Local Artist Residency
Affordable studio space in the Art Barn for up to a year, for San Juan Island artists who want their work seen as it’s made.
Why an Artist Residency?
The Art Barn is a working building and is open to the public. Visitors, shoppers, students and other artists pass through every day, and the AIR studios are part of what they see. We look for artists who want that exposure and will use the year to go further with their work.
Residencies last up to one year, and there is a waitlist. We select artists-in-residence on two things- the strength of their work, and what a studio would make possible for them now.
Studios
Studio 2
A larger studio with full walls
$250 a month
For artists who bring most of their own equipment. Room for large equipment like a floor loom or etching press inside of your space.
Big Studio
A smaller studio with printmaking and textile facilities access
$250 a month
Includes studio and equipment access to the printmaking and textiles spaces. For artists who prefer a smaller private space, but need equipment access.
How it Works
Terms
Up to one year
Selected from a waitlist
We choose residents for the merit of their work and their needs as artists, and check in together during the year.
Cost
$250 a month
For either studio, due on the 1st
Tuition assistance is available for one-month stays. Ceramics and darkroom memberships can be added on, and Printmaking/Textiles membership can be added for AIRs in Studio 2.
Perks
Exposure and sales opportunities
Plus access to equipment
Show and sell work in the Alchemy Store & Gallery at the member commission rate, and borrow looms, spinning wheels or easels for your studio.
Plan Your Visit
Field Campus
Private studios in the Art Barn, the former lavender production building.
Good to Know
- Be here. Tell us about travel longer than two weeks. We can help find a subletter, and summer has less flexibility.
- Sharing a studio is welcome; each artist pays for a studio membership.
- Renewal is not automatic. To give more islanders a turn, we may not renew a residency after a term ends.
- We are still building. Expect some surprises in a space under construction.
Apply for Studio Space
Email Andrea at andrea@alchemyartcenter.com. Tell us about your work, what you need from a studio, and how you would use a space that visitors can see. We add applicants to the waitlist and reach out as studios open.
Creativity is a human right.
Alchemy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Grants and gifts of every size keep classes, studios and free programs open to everyone on the island. Tuition assistance is available for nearly all classes and all memberships.