Artist Residency Reviews

I almost never leave one-star reviews, but artists deserve to know what they're signing up for before spending their money here. My criticism is specifically about the summer residency. If Convento de Mértola is not equipped to safely host artists during July and August, then it simply should not be accepting paying residents during those months. I arrived after months of planning, only to discover that the reality was completely different from what had been communicated. The first shock came immediately: there were mice in my bed when I arrived. That alone should have been enough to question whether the accommodation was suitable for guests. The next surprise was that I had specifically asked before booking whether I would be okay without a car. I was reassured that I would, and that supermarkets were about 10 minutes away on foot. This was simply not true. The nearest supermarket is at least 25 minutes away, requiring you to walk alongside 70 km/h roads with no sidewalks, including crossing a dangerous bridge. In the middle of a Portuguese summer, this isn't just inconvenient—it's unsafe. It became even worse when I discovered that the tap water wasn't drinkable, something I was never warned about beforehand. Since you can't rely on the water on site, you're forced to make those long walks regularly just to buy drinking water. I was told that rides or taxis could sometimes be arranged, but in the same conversation I was also told that the owner would be leaving halfway through the residency. So there was never any reliable solution in place. Basic necessities like safe drinking water should not depend on hoping someone is around to give you a lift. The studios themselves are completely unsuitable for summer. They have little to no insulation, making them unbearably hot throughout the day. I was initially told to keep the windows and doors closed to keep the space cool, despite the fact that I was expected to paint inside. Any artist knows that spending hours working with paint fumes in an enclosed, unventilated room is unsafe. When I pointed this out, the advice suddenly changed to "oh, but you can ventilate." That contradiction alone shows how little thought has been given to the actual working conditions of artists. This is the fundamental issue: Convento de Mértola is charging artists for a residency without making the investments necessary to make it liveable in the summer. If you're inviting people to live and work there during July and August, then proper insulation, safe accommodation, reliable drinking water, and realistic transport options aren't luxuries, they're the bare minimum. After one night, it became clear that I couldn't safely stay or work there, so I left. Despite leaving almost immediately, they refused to refund any of the residency fee. The organization repeatedly describes itself as a non-profit, but that argument is difficult to take seriously when artists are paying substantial fees while there appears to have been so little investment in improving the facilities. The family running the residency lives on the property, yet basic infrastructure (safe drinking water, adequate insulation, and accommodation free from pests) has clearly not been prioritized. What makes this especially painful is that I had already postponed this residency once after breaking my ankle, because they refused to refund me at that time and would only allow me to reschedule within a year. I reorganized my entire life to attend this residency. I turned down paid freelance work, rented out my apartment, bought art supplies in Lisbon, rented a car to get there, and spent a year looking forward to this opportunity. Instead, I found conditions that made staying impossible. There is enormous potential in this place, but until significant investment is made in the facilities (or until they stop accepting artists during the summer) I cannot recommend this residency to anyone.

The home and studio are beautiful and in a peaceful neighborhood, with lots of things and a park within walking distance. Had a lovely gallery visit by the director. Visited several local galleries with future exhibit opportunities.

This is a solo residency, offering a small stipend but few provided materials. Residents must conduct a workshop or engagement (which can be integrated into artwork or treated as a requirement) and culminate the program with an exhibit or presentation—though securing curators, collectors, or other attendees is the artist’s responsibility, though the organization extensively advertises and promotes the event. The space is a house contiguous with the a studio space and yard, across from the river green belt. I found the isolation wonderful, but some artists but may find too solitary.

My residency in Ventspils was a genuinely inspiring and meaningful experience. The team, and Ieva Balode, the House director, created an atmosphere in which I felt not only welcomed, but truly supported as a writer and as a person. Their attentiveness, kindness and readiness to help made it possible to focus fully on my work and new creative connections. The residency also became an important turning point in my writing practice. It encouraged me to explore short fiction more deeply and resulted in several new stories shaped by the city, its atmosphere and conversations with fellow residents. Most importantly, it led to an ongoing collaboration with Latvian writer Ilze Lace, including a mutual translation exchange and future publications in Latvia and Ukraine. I deeply appreciated the thoughtful atittude, openness to dialogue and the care with which the organisers connected residents with the local cultural community. Ventspils is a place I will remember with gratitude and affection.

It’s very well run the staff truly cares and are mostly artists themselves, they also get studio spaces as part of their job

If you’re considering attending an artist’s residency at Café Tissardmine, I recommend you find somewhere else to go because Karen – the owner of the residency – is a deeply unpleasant person. She’s far more interested in correcting, contradicting, and mocking her guests with a regular mealtime barrage of barbed comments than she is in getting to know them and creating an atmosphere of warmth and kindness. In my residency of five artists, three left early. There were a variety of reasons for each one’s departure, but all included Karen’s abrasive personality and her disinterest in her guest’s comfort. The scenery is impressive, though, and the locals she hires to work there, it should be said, are generous and gracious. Things her website does not mention which may or may not be a deterrent: the plumbing may be iffy and correspondingly aromatic, you may have a parade of Sahara-sized cockroaches in your bathroom, the windows of guest rooms do not have screens and the flies, including the biting ones will visit, there are no fans in rooms to disperse the heat/flies. All this may be fine with you or it may be bothersome, but what is galling is that Karen treats the whole thing like an episode of Survivor and behaves as if anyone not as tough as she believes herself to be is weak and in need of verbal punishment. Leaving felt like getting out of a brief and abusive relationship for which I travelled a great distance and spent plenty of money.

I would not recommend anyone go to this retreat. There is literally nothing there but a big house. Food is only occasionally provided. It is impossible to leave the place without someone driving you. The woman who ran the place when I was there 3 years ago was going through mania while we were there and talked so fast and erratically that it was impossible to understand her. I had planned to spend a month but cut it back to 2 weeks. The driver who picked us up at the airport would not leave and intruded on the residency staying several days for no reason. This place is to be avoided.

A peaceful place in the mountains of Colombia, run by great people who really care about their residents. I've been to this residency 4 times now and consider it a second home. The facilities are everything you need as an artist, there is a good balance between structure and freedom, and the setting is magical. All that for a relatively low price compared to other residencies I've been to. Highly reccomend.

I think there is much to be said about trying to create a makeshift community of artist strangers from all over the world every month, and to create, and maintain such an atmosphere is not easy. what stands out to me about Artesumapaz other than the incredible studio spaces, and beautiful landscape, is the way in which intentionality and true care are not only deeply valued, but also practiced among the staff, and how this creates such a welcoming atmosphere for the residents and volunteers. Peppa and Dani truly work to address challenges fairly and head on, building boundaries, and expectations and confronting conflict from a foundation of love, respect, and desire for repair and resolution. I think expecting no challenges would be unrealistic, but I found that this place really works to uphold the values they proclaim, and truly respecting the artistic process of every single person that walks through its gate. Good on ya :)

My experience here felt like a dream. The nature is unbelievable. The staff have a kindness that is rare and precious. They do an amazing job of managing such a large group of differing personalities and needs. The facilities are great to learn and try new crafts. If you come here with an open mind you are sure to have an incredible experience.

The year I took this Residency was while it was post-covid, running entirely in Zoom for 10 weeks. I attended online and worked in the comfort of my own studio. As a mother and pet owner, this was perfect for me to engage in such an incredible experience without having to travel. Biophilium courses are essentially Science School for Artists. I was able to spend time communicating and learning with artists around the world from a variety of media, while having discussions with Scientists on topics of cutting edge research. My relationship with my subject matter grew exponentially because of this opportunity. My artwork flourished beyond measure as my mind and heart were opened through such an incredible experience over the summer of that year. I've established friendships with the Artists and working relationships with the Scientists as I continue my journey, loving my work more than ever. Kudos to Alexis Williams, Biophilium Director, for such a brilliant method of engaging in deeper understanding with the natural world. P.s. I went in as a Textike Artist and emerged as a Poet! Monika Kinner, CANADA

Unlike urban residencies, this art residency is nestled in nature, allowing you to fully focus on your work while enjoying the forest every day.

As a visual artist, I spent a month at Hub Feenix—and why on earth did I decide beforehand not to stay for two months right from the start?! Stepping out of my artistic comfort zone, I fully immersed myself in this unique place and the diverse opportunities it offered to experiment anew—ceramics, printmaking, textiles, woodworking, drawing, colours ... For me, Hub Feenix signified a creative awakening and a fresh start, but also a sense of tranquility and a chance to reconnect with myself—enveloped by the warmth and genuine kindness of the people there, which felt truly sustaining, and renewed each day by the embrace of the forest and nature, the lake, and the light.

This was my first experience at a residency and it transformed my artistic practice. The remoteness of the location, studio space, landscape, and relationships I built with the other artists helped give me clarity on my work and I left with some incredible new friendships, including a mentor.

I would not recommend this residency to visual artists seeking a functional studio environment. It felt more like an Airbnb marketed toward artists rather than a residency genuinely designed to support artistic work. The studio space was not conducive to my practice, primarily due to the lack of appropriate natural light and working space. I did not request alternative accommodation because the other options I saw also appeared unsuitable in terms of lighting. Additionally, in my opinion the images used to represent the studio space at the time of booking did not accurately reflect the reality of sharing the space with the number of artists that were there, at least during my visit; Upon arrival, other artists were discussing availability of space/making space for others and the studio felt over-crowded. Overall, the space and experience felt to me as though it had been designed for artists without a real understanding of artists’ practical needs or working processes. I chose mainly to do field work and get what I could out of it. The village and surrounds are beautiful and I enjoyed meeting a couple other artists who live and work there.

Golden supplies comfortable housing, huge studios, and free painting materials from the their factory across the road. There is also technical workshops and advisory from their material specialists at Golden. If you love paint and love to experiment wildly with paint, this is the best thing you can possibly do with your time. The hosts are wonderful and make you feel like part of the family.

My time at Ou was exceptional. The team was thoughtful, patient, and deeply supportive, creating an environment that felt both welcoming and well organized. The housing was comfortable and thoughtfully arranged, and the studio was truly a dream—its expansive workspace allowed me to spread out, experiment freely, and fully immerse myself in the creative process.

If I'd known it was possible to both totally reset AND dive into my writing in such a fierce and productive way, I would have applied ages ago. The dedicated time away from "real life" to work on my project was such a gift. The gallery was immediately a haven. My cohort gave me energy and focus and friendship. I don't know if all residencies are this magical or if I landed a huge dose of first-timer's luck, but I'm grateful all the same!

I was lucky enough to be part of Ma Umi residencies in Ishigaki, during February and March of 2026, for a total of four weeks. The living studio is beautifully decorated, and well kept, and the land on its own is incredibly inspiring and full of resonance. I was introduced to key places for my research around underwater cables and oceanic timing, as well as people from the island. I was lead to museums and cultural centers, shown works tailored to my research. Both Val and Fu were incredible helpful and fun, and really value the specificity of the island, going to local shops and restaurants, which convey how ethically embedded they are with the place. This allows for the guests to be able to engage in a very careful and thoughtful manner with the people and histories of Ishigaki and neighboring islands, such as Taketomi island. I would recommend driving and renting a car to go around the island, since public transportation is a bit tricky as in most islands. My stay has prompted me to go back to continue the research, and Ma Umi residencies is a very welcoming space, silent when needed and always full of life.

I stayed at Delfina last summer and highly recommend it. It’s important to note that this is not a production-based residency; while there are no private studios, you have the opportunity to present your work or research in an Open Studio at the end of the program. The core focus here is networking. You’ll connect with a wide range of professionals, including gallerists, curators, and collectors. If you are focused on a specific research topic, the team can even facilitate and fund meetings with relevant academics. Because the program requires you to present your work frequently, it forces you to refine your artistic discourse—a process that led to significant professional growth for me. The team is exceptionally kind, supportive, and dedicated.