By Sonya Alexander
Artists, whether their medium is visual, written, performing or mixed media, can use a change of scenery to be inspired or complete a work. Many opportunities, at home or overseas, allow an artist to relax and create, uninterrupted, without stress. A panoply of retreats charge for the opportunity to get a change of environment and commune with other artists. However, art residencies often offer stipends, grants, and scholarships, which cover housing and usually meals, slightly removing the financial burden from the artists’ shoulders.
Most residencies feature interaction with cream-of-the-crop staff and peers who provide invaluable feedback. Some residencies not only cater to established adult artists, but also give inspiration to emerging artists, especially urban youth who may have difficulty acquiring the tools or training to accomplish their artistic desires. African-American, Latino and Native American children, teens, and adults can pursue their artistic endeavors through these programs locally, nationally, or internationally.
In the heart of downtown Denver at 1610 Little Raven St., the PlatteForum offers artist-in-residence programs and intensive for youth. Participants at the organization, a recipient of the 2006 Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, have access to city comforts while being provided an isolated, studio environment. Scholarships are available for youths to practice an array of talents from film animation to ballet. The students collaborate with established artists, and the artists mentor young hopefuls while exhibiting and performing their work.
“In a world marked by unprecedented and accelerating change, creativity is the cornerstone of the learning process. It prepares individuals to face new challenges, to approach the problems of the future with energy, vision, and hope. It helps build vital communities that embrace the notion of lifelong learning and growth,” said Judy Anderson, the founder and artistic director of PlatteForum. “By fostering artistic experiences for at-risk youth who have little or no exposure to the arts, we are a model for a new kind of residency program.”
For artists who flourish in rural settings, the Arvada-based Colorado Art Ranch provides serene, natural surroundings in several small towns in Colorado, like Durango, Steamboat Spring, and Monte Vista. Visual artists and writers, selected by a panel, are provided with living and working areas, but are responsible for travel, food, and an application fee. Scholarships are available for youth workshops, hosted by artists-in-residence.
“We are a good choice for adventurous souls who are flexible and want to work in beautiful areas of Colorado, and have a chance to interact with other residents as well as the local community,” said Grant Pound, the executive director of Colorado Art Ranch. “We look for artists and writers who are working because they have questions to ask of the world. Their work, in turn, asks questions of the viewers or readers. … We do not care where they are in their career as long as the work is strong,”
Outside of Colorado, the Wexner Art Center provides residency activities in Columbus, Ohio, including workshops, master classes, and discussions with students and the community. Besides visual and theatrical artists, about 20 visiting filmmakers and video artists from around the world are invited to use the studio facilities and editing suite each year.
Chicago mixed-media artist Kerry James Marshall is a Wexner artist-in-residence and an internationally-renowned African-American artist. His paintings are heavily influenced by his growing up in the South and in Los Angeles during the rise of the Black Panther Party. During his residency, Marshall is collaborating with Chicago teens to put together a puppet show influenced by the Japanese tradition of Bunraku, where puppets are attached to rods and manipulated by several puppeteers.
Urban Gateways is a Chicago-based program that works hand-in-hand with schools in the urban community to recruit promising students in various arts. The program includes an Alvin Ailey Dance Camp, where members from the famed New York-based, African-American dance company train aspiring inner-city youth for the stage. Artists can apply from anywhere in the country, but the focus is on helping Chicago’s children.
For more of a global experience, residencies in foreign countries can feed the artistic soul. In Brazil, the Instituto Sacatar caters to artists of African or indigenous descent. According to the organization’s Web site, Jamaican writer Opal Palmer Adisa enjoyed the expansive views of the ocean in Salvador during her residency. She felt the “laid-back” ease of her surroundings lent itself to her successfully completing her novel about Yemanja, an Afro-Brazilian deity.
Several organizations offer residencies in Canada and Europe, like camac in France or the Banff Centre in the mountains of Alberta. But, for Americans of the African diaspora, why not go home to the Motherland to create? The Caversham Centre for Artists and Writers in South Africa not only provides a peaceful setting for creating, but visiting artists can collaborate with local artists and contribute to the community. Located in the small town of Balgowan, the center accepts local and international artists and provides the opportunity for cross-cultural dialogue.
For every artist who needs to escape, information on various artist residencies, domestic and international, can be found in the listings at www.artistcommunities.org/residencies.html.
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