Full of a cold and bundled up on the couch looking at application TO DO TODAY!
Just noticed that the debate on the artists talking front page points to my blog at the moment – on the subject of professional v’s amateur following entry #122. Looking through application opps today, this has unexpectedly reared its head again. I had earmarked a few things to apply for but was just doing a last-minute trawl through a-n and axis etc. when a Res-Artis newsletter appeared in my inbox – so off I went to trawl through that as well. Just when did it get so peppered with posh b and b’s masquerading as residencies? These are rural retreats for artists with organic food in highly desirable holiday areas of France and Italy, not exactly residencies as I think of them. I probably started using Res-Artis about 6-7 years ago and I don’t remember it being like that then.
These kinds of ‘residencies’ are, if not exactly a scam, guilty of false advertising. (see also: Lindsay Sunley’s thread ‘scams’ on the forums). Yes, if you go, you will be resident there and they do only invite artists and they have studios, but it still seems more like a holiday. They are quite good value as accomodation however, so might be worth bearing in mind for next summer.
To my mind this is the same problem of some pay-to-enter exhibitions that are just looking to get as many artists in as possible to top up the year’s money, and books being published where artists are invited to be included, for a price. It is taking advantage of artists who want to further their career and aren’t sure what the best way of doing that is. They seems to be aimed specifically at (what is probably an unfair sterotype) semi-professional artists who have come to art late and have money to support their new career/hobby and don’t mind paying. You are essentially renting a studio somewhere amazing.
What I have found the most valuable about residencies in the past is meeting and having dialogue with other artists, having access to great facilities, workshops, lectures and also being asked to provide workshops and lectures. All of these things contribute to professional development and offer support to artists. Basically, I just wish that these places weren’t included in Res Artis listings, or were kept seperate; it would save me a lot of time. I do wonder whether I am being very dogmatic about this though – does it bother other people as much?
So, as an example, I don’t really recommend applying for this residency if you want the above things, although it looks pretty damn good for a bit of a working holiday somewhere lush:
http://www.resartis.org/index.php?id=42&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=882&cHash=7250137cf9
