🏜️ Desert Residencies

Cafe Tissardmine

Tissardmine, Morocco

Cafe Tissardmine offers a unique artist residency in the heart of the Moroccan desert, providing a serene environment for artists to explore and create. This residency is designed for artists seeking inspiration from the vast landscapes and profound silence of the desert. Up to nine artists at a time can enjoy a 24-day stay, with the opportunity to engage with the local village and its children. The residency emphasizes the importance of being resourceful and inventive due to its isolated location, limited internet access, and the need for artists to bring their own supplies. The program includes accommodation, meals, studio space, and a sunset trip to Erg Chebbi's giant dune, aiming to recharge and inspire artists away from the demands of modern life. The selection process is personal and prioritizes artists committed to the full residency length, with a fee of 950 Euro covering most necessities and activities designed to immerse artists in the desert experience.

High Desert Test Sites (HDTS)

Joshua Tree, California, United States

High Desert Test Sites (HDTS) offers two unique residency programs at A-Z West, an 80-acre compound in Joshua Tree, California, created by artist Andrea Zittel. The Work-Trade Residency invites artists to stay for 2–4 weeks in exchange for 10 hours of weekly work around the property. This includes grounds maintenance, ceramics studio work, and general upkeep. In return, artists receive housing in micro-apartments and access to studio spaces. The Self-Structured Residency allows participants to stay for 1–4 weeks, paying a fee for private accommodations in the A-Z West Guest Cabin or House, with access to weaving and ceramics studios upon request. Both residencies focus on providing a tranquil and immersive experience in the desert, fostering creative work, personal reflection, and community engagement. Transportation is essential as the residency is located in a remote desert area without access to public transit. Applications for the Work-Trade Residency are accepted twice a year, while Self-Structured Residencies are available on a rolling basis.

La Wayaka Current

Atacama, Chile

La Wayaka Current is an artist-led organization offering unique residency programs in some of the most remote and ecologically significant environments on Earth. Their residencies, based in the Desert (Atacama, Chile), Tropic (Guna Yala, Panama), and Arctic (Sápmi, Norway), provide creative professionals the opportunity to explore pressing socio-political and environmental issues through site-responsive, research-driven, and collaborative practices. These programs allow artists, cultural practitioners, writers, scientists, and others from multidisciplinary fields to immerse themselves in remote, nature-immersive environments while engaging with local indigenous cultures and ecologies. Through a combination of curated and self-directed activities, participants explore themes such as climate change, colonization, indigenous knowledge, and ecological conservation. La Wayaka Current’s goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of art, nature, and social change by supporting projects that encourage environmental awareness and cultural exchange.

National Park Arts Foundation (NPAF)

Various, United States

The National Park Arts Foundation (NPAF) offers a unique series of Artist in Residency programs within the National Parks of the United States. Partnering with the National Park Service and its affiliates, NPAF aims to bring artists of the highest caliber into the heart of the country's most stunning natural landscapes. With over 300 programs produced and more than 120 artists supported, the foundation emphasizes the deep connection between the arts and the natural world, allowing artists to draw inspiration from and work within the parks' serene and awe-inspiring settings. The residency programs are designed to be relevant to both the participating artists and the broader art world, ensuring the experiences and works produced during the residencies resonate beyond the parks. Artists from various disciplines, including visual arts, music, literature, and performance, are provided with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to focus on their projects amidst the parks' breathtaking sceneries, free from the distractions of everyday life. Active in parks across the nation, NPAF's current Artist in Residency programs for 2023 and 2024 are accessible through a selection process detailed on their website. These residencies offer artists a supportive environment to explore new ideas, develop their practice, and engage with the parks' unique landscapes and cultural histories.

PLAYA

Summer Lake, Oregan, United States

Located in the striking landscape of the Great Basin in south-central Oregon, PLAYA offers a unique residency experience dedicated to fostering the intersection of art and science. Established in 2009 by Julie Bryant and Bill Roach, PLAYA has served as a crucible for artists and scientists to explore, create, and collaborate. The residency program is designed to support innovative work that promotes dialogue and positive change in the environment through a deep engagement with the natural and communal resources of the high desert. PLAYA provides a variety of fully equipped living and working spaces including private cabins, studios, and a central Commons area that encourages communal interactions and creative exchange. The isolated setting offers an uninterrupted space for residents to immerse themselves in their projects, with the expansive vistas and the dynamic landscape acting as a catalyst for creative output. The program welcomes a diverse group of international and domestic applicants from all disciplines of the arts and sciences, who are over 18 years of age and interested in projects that align with PLAYA’s mission of environmental and social progress. Throughout its 10-year history, PLAYA has been a bedrock for over hundreds of residents, promoting not only innovation but also the synthesis of artistic and scientific inquiry. Residents at PLAYA enjoy the solitude and the communal spirit equally, accessing workshops, themed weekends, and special events that complement their individual projects. Whether it’s through the stark beauty of the desert landscape or the supportive community, PLAYA continues to be a place where the boundaries of traditional residency programs are expanded, making it a significant site for artists and scientists aiming to explore new frontiers in their work.