Artist in Residence

Home » Programs » Artist in Residence

The Artist in Residence Program and Suncor Indigenous Artist Program follow the traditional residency model, in which non-local or local professional artists spend time creating work inspired by the environment, culture and people of Wood Buffalo. These Resident artists engage with the community in a variety of ways, showcase their work through a final event and, most importantly, spend time mentoring a selected group of emerging, established and professional artists from this area. The program is open to artists in any discipline.

2019-2022
Community Impact

16 Workshops

102 Event Attendees

20 Artists Hired

Applications for the 2025 Artist in Residence Programs are now open. The deadline to apply is September 16, 2024 at noon. Click Here to Apply!



Arts Council Wood Buffalo’s Artist in Residence (AiR) and Suncor Indigenous Artist Program follow the traditional residency model, in which non-local professional artists spend time creating work inspired by the environment, culture and people of Wood Buffalo. Resident artists engage with the community, mentoring local artists through workshop opportunities, and showcase their newly created work through a final event. Both streams are open to artists in any discipline.


Artist in Residence Program

This stream follows the traditional residency model in which non-local or local professional artists will spend 3 to 4 weeks creating art and engaging with the community through art. Opportunities include showcase events or performances and, most importantly, spending time mentoring a select group of emerging, established and professional artists from the same artistic discipline.



Suncor Indigenous Artist Program

Much like the Artist in Residence program, this stream follows the traditional residency model and is based on the same idea of creating art and engaging with the community through art. However, this stream will support an Indigenous artist living in Canada that has an artistic career in any discipline.


Read the Artist in Residence Handbook here.



Application Process


1


Read the Handbook
Familiarize yourself with the Artist in Residence program streams and decide if it's for you!

2


Apply
Apply for a Residency through our online portal, mail-in form or seek additional application support. See more in Application Support.

3


Shortlisting
Shortlisted applicants are given an opportunity to present their proposal for Residency to Arts Council Wood Buffalo.

4


Selection
All presentations will be assessed by ACWB staff and successful artist(s) will be notified.


In 2025, the Resident Artists will be welcomed for separate residency periods, amplifying the program's impact across the year. Residences periods will be Spring 2025 (March-April) and Summer 2025 (June-July). Exact residence dates and lengths will be determined between the selected artists and ACWB.

Deadlines & Timelines

  1. APPLICATIONS OPEN: July 16, 2024

  2. PROPOSALS DUE: September 16, 2024

  3. SHORTLISTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED & INVITED TO PRESENT: September 27, 2024

  4. PRESENTATIONS TAKE PLACE: October 28-November 8, 2024

  5. SELECTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED: November 15, 2024





  6. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

We are here to help!

If online forms are not your forte, Arts Council is open to accommodate other means of submissions.

If you would like to submit your application online, please see more on the Apply tab.



Arts Council hopes to build artist capacity by paralleling an application process that is adopted by the wider arts communities across Canada and the world. However, we also recognize that this process may be stressful to some. Arts Council celebrates and supports diversity, and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all, free of barriers and discrimination. We are committed to providing programs that are accessible and barrier free.



This year, applicants have three alternate options to submit a proposal:

1. Mail-in your Proposal

A printed template can be mailed out to you with a self-addressed return envelope. This needs to reach the Arts Council office by 12PM (MST) on the proposal due date.


2. Oral Submission

Oral submissions will be accepted as a recorded audio file. This audio file will not be transcribed to text. It will be presented to the selection committee in its recorded form, so that it is received in your voice, as originally intended.


3. Set Up an Appointment

Any artists struggling with any other options are welcome to meet with our team in person or virtually to ensure a smooth application process. Please contact the Programs Team at programs@artscouncilwb.ca



For more information or support in the applications process, please contact the Programs Team at programs@artscouncilwb.ca or by phone 587-674-1625.

Frequently Asked Questions

Become a Sponsor of the Artist in Residence Program

Are you interested in sponsoring or making a contribution to the Artist in Residence program?
Visit our Support Us page to view the different sponsorship opportunities, or contact us to share your vision on how you can support the Artist in Residence Program. We are open to creative possibilities and would be happy to discuss alternative sponsorship options with you.

 

Find out what other organizations have to say about supporting the arts in our region.

 

For more information on the Artist in Residence Program, or for questions on securing your sponsorship opportunity, please contact ACWB Executive Director, Liana Wheeldon, at liana@artscouncilwb.ca or 587-674-1625 ext. 100.

 

The Suncor Indigenous Artist Program

We would like to thank Suncor for their generous support of the Suncor Indigenous Artist Program.

 

The Suncor Indigenous Artist Program falls under the Artist in Residence umbrella and supports one Indigenous artist living in Canada. This artist has an artistic career based on using traditional knowledge, skills and materials to tell their contemporary stories.

 

The Suncor Indigenous Artist Program supports the preservation and expression of Indigenous art and culture in our region and across Canada.

Thanks to Our Resident Artists