Artist Residency Reviews

I did the Uncool Residency in February 2023. I loved my time there, and felt like I made a tremendous amount of progress. I found the other residents there to be some of my favorite of the various residencies I've been a part of. I think this is due to the international nature of the program. There are group outings and studio visits with faculty and curators, which I found to be highly valuable. Overall I highly recommend it.

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. Optional workshops and guided tours (recommend taking 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.

Is a good context and environment. Good networking opportunities. I think it is a good program that can be a bit longer. It needs to be more concrete on the possibilities offered after the residency - which means the real possibility to project in the future.

There are simply none to very little international residencies in Vancouver Island, and that's why so many interesting artists come find this heaven in Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island. Brad, the host and artist himself, is an amazing person and a professor teaching a variety fields of arts in the University of Victoria, and you can learn SO MUCH from him. The nature and surroundings are amazing also. It's sitting right at the point where TransCanada trail begins in addition to so many cool trails. There's even an amazing foresty trail hidden in the back of a big supermarket in town. Brad offers a car pickup/dropoff on demand (extra charge but very reasonable price) and arrange cool excursions around the Island based on the needs and interests of each residency cohort. We went to Avatar Grove, beach (forgot the name), Victoria and above all, Brad's cool art studios! And I also went on to a few more trips arranged with my fellow residents during my stay. Amazing sound artist, painter, and a writer. All great people!! And of course you are encourage to rent a car to take full advantages, but I felt absolutely fine and happy even without a car for 3 weeks of my stay. It's a big 2-story-house (very pretty blue house) and they have 4~5 private rooms with 2 full bathrooms and 2 kitchens. And equipment for digital artworks such as photography (they let you borrow their great digital camera), high-end computer for VR, AR, 3D modeling work if you are interested, and also 3D printers in a shared studio space downstairs. And you can learn how to use them from Brad if needed! Some traditional painters in previous cohorts learned these new technology during the stay and created a final artwork at the end of the residency. They also have easels and some tools for traditional paintings also. And A MUST READ for everyone - a book titled "All Sky, Mirror Ocean: A Healing Manifesto" written by Brad Necyk, a founder of the residency. You will find this place peaceful and fulfilling. And if you don't want to create arts and just relax and explore the nature - it's a perfect place for that too!

I think it is good to take into consideration that the hosts of the Residency do not lead crits and give constant feedback but instead they lead an independent Residency. The feedback they do give to you on request is brilliant and very thoughtful. I went on this Residency knowing no one and knowing little about it. The location is very remote, be prepared for a little amount of contact with other people unless you hire a car! However, the remoteness was exactly what I needed for my project. The houses they provided were very comfortable and gave opportunity to bond with the fellow residents on the programme. The weather, light and remoteness were challenging. I went during October/November so I expected typical beginnings of Winter Weather and became accustomed to the lack of light and high winds - added to the experience! The Fish Factory facilities are unique and you have so much space and help from the hosts to create anything you want with the supplies they provide/find. Make sure when booking this Residency to take note of the time of year you go because of the weather. Other than, enjoy the surroundings, the people, the fish and the Aurora...if they decide to show!

Beautiful landscape, facilities, and human beings. A great balance between solitude and connection with others. It can be a little challenging & costly to get there if you’re not already based in Europe, but it was worth it. A focus on sustainability and fantastic meals were highlights!

Uncool Artist residency was a great immersive opportunity for me to work on a very compelling and highly creative-driven stimulating environment. The space is great, well located and easy to access. High level art advisors and curators, who helped me broaden my self critique and evaluate my work in progress. Great discussions and interaction with other artists participating in the program. Well balanced routine and agenda between time spent at the studio and field trips to enrich my research and artistic network. The residency offered me the opportunity to participate in 3 exhibitions in NY & Brooklyn area during that one month residency, with pieces of work developed during that period. My visual art research expanded and matured during that time. There are works that I’ve started there that are still evolving and showing in other spaces and group shows. If you dedicate yourself, this is a great program to develop new ideas, sharpen them into projects, and to deeply honor your craft.

I loved being at the Fish Factory. The studio space was a huge room which six of us shared. I had a large table and a vertical board to hang work on. The entire building had many different workshops available such as woodworking (not available when I was there), a sound studio, pottery, metalworking, small printshop. Opportunities abounded though there was no one there for guidance so it was necessary to already have the knowledge of how to use it. I did watercolors. The environment was stunning. I love Iceland. The town is isolated so without a car, one would be stuck in town. There are hikes to go on, and the residency provides transportation (at a minimal cost) to go to a grocery store each week. I had a car and was glad to be able to explore on my own. A question asked about networking and professional development. I met the other artists, of course, and the folks who run the residency (they’re super nice!), but there was no professional development. They provided a place to work and a place to stay (a house up the hill, shared with other residents) and weekly rides to the grocery store. They were available for questions. The town is tiny - about 150 residents - so there weren’t opportunities there either to make connections. There are two galleries in town and I met the folks there. It’s a beautiful tiny town in a beautiful setting. The house I stayed in was nice. The work space was good. I loved having a month to do my work!

With my music project, I needed to live in an Icelandic environment for a short period. This to get closer to the Icelandic vibe, environment and society. I had no need for a curator or producer, as what I work with is distinctly lonely Wulf work. On the other hand, it requires a lot of focusing and silence. I got that to the full at CCFF by having the entire music studio to myself for one month. It was nevertheless interesting to meet the other artists during the stay and have many good conversations about what we do and life as such.

I thrived in the more isolated location of the residency. As well as the more “independent study” nature of the program. Some other artists might find this difficult or frustrating. Met a lot of amazing people, and the owners of the residency are lovely people, helpful and welcoming. Iceland in general has a high standard of living and is expensive; however, it was 100% worth the cost and the owners make everything as affordable as they can.

I enjoyed this residency immensely. It was very hands off letting the artist explore and create in whichever way moved them. I feel very thankful for this experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Fish Factory Art Residency program has been an amazing adventure, nestled in the Icelandic fjords; it creates the perfect environment for creativity and exploration. I enjoyed my time in Stöðvarfjörður and had ample time in nature, exploring the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore. I felt deeply inspired by the surrounding mountains and ocean, conversations with the rest of my cohort, and time in the shared studio. I created a whole new body of work inspired by the Icelandic nature. Something to think about before coming to the residency is your art supplies; make sure you bring what you need, not all the supplies are available in the studio and if you need to order anything it will have to come from Reykjavík (shipping can get expensive). Once a week the owners of the residency will take the cohort to the neighbouring city to get groceries, there’s a small store next to the residency with essentials but it’s a tad more expensive - plan your meals, snacks, and cravings accordingly! If you want to travel to other places on the shore, there’s not a lot of local transportation available but you can rent a car from Egilsstaðir airport. To make the residency rewarding I recommend thinking about what kind of projects you’d like to do, set a few goals for yourself, and don’t forget a rain jacket and a good pair of boots! For this adventure, I did save up the funds for a long time because I knew that Iceland is a bit on the expensive side, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t feel limited while there. And that helped a lot! I got to do a lot more things than I expected!

I had never done an artist residency so my point of view has no comparison to others. I decided on Fish Factory because of it being in a remote part of Iceland and because the program did not ask any specific things from me, nor did it offer any specific things from the staff. It's important to say this because I wasn't looking to make connections in the art world and I wasn't looking for classes or guidance - if these things happened then it would be great but I was just looking for a space far away and different from home where I could spend time doing what I like the most, which is painting. I found there that I could use the ceramics studio and that Una, one of the owners, was willing to give us a fast course on how to start our ceramics journey. She did not have to do that, and still she did, so it was awesome for me. I went for one month but I would recommend going for two - the place is so magical it takes you at least two weeks to settle down and start really focusing on working, so by the time you do it's almost over. Come with a well-mapped plan of how to use your time there and not expecting peer reviews or any type of learning structure. If you are a person who doesn't enjoy sharing a house with people who also work in the same space, don't do Fish Factory or ask if they can find you a space where to rent in the same town. There is almost no way in or out of the small, small town if not by walking, so also think of that. No museums, no restaurants, no cinema, no supermarket. Yes, beautiful fields, waterfalls and if you are lucky, aurora borealis. I think the cost was perfectly fair because they give you a private room to live, trips to the next town to the supermarket, and 24-hour access to the workshops, which had the heating on all the time. All in all, I loved Fish Factory and would do it again for an even longer time if I could, but I do think people have to know what they are signing on for so they have the best experience they can.

Fish Factory is just perfect for artists who love to go at their own pace. The founder really went the extra mile to create this amazing space where creativity thrives, surrounded by the serene beauty of the village. And with artists from all sorts of backgrounds in each edition, it's a fantastic chance to connect and collaborate. Definitely a must-try for anyone craving a peaceful spot to let their creativity flow.

The residency is located in a quiet village in a beautiful fjord. Although there is little to do, there is still a lot to experience. Beautiful nature, and all the peace and space to be able to work focused on your art practice. The wide range of workshops that you can use had a motivating effect on me. I have experimented with all kinds of new mediums that I had not worked with before. I was also very lucky with the other artists with whom we formed a very special and close group. We learned a lot from each other and it was a very valuable and special experience for me. In terms of materials, the Fish Factory has quite a lot in stock, but if you need something specifically, it is wise to have it shipped there in advance or take it with you. It is a very free and self-directed residency, so it is important that you can enjoy yourself and focus on your own work. Very nice environment with very sweet owners.

Iceland is always cold, even at the peak of summer. Other than that, it was a magnificent experience filled with memories and wonder.

You will encounter the kindest and most compassionate team at Art Hub.

This residency gave me the time, solitude, and creative freedom I needed to dive deeper into my practice without the interruptions from outside noise. We were isolated from the rest of the world. One of the benefits was we had our dinner meal cooked every evening; nourishment at the end of a long day was a big deal. It's important to remember you are in the middle of a national park, so you need to prepare in advance what type of work you will be creating or developing upon your stay, including all materials required. It was a small inversion for my career. I also believe it was necessary for me because I left recharged and with new work studies of developing ideas for future projects.

The peaceful, natural environment, and the way you are taken care of, make you let go of everything and just be an artist.