Artist Residency Reviews

The environment is very helpful, and you are given a freedom to work, so my advise is to plan your working schedule properly, cos there will be many temptations of spending your time in many ways.

The ISSP Riga Residency provided an opportunity for artistic and personal growth in the form of reflection and research. The extended community surrounding the residency created a welcoming, insightful and thoughtful social space for exchange and discussion. Overall, the ISSP Riga Residency provided me with a holistic approach for the development of a new body of work.

My residency at ISSP put me in direct contact with some of the leading figures in contemporary photography in Riga. The scene there is small but mighty, and because of its scale, it felt manageable and intimate in a way that larger programs don’t. There is no pressure to produce, which is a relief compared to other programs, although it is encouraged, of course. I enjoyed teaching a 2-day workshop as part of the program and felt it was a highlight of my experience as it felt like a mutualistic way of giving back some of the generosity I had received.

I liked everything very much. All the conditions and the owners of the residence.

The staff is incredible, the creative community tremendous. Be sure to swim every day and meet as many local artists as you can! Key West is expensive and there is no stipend so be ready to cook your own meals!

Inspiring people and place. Very well-equipped studios. Beautiful Portugal. I definitely recommend this artist residency.

I was among the first year cohort of the La Baldi residency so they were some technical issues. I was able to rig a wifi connection, but this was minor. I had an absolutely amazing experience. The location is simply stunning and provides time, quiet and a distraction free environment. There was no studio available at the time. And the outreach to the local community was mostly on me. My experience was profound and beautiful. It helped me creatively and had me start a new unexpected project. I am profoundly grateful for having been given this opportunity and support. Time itself seemed to change shape Montegiovi.

I had a great experience and would recommend it. The people who run it are lovely, warm, and available to help solve any problems you run into. The town of Montegiovi is beautiful and intimate. There are no formal studios so you work either in your apartment or outdoors. The artists who were there at the same time became friends and were an important part of the experience. There is a restaurant in town that is walkable, but getting other food and supplies requires a long walk (a small part of which is on a busy highway) or a car to drive to bigger stores.

The city itself was my main inspiration. The studio apartment (the big one) is beautiful and comfortable. The studio is in the apartment and it was very beneficial to see the work from bed before going to sleep. There is another studio apartment, a smaller one, and it is nice to have a fellow artist residing with you, but in a separate though adjacent apartment. I had an exhibition that I arranged for myself after a recommendation of the residency manager.

Amazing location in Belgrade! Beautiful apartment and studio. I had lots of time and space to experiment during my time. It is a very solo residency, so not much collaboration or outside interaction. There isn’t really an on-site person or group facilitating any studio activities. The setup is basically an apartment with a studio room in a city building. There are two separate apartments with 2 artists. I also attended during the pandemic, so that played a role in my experience too; it may have been different otherwise! I loved the city of Belgrade, and it was a very inspiring environment for my practice. The studio was very spacious.

- Room in a shared house with semi-volunteer meal prep - Very isolated location in the mountains, VERY HOT (February), no air conditioning or pool, made it difficult to focus - Great group of fellow artists but extremely chatty/social, poor noise separation, no private studios (just tables set up here and there in communal spaces) - This "residency" is more like a holiday

-being among art students (mostly American undergraduates) was lively and inspiring. -the "casa" room was modern, bright and clean. -visiting artists are mostly left to structure their own time but invited to evening events in town. Siena is a lively cultural center with tons of art and music events. -springtime (April) residency: bring warm pjs and cozy clothes for your studio (especially if you're a writer and sit still for long stretches of time!).

Greatest benefit was time, space and quiet to focus on a project without interruption. There is a fee; however, this felt like a reasonable amount and worth the investment for the clarity I achieved and work I was able to create while on residency. I felt more supported by staff here than other residencies I have attended.

The Fiskars residency is a valid experience for established artists who are seeking visibility for a project or a product they have already developed. It has a high quality communication service and facilities were fair for a little village in the Finnish countryside combining a rural setting with an established name in the field which can help to get future residencies and contacts among the local art system. It is easily accessible with your own car or then arranging a picking service with the staff members. The workshop space is equipped with very basic tools, enough for a basic level of understanding of the tools and the materials.

This is a materials research residency aimed toward greater technical knowledge of one's paints and surfaces. Residents are chosen for the way they are using materials, and the tutorials are geared toward their knowledge. Be prepared to work hard, both for the tutorials and then your own research. Take walks on the grounds to refresh and renew; the Goldens make dinner; everyone is great. You have access to any paint, any line, any time--it will cost you on the way out as you'll end up buying more paint. Regarding career, they do make a film about each resident and post-COVID, host an open house. They also provide their residents with a group show and catalog. It's excellent.

Massive studio! Great community. I had a wonderful opportunity to curate an exhibition with a lot of freedom. My residency started in 2019 and finished during the COVID pandemic. Networking was very limited. I had this residency when it was called Mana Residency and was by invitation only. This program and space changes quickly. It is now run by Monira Foundation and is by application. I believe the studio spaces have changed since I was there in 2019-2020.

This was my first artist residency ever and it couldn't have been better. During the orientation on the first day it was made clear that our artistic instincts would be trusted completely. Having emotional support throughout allowed me to really dig in...the space and time yielded surprising insights. I had intended to focus on one aspect of my practice and ended up indulging a pathway that had long been dormant. The structure of the residencies gives lots of time for individual solitude and growth with a healthy amount of group interaction at dinners and in optional recreational activities. I had a two week residency which is actually 12 days. If I had to do it again I would opt for a month or more as I felt I was just getting started. It's such a beautiful corner of the world and the staff and my fellow residents were amazing and inspiring. I hope to return before too long!

Location is both a huge benefit and/or a challenge depending on each project, since it's located at a great central spot, albeit a busy one. This also makes it very worthwhile, since Key West can be VERY expensive to stay at, even if there is no artist fee or other stipend given by TSKW. There are a few opportunities to connect with the local community, but it depends very much on each artist to seek them/ask for them.

The people I met were so inspiring.

I was doing a parallel program since I used to live nearby Cascais. Air 351 helped me developing an exhibition back in 2020. I had the support of the technician and curator of the residence. Supervised by a jury, I applied to this type of support and I got it. Was really nice to share ideas with the community. Good to focus on the production with a very good arts shop nearby called Ponto das Artes. The only difficulty might be to find a room to live, but the team helps you to find out. Was the first time I had important visits in my studio, although was during the lock down in Portugal, was overall very productive.