Int’l Call for Applications: Artist Residency & Fellowship, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ireland
The Foundation’s Artist Fellowship Programme is internationally unique in that it is not a retreat residency for the lone artist. Ballinglen Fellowship Artists are invited to bring family and companions with them. They are given, free of any charges, cottages for living, and purpose-built studios for working, within a rural community. They are considered to be adults and are free to meet or not as they see fit—the Foundation has no formal programme to entertain them.
They are encouraged to experience the local community—its churches, shops, pubs—its people—in the belief that this interaction will invigorate their spirit, remind them what it is ‘to be a human being’ (as several artists have put it).
The landscape and weather are uniquely inspiring—the community equally so, as the artists continually tell us.
For each artist, the making of work is of the utmost importance.
Fellowship Eligibility:
Visual artists throughout the world with professional standing in their fields (painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, sculpture) and emerging artists of recognized ability are eligible for residence (except anyone already residing in County Mayo). No particular style is sought. (Please note the Archive Responsibility section.)
Selection:
A Fellowship Residency invitation is based on knowledge of the artist’s work and references.
Period of Residency:
The Foundation is fairly flexible about the length of each residency. We suggest that Irish, British, and mainland European artists plan to spend a minimum of four weeks. Those traveling from a greater distance should plan to spend aminimum of six weeks.
Since a major component of the Fellowship Programme is each artist’s reaction to, and, therefore, exploration of, North Mayo, it is assumed that the residency will be spent in that area. Touring throughout the rest of Ireland is encouraged—but before and after the Fellowship period, not during.
As you may imagine, we have many more requests for Fellowship space each year than we can accommodate. When we block out a time for one Fellow we are regrettably turning down other requests for that same period. When someone cancels a residency at short notice it not only incurs extra expense for the Foundation but also denies other artists that time.
Please plan ahead carefully and do keep us informed early of any possible changes. That includes a desire to stay longer than planned. We are sometimes able to accommodate an extension and are delighted to do so.
BAF Fellowship Archive Responsibility
Each Fellowship artist is asked to contribute to the Archive of The Ballinglen Arts Foundation at least one finished work created during, or in response to, each Fellowship visit, and chosen by the artist in consultation with the Founding Directors.
The Archive is an integral part of The Ballinglen Arts Foundation Fellowship Programme. With it we are creating a significant permanent collection of contemporary art which documents the widely varying responses of Fellowship Artists to the same raw material of community and environment. And at the same time the collection chronicles, in unique form, the history of the Foundation since its inception in 1992.
At Ballinglen we manage to achieve an extraordinary amount in a modest sized building with even more modest financial resources. We function effectively within these limits by not taking on projects or making commitments we cannot fulfill. We have neither the space, the curatorial staff, nor the conservation staff which would enable us to include in the Archive collection either installation works or large-scale sculpture.
We admire much of this work and must be realistic about what we can do in order to do it well. Therefore we must encourage those artists who work in ways we cannot accommodate to apply to other residency programmes which have greater space and more staff.
Studios
In addition to the Printmaking Studio, The Ballinglen Center has 4 private, purpose-built studios (13ft x 14ft minimum) with high ceilings and white walls into which you can nail, screw, or push pin. The studios are individually heated and well lit by wall-to-wall northern skylights as well as artificial light. Each studio is equipped with a (hot and cold) sink, work tables, and chairs. On the same level for use of the artists is a kitchenette, lavatory, and a glass porch with a panoramic view of the sea, village, and countryside.
Accommodations
Each Fellowship artist is housed, at the Foundation’s expense, in a self-catering cottage in or near Ballycastle. Each artist is encouraged to bring family and/or friend(s) whose accommodation in the cottage will also be provided by the Foundation. (Note that Ballycastle’s excellent primary school welcomes the temporary enrollment of the children of visiting artists.) Each cottage has its own clothes washing machine and in all cases all bedding, linens, towels, utensils are supplied.
Applications:
If you wish to apply to the Ballinglen Arts Foundation Fellowship program, download the following appropriate application.
Applications for artists living in the Americas >>
Application for artists in Ireland >>
Application for all other artists >>
THE BALLINGLEN ARTS FOUNDATION
Ballycastle, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland
Tel: 096.43.184 | Email baf@iol.ie
Operations Supervisor: Una Forde
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