Artist Residency Reviews

From day one, it was awful. One of the founders let his friends sleep in the sound studio, studio we were sharing and I was paying for. My expensive equipment was left with strangers and they consider the sound studio as their bedroom. I was pressured and yelled at when I refused, and the founder of wonder even stole some of my material for work. They promised to help us with an event, then canceled all funding and demanded a lot more money. It was a mental scam—exploiting, stealing, and manipulative with no transparency. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

I visited Villa Capri over the last 2 years several times and can highly recommend it. Every stay was very magical and I met and connected through the residencies with so many beautiful and interesting people: local artist from Mallorca and Barcelona as well as international artists. Every time I left i felt nourished and recharged and was able to develop new ideas and try out different artistic experiments. The house is and old farm house with a beautiful pool and in the garden is a dream for every forager, so many edible plants that one can cook with everyday. over the years I tried out many different recipes, for instance: nopal lemonade, nettle soup, wild mustard pesto, wild asparagus salad. it is well located in the middle of the island so one can easily explore it with the car. the sunsets in this rural part of Mallorca are stunning and quite often there are sheeps grazing on the territory which creates a beautiful soundscape and a very idyllic vibe, especially in the morning or golden hour. Lorena is a very calm, intelligent and special person, she doesn't try to push one into a certain structure but lets the structure emerge in the process of the group. I never had a bad experience there, apart from the time the previous reviewer was present, unfortunately she was disappointed because she expected something else and wanted every other resident to suffer with her, everyday she was shouting (maybe as well mental health problems) and created a uncomfortable time for the other people in order to pressure Lorena to refund her, that was very ugly, selfish and mean of her and every one was happy when she finally left. If u are looking for a luxury resort with workshops that you just need to attend then you should go somewhere else. The experience in this residency is more empowering and participatory, the residents organize themself the workshops and plan excursions together. Like this one can peek into other disciplines and get to know some magical spots on that beautiful island, like secret beaches, limestone caves, mountain trails, sustainable projects and inspiring art exhibitions.

🚩 CERAMICISTS BEWARE 🚩 The Taos Ceramics Center offers accommodation behind their studio for two residents, including 24/7 access to the community studio and a shared private studio on the grounds in exchange for rent, which they claim is "below market rate" (it is just the average cost for the area) and a work trade to "make up the difference" of the "low" rent--I thought this would be something I could overlook when I started, and it might have been if the owners were not constantly demanding more and more work and criticizing the work I had done. I mention the costs because they were constantly brought up by the owners who clearly felt I "owed" them--even though I was paying them for everything and working for free. I came in a competent, experienced ceramics instructor and studio tech and left so disheartened and exhausted that I haven't touched clay since. Pros: - Beautiful small town with a rich, thriving arts culture and stunning surroundings - Accommodation was a nice little house with private studio - Fun workshops in the summer for no extra cost - Very clean workspace Cons: - 24/7 psychological warfare: MICROMANAGING, gaslighting, myriad rules, texting and emailing about work at all hours - Owners frequently entering the house without notice!! - NO financial benefit: average rent, unpaid labor, barely quantifiable "discount" on clay/supplies, exorbitant firing fees - Incompetent firings producing firing flaws galore that are blamed on the makers - No professional development support i.e. critiques, networking, marketing, audience - Studio cleanliness is the responsibility of the residents and is CONSTANTLY under a microscope - Very small community studio in a very rural/isolated town with mostly retirees--not necessarily a bad thing but it's hard to meet other young people and make friends so it can be lonely! A past member told me they overheard the TCC board meeting to plan their residency program went along the lines of "we need to find some young people who will come here and be so grateful for the opportunity that they'll work for free!" and that's exactly what they're doing. Another member left because one of the owners screamed at them in public for asking about the private studio pricing ($500+/mo for a 10x10'ish space with no door) and I was also screamed at after asking about a firing. As I've already said, I had years of experience working cleaning jobs, working in ceramics, and did not expect to be waited on hand and foot but I was treated so consistently badly by the owners/managers that I had to call a crisis hotline after one shift and my hair started falling out. This "residency program" is nothing more than an ego-driven, exploitative scam that follows the pattern of an abusive relationship: lovebombing, followed by little by little undermining, into outright verbal abuse, all the while trying to make you feel indebted and unable to leave.

Such a great experience overall. A perfect balance of days in the peaceful garden setting to work and reflect with excursions into Mexico City to feast on the wealth of art, culture and history. While we were not right in the center of the gallery scene, I loved the south of the city where there is plenty to see including the fantastic contemporary art museum at UNAM, the Luis Barragan buildings in Tlalpan and Jardines de Pedregal, and the zocalito in Tlalpan is delightful.

🚨 My Nightmare Artist Residency in Mallorca — A Cautionary Tale 🚨 Hey fellow artists and travelers, I’m writing this to warn others and maybe get some advice. Earlier this year, I applied to what was supposed to be an artist residency in Mallorca, Spain — Villa Capri. The photos, Instagram posts, and even a feature in Vogue Spain made it look like an idyllic, supportive creative retreat. The reality? A total scam. • No program at all: despite promising guided workshops and artistic support, there was nothing. • The kitchen? A literal petri dish of flies and sticky surfaces, plus a fridge growing new life forms. • The pool? Not just empty — stagnant water that looked like a frog rave from 2007. • The “studio”? A dusty garage with broken furniture. • The garden? AI-generated in photos, just dry dirt and weeds in real life. • She even admitted it was dirty and was surprised I trusted her social media and the Vogue feature. • Money-wise? I paid triple what I expected (car rental, extra luggage for materials, etc.). She refunded one participant whose parents are lawyers, but refused to refund me. • Now the website is down — a clear sign that she knows what she’s doing is shady. The final straw? When confronted with the fact that she used a year-old Vogue Spain article to sell the residency, she said she wasn’t responsible for what Vogue wrote — even though she used it as marketing. 🙃 If you’re considering an artist residency, please do your homework. If hygiene, structure, and basic respect for artists matter to you, avoid this place at all costs. Has anyone else had a similar experience — or any ideas on where to escalate this further? I’ve already emailed local tourism boards, cultural authorities, and even Vogue Spain. Stay safe and protect your art (and your immune system). ⸻ Flair it as: 🛑 Scam / ⚠️ Bad Experience / 🎨 Art Residency

To me, as a Northern European, Tunisia felt very exotic. The team behind the Dar Meso residency is incredibly supportive and helpful. They go out of their way to help artists connect with the local creative scene, including musicians and visual artists and they are open to all kinds of ideas and collaborations. I have very fond memories of my time there. I would highly recommend the experience to any artist looking to explore new cultural contexts in a welcoming and inspiring environment.

My time at Callie’s was an invaluable experience, shaped by the support of the outstanding team and the inspiring exchange with fellow residents. I was there during the Covid period—while Berlin, as a cultural hub, was at a standstill, Callie’s provided a space that felt both welcoming and professionally supportive. The studios are remarkably spacious and offer ideal conditions for a wide range of artistic practices. It was also a great opportunity to contribute to the opening of this institution with my exhibition at Callie’s—an experience I deeply appreciate. In short: If you have the opportunity to do a residency at Callie’s—go for it. It’s an exceptional place.

The people working at the residency are super kind and the studios are huge and bright. Very chill

First of all, I would like to preface this by saying that I am used to gatherings and residencies within my own field, but this was my first major experience of an inter-disciplinary artistic residency. This review is personal and only reflects my own experience at that time in my life. I tried to both cover the different areas with precision, and yet to not be too specific or detail-oriented. I am an—unscripted—theatre maker, performer and teacher, and used to be a geologist, as well as a teacher at university. I considered doing my masters degree in Longyearbyen, and had already considered applying for this residency earlier in my career but had discarded the option back then. So obviously, I was very excited to be able to apply to The Arctic Circle, especially for its natural environment, as well as the multi-field aspect—artists, scientists and educators. The environment was absolutely stunning: Svalbard is a gorgeous place on Earth, the weather conditions were fabulous and there was something very special about having 24h of sun a day (I took part of the Summer residency). The ship we were on (Antigua, for its last year as part of the program) is a beautiful vessel, with all amenities, very comfortable and the crew was absolutely top-notch in their skills and how friendly, interesting and helpful they all were. I've met some great artists and people on the ship, and I am still in touch with a part of my fellow-residents. A first let-down on my expectation was the absence of scientists and teachers as part of the residency. Some of us were interested in sciences, or curious about it, and some were also teachers for arts, but everyone was primarily an artist. This felt a bit off compared to how the residency, or 'expedition', was advertised by the organisation: it was probably my most touristic experience ever, and was a gorgeous opportunity to discover this part of the world surrounded by other fantastic artists, but didn't offer the multi-field approach. The residency consists mostly of travels, hikes, landings in beautiful landscapes and degustation of the amazing food that the chef had prepared. I somehow was prompted—maybe because of the vocabulary used, maybe because of my own hopes—for something more focused on work and exchanges between the residents. Except for the presentations of our individual work, no other collective session was planned or facilitated, and as much as I like solo work as well, I started missing moderated conversations. Given the nature of the work and the environment—most people were working on the environmental impact of humanity and we were actively bunch of tourist in an endangered natural area—some conversations about that paradox could have been initiated by the organisation. As well as discussions on our place as artists, the intellectual property of our productions, or any other topic to reflect and profit from the fact that we were 29 artists isolated from the world for two weeks! On the plus side, books were put at the disposal of everyone and the resources of the Library of Longyearbyen were made available to the artists, which was a real treat. The guidance around the Svalbardian nature itself was also excellent, interesting and expertly dealt with, like for instance the relationship to planning vs. following what nature has to offer. In terms of composition of the group and as a non-native English speaker, I felt like it was heavily dominated by anglo-saxon residents, which also showed in the culture that developed in the group and the 'established normalcy'. The reality is probably that the price-tag of such a residency is really high for people coming from non-dominent cultures, but I wished the program to have been more diverse on this aspect—as it was on other aspects. We were all paired in cabin by assumed genders, and I was very satisfied with my appointed cabin-mate. He was an absolute delight, and our energies were both different and highly compatible. I can only speak for my own pairing, but this was one of the highlights of my experience! As the only theatre maker and generally one of the only live performance artists, I felt quite lonely in my craft. I could see how the photographers enjoyed sharing with each other, how the visual artists talk-shopped, or how digital media creators were able to be inspired by each other, but it felt very dry at times to be the only one in my craft. This isn't per se linked to the residency itself, but maybe to the selection made. I feel like collective arts practitioners are more used to collaboration—and maybe even more in my case being in the field of unscripted theatre—and therefore the threshold of what feels like 'togetherness' is maybe higher than for someone who primarily works alone in a studio. On the possibilities for work, it may sound obvious but being on a touristic tall ship does not always make it easy to find time or space to focus on work. Again, this might be a misalignment of my expectations, and I wonder if I was too different from the rest of the group to really find my space on a professional level, or even for my work to spark interest in others—residents and guides included. The pre-travel communications with the program and their organisers was smooth, efficient, useful and very reactive. I have nothing to say about that other than I felt cared for and in good hands. Our iteration of the residency presented some challenges that were addressed and tried to be dealt with, but there could be better protocols and safeguards in place to not rely on the other residents when something goes wrong between residents. The end of the residency consisted in 2 and a half days on shore in Longyearbyen, and this was only made clear late in the planning process, so it is good information to have. Overall, I had a good time and will keep good memories, but I wish I had known more clearly what to expect, especially for the price of the residency. I found a few interesting things in the experience—mostly on a personal level and with individuals—but didn't feel changed by it a professional level. It felt like a big financial investment for the little outcome, and as much as it was worth it for the experience alone and the quality of the service, I wish I could have chosen to apply or not knowing that. I did produce a show inspired by some of the historical stories we heard during the trip—and a plastic igloo in Longyearbyen—for which I collaborated with a few fellow-residents, using some of the sound recordings they had made. I would recommend for applicants to think of a very concrete project in direct relation with the landscape or the ship, that can be done no matter the schedule or the weather and independent from the participation of your co-residents—photography, videography, recordings or illustration are great examples I've witnessed first hand, because they are given priority for their concreteness. As I mentioned at first, all of this is a very personal lens and experience, and I do not blame anyone in particular for the sub-optimal experience I had. I would probably not do it again in the same conditions, but would still recommend it to anyone that resonates with the content, the way the organisation works, and has a project that fits the bill. I hope this helps!

This really was an unforgettable programme, being on a sailing ship around Svalbard and making art. The team on board knew how to support any technical request when it came to hiking, filming, recording of sounds etc and did their best to accommodate all our requests. This residency is high on the cost-side and you have to find your own funding support. You also have to be prepared for the cold which if you are from a tropical country, I recommend getting the packing list as early as possible. This was a self-directed programme so having good shipmates would also be key to a good experience.

My experience with L'AiR Arts residency program at Atelier 11 has had a lasting impact on my career and artistic practice. Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, it gave me an opportunity to develop ideas for new work, dialogue with international artists and broaden my awareness of the global artistic landscape and my place within it. As part of a self-directed residency at Atelier 11, I created a dance film that has since been screened internationally. The development I fostered through my experiences with L'AiR has catapulted me forward in my artistic vision, self assurance and body of work.

What an incredible two weeks it has been doing my research residency with L'AiR Arts. Thank you for bringing together a very diverse group of artists from around the world and in terms of practice. This experience really solidified the importance of collectives and international groups of people, especially artists, coming together, exchanging ideas and learning about the process of each artist, their artistic vision and how they approach executing their ideas. To top it all, we also had the amazing opportunity to see an incredible amount of art fairs and exhibitions in Paris that were all so unique and different!

My recent experience at Atelier 11 with L’AiR Arts afforded me a comfortable live-work space and a supportive community who helped me to focus on the creation of new work. The daily exchange of creative ideas, the communal meals, and an overall sense of camaraderie between myself, the team at L’AiR Arts, and former resident artists, helped me focus on the task at hand, continually feeding my inspiration. During my residency, I became aware of the history of Montparnasse and felt connected intergenerationally to the artists I admire. An original creative energy emanated from the walls of the atelier. I feel fortunate to have experienced its history and to count myself as one of the many artists propelling it into the future.

One of the most longstanding residencies located in the heart of Paris, where historic artists such as Modigliani, Soutine, and Foujita resided and created their works, Atelier 11 L’AiR Arts is a living heritage site and an international research residency dedicated to fostering cross-cultural exchange and contemporary artistic dialogue within a historically significant working environment—an opportunity to engage directly with a space that has shaped generations of artistic practice.

I stayed at Hub Feenix during one of its first months of opening in 2023, as both an artist and digital nomad. It is very unique in that it's a community space - but feels like a mini mecca for artistic exploration, spiritual and physical wellness, and community with like-minded souls. I came to work on my art, like many others, and ended up having an unexpected holistic experience that gave me the space and facilities to take care of my wellbeing - something I've struggled with since nomading. One of those spaces is the location itself. It is nestled in a peaceful forest, yet still connected enough to civilization via car and bike (both available onsite to use), and the local bus. It offered me, and the others, a perfect balance between seclusion and accessibility. My daily walks in nature was one of the greatest gifts of that experience. The artist facilities were the best I've experienced to-date - spacious studios that I used for filming, a sound studio that they were building, which I was able to use to record some VO lines, and a well-equipped tech room for co-working. And the many facilities to support a holistic focus were equally impressive, such as a gym they were renovating, yoga rooms, massage rooms, a cozy café, horses riding lessons, meditation sessions and holistic healing services (organized by the team with local facilitators). The onsite saunas were a major, and unexpected, perk! The residency is inside a former hospital, where certain floors are dedicated to the artists for working, others for the holistics services that are available for artists and nomads, and the ground floor for local companies and facilitators to run workshops and even festivals that we were always invited to. Despite all the activity, the dozen or so artists/nomads present and around 20 volunteers on-site (at least back then), the space never ever felt crowded. There was always room to work, relax, or explore across the many floors. Lastly, the staff and volunteers were some of the kindest humans - always helpful, accessible and committed to ensuring we had the best possible experience. Having completed several artist residencies since, I can say I haven't experienced this level of service anywhere else. I am profoundly grateful for my time at Hub Feenix - it offered so much more than I was expecting. I truly hope to return again one day!

ASITW was my first and only residency. But it was a truly valuable one. I divided my two week residency into two separate week long stays in October and February. I used both of those weeks to focus on upcoming personal projects. The isolation was perfect for me and the experience of being able to work freely and without boundaries was immeasurable. They also allowed me to come back and shoot scenes for a film I produced as part of my residency. Cammie and Ama, the administrators were and have been great to me since my residency. It was hard to leave there each time but I felt fulfilled and replenished. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed the whole experience and I have been recommending it to my fellow artists! Everyone that works there is super nice and helpful!

Space - Benefits: The residency is well-known, attracting a decent number of visitors during open studios, which offers good exposure on social media and networking opportunities. The location is fantastic, surrounded by a variety of restaurants and cafes. - Challenges: The neighborhood can feel unsafe at times, with a significant homeless population. Artists must use a single room as both studio and accommodation, which is inconvenient if you work with dusty or toxic materials like oil paints. Those who have external housing in Berlin and use the residency space solely as a studio may have a better experience, but for most, the dual-purpose setup can feel overwhelming. Shared facilities—one shower and two toilets per floor (for five people)—are poorly maintained, with frequent plumbing issues. The building itself is old and not well-kept, with subpar living conditions that may feel unsafe, particularly during events hosted in the first-floor gallery. Team - Benefits: The on-site and online curators are supportive, passionate, and actively help artists. The technical staff is exceptional, offering expertise in complex installations, which is especially beneficial for artists working on intricate or large-scale projects. Additionally, there’s access to free resources in the basement, including found objects and technical equipment for welding, woodworking, and more. - Challenges: The admin team is unhelpful and dismissive, doing the bare minimum for artists’ well-being. Their attitude can add stress to an already challenging environment. Program - Benefits: The residency provides a platform with high visibility due to its reputation. - Challenges: Opportunities to develop your artistic practice are limited. Despite its prominence, the program has somewhat restricted connections to the Berlin art scene, possibly due to its origins with an art foundation based in Barcelona, not Berlin. Artists must independently research and invest additional effort to fully leverage Berlin’s vibrant art ecosystem. Practical Advice - Be Prepared: Expect harsh living conditions. Shared spaces can be challenging, as some co-residents may not respect personal boundaries, and the admin team is unlikely to address concerns. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for a less-than-comfortable stay. Costs vs Gains - The monthly rent is relatively affordable for such a central location. However, the quality of living reflects the price point—what you save in rent, you may lose in comfort and convenience. In conclusion, this residency may work best for artists seeking exposure and technical resources rather than those prioritizing comfortable living or structured opportunities for practice development.

The remoteness and nature were great, but that's where the positives end. I feel like I was in an AirBnB and not an art residency. Your mileage may vary, but neither the hosts, nor the other people in my group seemed to be engaged or interested in art. I feel like our group was a filler for the time they could not find renters. The rudimentary facilities you get are pricey, some of it you can't use, and everything (including soap or sheets) costs extra. Communication with hosts was limited and difficult, in stark contrast with Spain and Spanish culture. You are there so the owners turn a profit. I couldn't wait to leave. Most disappointing excuse for an art residency of my career.

Creative and inspirational environment, good size studio space with wood workshop and tools. You can work with found materials and if you like, site specific work in the area. Interesting industrial history with a museum and archives with helpful staff, as well as lots of visual input from around the area. A well planned and organized residency with lovely people!