What is a residency?
The idea behind a residency is usually to hole yourself up somewhere (new and different), maybe with people you've never met or maybe alone, for a set amount of time for the purposes of exploring and creating art.
But that's not exactly a realistic option for many people due to cost, jobs, care-giving, disabilities and chronic illnesses, and the list goes on. I knew, at least for the time being, a traditional artist residency is out of my grasp, so I decided to build a residency in Creative Nexus that would be more accessible by being 100% virtual, free and unjuried to participate, flexible meeting times, and optionally asynchronous.
What is a Virtual Interdisciplinary Residency?
During the residency, you will be paired with an artist from a different discipline, as interdisciplinary collaboration is one of the primary vehicles for exploration of your creative process. You will focus on a shared theme (completely open, a prompt list will be provided for inspiration, but you don't have to stick to the list) and you have the freedom to explore it as a collaborative piece, or just discuss your creative process and inspirations together (or anything in between).
You and your partner will decide how often, when, and with what method of communication to touch base, but a weekly Zoom together is a great starting point. This time can be used to discuss your ideas, what you're trying, what you're struggling with, and anything else.
Who can participate?
All Creative Nexus members are invited to participate. There is no jurying process - this is all about accessibility, so it doesn't matter where you are in your creative journey.
How much time does it take?
As the person running it, I committed 5 hours/week to it over the summer. BUT, it's completely up to you, and not all mediums require the same kind of time input. There is no requirement; just please make it something that feels good for you and isn't adding stress to your life.
What’s the process?
I’m in! How do I sign up?
How much does it cost?
The residency is included in your Creative Nexus membership, which is on a pay-what-you-can model, starting at $0. Again, we're all about accessibility.
What am I supposed to create
This is completely up to you. And you might not know until the end. Some people might end up with a finished piece (or several). Some people might end up with a series of studies that never quite got to what they were aiming for. This residency is about the process, not the final product.
What support will there be?
We're not going to pair you up and leave you to the wolves. Your primary brainstorming partner will be your...partner (who saw that coming?) But we'll also open up a weekly Zoom that you can come to for additional group brainstorming and direction if you're struggling, as well as Deconstruct sessions and my inbox anytime. Likely, you'll find yourself with too many ideas, not a lack of them.
The residency runs approximately 6 weeks, beginning with our kickoff call on 2/9/25 (this is the only call for everyone). Prior to this call, all participants will have filled out their Interest Form, received and read all other participants' responses, and have ranked their choices for a partner during the residency.
On our kickoff call, we'll go over any details, answer any questions, announce pairings, and make sure everyone is set up with their partner's contact information. From there, we send you off into the wild with some loose guidelines for brainstorming, timelines, etc.
At the end, everyone is invited to share what they created in a virtual exhibition and to talk about it in our opening reception (note: invited, not required)! It's all about exploration, sharing, and growing. You can check out the exhibition and opening reception from the summer's residency below.
OMG! I'm so glad you asked! Haha! I do truly hope you'll consider participating. It's an amazing experience to give yourself a safe space to explore without expectations.
If you'd like to join in, follow the link below to complete the Interest Form and I'll be sure you're on the list to get all the information!
If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to ask! And if anything seems scary, ask about it, because my top priority is to make this as stress-free and GOOD feeling as possible.
Summer ‘24 Residency Opening Reception
Watch our Opening Reception from our Summer ‘24 residency for a little insight into how it all worked.