are helpful and friendly. Participants should be prepared to be in a cohort of up to 17 artists, which is far too many. Be prepared for a lot of mandatory group time (two meals a day, powerpoint presentations at night, and field trips during the weekend). In my session there was an alienating and competitive art school vibe and juvenile cliques emerged--which the organizers were not inclined to abate. There is an East Coast focus to the demographics (particular Syracuse University dept of Art and NYC), with some west coasters and a few international artists mixed in. The visual art studio is a shared room with desks, no running water, and only a few basic materials--visual artists should plan on a minimal setup. The environment is maybe better suited for writers, so consider applying with a writing project and skipping the studio if that resonates. Overall this is a great setting to find inspiration and a good introduction to Mediterranean/Greek culture, but don't expect to complete a major project unless you hit the ground running. The food is good and the restaurant is charming (run by a family), but the fare is a somewhat limited sampling of Greek cuisine. The focus on group activities is risky if you don't end up with a supportive group, and I would be less inclined to recommend the residency to introverts due to the hours of daily group time. At $1000+ per week with room and board, the residency is a just barely a better value than an AirBnB, so applicants should consider what their goals are. When airfare is added, I would say extending your trip by a week or two is highly recommended or you might regret missing out on Crete beyond a few field trips and two scheduled trips to the beach. If you do go, do yourself a favor and book a night at the Megaron hotel in Heraklion that the residency recommends. The island and country are absolutely fascinating and if you can swing it the residency offers a fairly straightforward pay to play experience that works well as an intro to Crete.

The Mudhouse is an artist residency located in the village of Agios Ioannis on the Island of Crete, Greece. During my residency, I worked alongside numerous impressive artists from the United States and abroad. The Artist-run residency included shared lodging, two meals (authentic - fresh; many vegetarian options), and a day prepared by a local family who owned a restaurant and farm. Option workshops and guided tours (recommend to take part), and evenings set aside for artists' presentations. A shared studio space was available depending on your artistic discipline.

Benefit is the unique location in a largely ruined and remote mountain village, best feature beauty of the ruined architecture and fantastic shared daily meals prepared for us by a local family. Cons: travel to residency can be grueling, highly recommend leisurely layovers in Paris then direct to Heraklion vs flying straight through to Athens then Heraklion then brutally slow bus for three more hours totaling 20 straight hours of travel. If driving the mountain road is narrow and full of terrifying blind corners.