The SPAO International Artist Residency offers photo-based artists the opportunity to advance their career at one of Canada’s foremost photographic art centres.
During SPAO’s 6-month Artist Residency, individuals are afforded the time and environment needed to research, experiment, and produce a body of work as a professional artist. Upon completion, artists are offered the paid opportunity to exhibit in the SPAO Centre Gallery. The residency has been designed for artists who have completed formal training in visual arts and/or lens-based media and are ready to intensely focus on an aspect of their practice while utilizing our facility and directed mentorship.
Facilities
Artists are provided access to SPAO’s photo studio, media lab as well as our fully equipped darkroom and alternative processes lab. Residents are also invited to participate in select classes, programming, and guest lectures.
Research Resources
Ottawa is home to numerous national museums, rich photography collections, and research resources, including: the National Gallery of Canada, Library and Archives Canada, Ingenium, and the Canada Council Art Bank.
Opportunities
Upon completion of the residency, Artists in Residence will be offered a paid exhibition opportunity of artwork selected by the SPAO Gallery Manager. Additional opportunities may include a public talk and the production of a catalogue or photo book.
Questions?
Learn more about the residency opportunities, benefits, and application process by scrolling down. Space is limited, so we encourage interested applicants to apply early or contact us to see if this residency is right for you.
Email us at residency@spao.ca or give us a call at 613 562 3824
APPLICATION
- Eligibility + Selection: Candidates should have completed formal training in the field of photography, visual arts, or equivalent. SPAO welcomes all visual backgrounds, motivations, and styles. A selection committee consisting of arts professionals will evaluate the applications. The committee will base its selection on the artistic quality of the applicant’s work, the potential impact of the residency on the applicant’s career, and the contribution to the Ottawa and Canadian arts communities.
- Residency Fee: The residency fee is $5,500. In addition to the residency fee, participants are responsible for all costs associated with their stay such as living expenses, materials, and supplies, including but not limited to photographic chemistry, printing, paper, and any specific facilities fees.Accommodations are not provided by SPAO.
- Funding Opportunities: All applicants are eligible for the Jason Michaels Memorial Bursary. Applicants who identify as Black and/or Indigenous and/or a member of another racialized community are eligible to apply for the Spectrum Bursary.For more information about these bursaries, please email admin@spao.ca.Each spring, SPAO awards one graduate of the SPAO full-time program the $1,500 CAD Sphinx Bursary to be applied to an upcoming residency. All full-time program graduates from SPAO are eligible. We highly recommend that applications for this scholarship are submitted by August 1. Current and former SPAO students are exclusively eligible to apply for the Sphinx Bursary. Past participants in the residency have successfully received funding from granting bodies to help facilitate their residency.
- How to Apply
- Fill out the Artist-in-Residence application form.
- Send remaining documents to gallery@spao.ca via wetransfer.com:
- Artist Statement (PDF)
- CV/resume (PDF)
- 10 digital samples of work saved as. JPG, 72dpi, sized to 1200 pixels on the longest edge. Files should not be larger than 2MB.
- Images should be accompanied by an image list (PDF); provide the image number, title, and medium. Use this document to clarify image details. IMAGE SAVING FORMAT EXAMPLE: 01_untitled_inkjet_print.jpgIMAGE DETAILS EXAMPLE: “This is a portrait from my series Faces. I would like the final image size to be life-size, but I haven’t decided how I would like to print this work yet.”
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