Artist Residency Reviews

Benefits: It's wonderful to get away from your world and your rhythms, immerse yourself in another culture with new artists and live and work with a variety of creatives doing the same thing. The full days and weeks of opportunity to work, explore, go to museums, challenge yourself is perfect. The final 'exhibition' at AIR Vallauris provided a good focus, but came up quickly and was challenging to move into 'presenting' mode. Challenges: It's always hard to work in a new studio with equipment you do not know, clay & glazes unfamiliar to you and an environment that is new. The infusion of "unknown" can either push you to growth - or make you anxious. I go into circumstances like that with an open mind to receive what I get, not necessarily what I think I should get. That ability to 'let go' allows me to dive deeply and be present to both my own state of mind, creative in and output and to receive others around me the same way.

I had a fantastic experience during my artist residency in CDMX. The program was thoughtfully organized and perfectly located, offering easy access to the city's vibrant cultural scene. I learned so much during my time there—both through my work and the inspiring community of artists and organizers. It was a deeply rewarding and creatively enriching experience.

I've recently returned from a month-long stay (Sept 2025) as part of MADE's program in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Located in a true neighborhood, as opposed to being in an isolated expat community, it is close to markets, laundromats, cafes, and a weekly farmers market. It is a good, easy walk to the central part of town, too, and I loved walking the cobblestone streets to explore, which is the theme of this residency. Yesica, the founder of MADE, makes each resident feel welcome and supported, and is there to guide you with anything you need—selection of classes at the amazing local art institutions, what neighborhoods and food places to explore, and shares about all of that month's local cultural celebrations to be able to witness. Yesica shares that this residency is more about the time and space to create, but also to try an art form outside of your regular practice, and to immerse yourself in the people and place of SMA. It is not a typical "hole yourself away and create in your room," yet you can structure your time to your desired experience. I loved being able to connect with the other artists there, to commune over cooking in our communal kitchen, to even collaborate on a shared art piece. Yesica was always there if we wanted to talk about art or future goals, and again for guidance on things we could experience while in SMA. I hope to return one day again to MADE, which really was a positive, transformational experience for me.

MADE Creatives was a magical, mind-blowing experience, thanks to Yesica, the director. I am incredibly grateful to Yesica for her exquisite knowledge, generosity, enthusiasm, and wisdom in guiding me through the residency and through the various communities of San Miguel. I came here not really knowing what to expect. Through the sights, smells, sounds, and touch of the city, my new work developed. I deeply appreciate that MADE offered time and space to move into the research and let things marinate as long as necessary. Being in a new environment where culture is valued, accessible, and integrated into LIFE is a revelation. Being with other creative minds – 3 other artists in residence – was generative and inspiring. I loved hearing and learning about their interests and sharing so many new things together. The work was made possible by the contributions of many people and experiences I met and had here. These introductions were made possible by our fearless La Jefa, Yesica.

MADE was my first artist residency experience. I wasn't sure what to expect. After submitting my application, I had a phone conversation with Yesica. I reviewed the residency contract and prepared a list of questions for her. She answered the questions, and I was confident that I had a good idea of what was expected from residents as well as from MADE. Yesica made the arrangements for the classes I selected. There was a glitch in one class selection, but Yesica quickly found an alternative that turned out to be the print making class I wanted. She came to the classes periodically to make sure everything was going ok. The residency is located in a neighborhood. I appreciated the experience of living with Mexican people. The roosters did crow, but I had my earplugs! My apartment was clean, and linen was changed mid-month. I read this in the application, so it wasn't a surprise. MADE is not a hotel or AirB&B. I had to do some cleaning, purchase/cook my own food, make up my bed, etc. I came to MADE for an opportunity to enhance my artistic education but also to learn about another culture. Weekly, the residents gather to have dinner and talk about our experiences and ourselves. We were a diverse group of 5. We were from all over the United States. The ages ranged from 30s to 70+. We also attended several festivals and excursions in and around San Miguel. This trip was life changing for me. Artistically, I exploded. I found the art vibe to be very strong. I was turning out collages with an intensity I didn't know I possessed as well as completing a book. Yesica created an atmosphere that gave us an opportunity to get to know each other as well as delve deeper into our own artistic endeavors. I would definitely go back to MADE again.

I stayed at Made in San Miguel during the month of March and was introduced to jewelry making. One of the best experiences in my life. I got to be immersed in the culture by living around the local community, tasting local food. Let's talk about having someone who personally showed you places that's not toursy. I remember after one week I felt like a local, the way I moved around San Miguel. My instructor was the best, 40 years in the business. If you get the invite to stay at Made Creative, go with an open heart and mind and your life could change.

What’s most positive about this residency is the generous amount of time awarded the resident artists, privacy, location, and the freedom to choose whether to produce or just use the time to not do anything at all and just relax. Having so much privacy in one’s own studio and casita are also one of the greatest benefits in this residency. At the same time, having that privacy, along with the generous amount of time, I feel that these provided the ingredients to cultivate very meaningful connections with my fellow residents who have become my friends to this day. And the staff are simply wonderful and supportive. A possible practical hurdle that some may consider: to appreciate the residency fully, I highly recommend that one has a vehicle because some of the most beautiful and enchanting parts of the southwest (in fact the whole of US!) are driving distance from the residency. Fortunately the residency provides bicycles—a fantastic way to explore the beautiful nearby areas of Taos, such as downtown, museums, nearby hikes, and more. I highly recommend the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation as a residency, and I am forever grateful to the foundation to the most precious gift of time, space, serenity and connections that I received.

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 artists 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 an old farmhouse with a beautiful pool, and in the garden is a dream for every forager—so many edible plants that one can cook with every day. 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 sheep 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. Every day she was shouting (maybe as well mental health problems) and created an uncomfortable time for the other people in order to pressure Lorena to refund her. That was very ugly, selfish, and mean of her, and everyone was happy when she finally left. If you 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 themselves 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 as 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.