Collaborative Residencies

The Fine Arts Work Center, in collaboration with other arts organizations around the country and abroad, hosts one-to three-month Residencies in the summer and fall. Writers and visual artists are selected on the merit of their work by the collaborating organization. Apartments, with studio space for visual artists, are sponsored by the collaborating organization, which usually also provides the resident with a stipend to offset personal expenses. The Work Center provides time and space in which to work, and, perhaps most importantly, a community of like-minded peers with whom to share and discuss ideas, the very essence of collaboration. Collaborative residents are also given the opportunity to participate in the Summer Program workshops; each resident is invited to select two workshops at no cost.

In the summer of 1994, the Ohio Arts Council sent its first two artists to be in residence at the Work Center for three months. Since that time 19 Ohio artists and writers have had the opportunity to live, work, and exhibit at the Center. Usually the OAC sends one writer and one visual artist to Provincetown; this past summer they sent two writers, poet Thomas Sayers Ellis (who is a former FAWC Fellow), and fiction writer Mathew Chacko. Both residents shared their work with the Work Center community at readings incorporated into the Summer Program schedule. Visual artists are often invited to exhibit their work in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery.

The Maryland Institute, College of Art has participated in the Collaborative Residency program for a number of years as well, sending one visual artist each year for a two-month period. The Maryland residents are also invited to show their work in the Hudson D. Walker Gallery; they traditionally kick off the Gallery's summer season. In 2002, 2001 Maryland resident Jessica Damen exhibited paintings inspired by her FAWC residency. In May 2003, the 2002 Maryland resident Karin Horlbeck, an artist working in photography and digital imaging, will show her compositions at the Work Center.

The Copley Society of Boston, and more recently, the Providence Art Club, each award one-month residencies during the month of September to visual artists. In 2002, Copley resident Kay Ruane worked on detailed graphite drawings to exhibit in a November solo show at the Miller Block Gallery in Boston. Providence resident Ruth Emers constructed sculptures from materials she collected at the beach and on Work Center grounds.

There were also international artists participating in the Collaborative Residency program in 2002. The HISK Foundation sent Wim Waumers, a photographer from Belgium, to the Work Center for the month of September. The Phoenix Charitable Foundation of Boston has been working with Cuban arts organizations to select artists to take part in the residency program. Sandra Ramos, a printmaker and installation artist, was delayed a week waiting for her visa to be processed, but then made up for lost time by working furiously in the print room with Bob Townsend, Bill Fitts, and Michael Mazur. Sandra delivered a stunning presentation of her own work and that of other current Cuban artists to a packed house in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room.

Residency recipients have described their time at the Work Center as invaluable, citing as benefits of the program great artistic growth, unencumbered hours to focus on work, creative inspiration and encouragement from a community of kindred spirits, and a sense of validation.

For more information about the Collaborative Residency Program, please contact Hunter O'Hanian at 508-487-9960, ext. 102.