Artist Residency Reviews

I had a great time during my ISSP residency in Riga! The apartment is very nice in a nice district, and the people from ISSP are wonderful and very kind. There is no studio but a great library at the office. I shared the apartment with two comic artists. The three of us each made our individual work. There were no workshops at that time. ISSP provided us the opportunity to have an artist talk and we had the opportunity to exhibit.

Seems like the fee changes periodically, so it can be cheap, expensive, or free. Otherwise, it was nice overall. Located almost in the center. You share the kitchen and bathroom with other residents in the three-room apartment, but it's fairly big. I felt I had my own privacy, and it was comfortable. The staff were friendly and nice. If you know what you are doing, it's a nice place to stay and start exploring Riga and Latvia. But it's not an atelier; that's why the residency space is mostly for photographers and comic artists, I guess.

This residency is an artwashing initiative by George Kaiser. It has a history of intimidating and abusing artists. Stay away.

This residency is not accessible. Location is spectacular and space is perfect for solitary practice if you are able-bodied. Administration is very hands-off and undemanding. The region is quite xenophobic; the French property manager has made racist remarks about immigrants.

Riga is an awesome city to awaken your eyes and take photos.

Wilson is such a special place, people seem to be stopped in time, they are very friendly for photography. Th organizers are very helpful for any artistic need you may have.

My first art residency experience at Nectar surpassed all expectations. Set amidst stunning natural surroundings and rich history, the location serves as an incredible hub for inspiring creativity. The promoters not only provided access to their studio but also welcomed me into their home and family, making me feel at ease from the very beginning. Their unwavering support and guidance truly enriched every artistic decision I made during the program. I highly recommend applying and traveling to Vic to be a part of this exceptional experience.

The residency is perfect for the artist who has a sense of the work they want to make and needs the time and peace to make it. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had. The beauty of the landscape and terroir, the loveliness of the facilitators, everything was perfect.

I have been to this space in Latvia more than seven times. They cannot provide funding for travel and can only pay a small stipend to cover your food expenses. However, the silence, the simplicity, the camaraderie of the other artists, are extremely conducive to your work. The staff there will bend over backwards to help you. I have worked on three books in this space.

Maison Dora Maar is a very welcoming space and covers both your travel costs and pays a per diem. There are only three people there at a time, and you can choose to interact or not. The public reading you are expected to give is attentively welcomed by the local audience. The view is spectacular and the house itself is amazing. Great for any self-directed work.

The environment is very helpful, and you are given a freedom to work, so my advise is to plan your working schedule properly, cos there will be many temptations of spending your time in many ways.

The ISSP Riga Residency provided an opportunity for artistic and personal growth in the form of reflection and research. The extended community surrounding the residency created a welcoming, insightful and thoughtful social space for exchange and discussion. Overall, the ISSP Riga Residency provided me with a holistic approach for the development of a new body of work.

My residency at ISSP put me in direct contact with some of the leading figures in contemporary photography in Riga. The scene there is small but mighty, and because of its scale, it felt manageable and intimate in a way that larger programs don’t. There is no pressure to produce, which is a relief compared to other programs, although it is encouraged, of course. I enjoyed teaching a 2-day workshop as part of the program and felt it was a highlight of my experience as it felt like a mutualistic way of giving back some of the generosity I had received.

I liked everything very much. All the conditions and the owners of the residence.

The staff is incredible, the creative community tremendous. Be sure to swim every day and meet as many local artists as you can! Key West is expensive and there is no stipend so be ready to cook your own meals!

Inspiring people and place. Very well-equipped studios. Beautiful Portugal. I definitely recommend this artist residency.

I was among the first year cohort of the La Baldi residency so they were some technical issues. I was able to rig a wifi connection, but this was minor. I had an absolutely amazing experience. The location is simply stunning and provides time, quiet and a distraction free environment. There was no studio available at the time. And the outreach to the local community was mostly on me. My experience was profound and beautiful. It helped me creatively and had me start a new unexpected project. I am profoundly grateful for having been given this opportunity and support. Time itself seemed to change shape Montegiovi.

I had a great experience and would recommend it. The people who run it are lovely, warm, and available to help solve any problems you run into. The town of Montegiovi is beautiful and intimate. There are no formal studios so you work either in your apartment or outdoors. The artists who were there at the same time became friends and were an important part of the experience. There is a restaurant in town that is walkable, but getting other food and supplies requires a long walk (a small part of which is on a busy highway) or a car to drive to bigger stores.

The city itself was my main inspiration. The studio apartment (the big one) is beautiful and comfortable. The studio is in the apartment and it was very beneficial to see the work from bed before going to sleep. There is another studio apartment, a smaller one, and it is nice to have a fellow artist residing with you, but in a separate though adjacent apartment. I had an exhibition that I arranged for myself after a recommendation of the residency manager.

Amazing location in Belgrade! Beautiful apartment and studio. I had lots of time and space to experiment during my time. It is a very solo residency, so not much collaboration or outside interaction. There isn’t really an on-site person or group facilitating any studio activities. The setup is basically an apartment with a studio room in a city building. There are two separate apartments with 2 artists. I also attended during the pandemic, so that played a role in my experience too; it may have been different otherwise! I loved the city of Belgrade, and it was a very inspiring environment for my practice. The studio was very spacious.