Open Call for Tusen Takk Foundation Residency 2025

Since part of Tusen Takk’s mission is to enhance the local artistic culture, artists are highly encouraged to engage once with the regional arts community when in residence. The organisers look at this as a form of giving something back to the artistic culture in our region. The context and form of this engagement are very flexible and can be worked out with the staff after acceptance of the residency. In the past, artists have hosted a private workshop or studio visit, given a public presentation or performance, or mounted an exhibition of their work (examples here). Tusen Takk welcomes proposals from the artist prior to and/or during their residency for this public engagement opportunity. The staff will work in close collaboration with residents to coordinate all aspects of the engagement.

Artists should be willing to share their work, processes, and experience with audiences through Tusen Takk’s website, social channels, and printed publications. In collaboration with the Director, artists are asked to donate one work to the Foundation’s collection. Artists are also encouraged to contribute a favorite book to the Foundation’s library for the enjoyment of future residents.

Please note that for the 2025 residencies, they are only accepting applications from visual artists. For the 2025 season, they are not accepting applications from artists working primarily in music composition, creative writing, movement, dance, performance, academic research, journalism/critique, or film editing/production. During open call periods, Tusen Takk welcomes applications from artists who have/are:

• The ability to produce a consistent body of high-quality work
• A dedication to their artistic practice with a desire to spend at least 30 hours a week in the studio
• Self-motivated and able to work alone – unless the residency is to be a collaboration between two people, the vast majority of the time the resident will be living and working in relative solitude
• A willingness to engage with audiences
• An openness to sharing thoughts on their work, their practice, and their processes through Tusen Takk’s online and printed publications
• Comfortable communicating with Tusen Takk’s English-speaking staff and audiences
• 21 or older
• US citizenship or the ability to obtain a US visa (if needed). Most international artists can come on a visitor visa, but certain countries do not participate in the visa waiver program. Since delays can occur, international applicants should be sure to check the visa appointment wait times. Upon offer of a residency, the Tusen Takk Foundation is able to provide letter(s) of invitation.
• Alumni of the program are welcome to reapply 5 years after their last residency

The Residency Includes:

• An honorarium of $625/week to help cover residency-related costs including travel, shipping, materials, and day-to-day living expenses
• Housing in the Guesthouse (which has two bedrooms, one full bath, two half-baths, and a living area with a full kitchen)
• 24/7 access to the Studios. While residents enjoy relative solitude, it is possible that a local artist or a Tusen Takk staff person will use one of the unoccupied studios from time to time during the residency. If complete isolation is desired, resident artists can pre-arrange for their residency to be undisturbed.
• Access to a vehicle for local transportation (with a valid driver’s license and a clean Motor Vehicle Report)
• An opportunity to engage with the community in either a private or public setting
• Professional documentation of works and process (if desired)
• Access to Tusen Takk’s staff
• Opportunities to engage with Tusen Takk’s regional network of people in the arts
• Promotion of your work via Tusen Takk’s social channels and website during and after the residency

To make the application process easier for artists (and to emphasize that your work is the most important component of the selection process), they no longer ask for a CV, references, or an artist statement. If your application is accepted for the Finalist round of the process, the organisers may ask you for a CV and artist statement prior to a virtual interview. On the application, applicants will be asked to:

• Provide a proposal for a project they wish to complete during the residency period
• Choose the number of weeks they wish to be in residence (3 to 8 weeks)
• Note: Collaborators should apply together, designating one as the primary applicant and naming the other as the collaborator.
• Upload a maximum of 20 JPEG images of their work, up to 5MB each.
• Pay a $20 non-refundable application fee through SlideRoom. 100% of this fee goes towards the cost of administering the open call.

Applications are received via the SlideRoom portal which has detailed application instructions, with a deadline 15 December 2023. Applicants will receive a confirmation email once their application has been submitted and received.