StudioWorks Artist-in-Residence Program

Artist Emily Oliveira cuts brightly colored fabric over-dyed in the studio to create applique quilts depicting the landscape of Passamaquoddy Bay.

Artist Emily Oliveira cuts brightly colored fabric over-dyed in the studio to create applique quilts depicting the landscape of Passamaquoddy Bay.

Luba Zygarewicz stands at a studio table, painting inked lines on paper and mixed media.

Luba Zygarewicz stands at a studio table, painting inked lines on paper and mixed media.

Carrie Dickason arranges elements of black and white patterned shapes on a large canvas at StudioWorks.

Carrie Dickason arranges elements of black and white patterned shapes on a large canvas at StudioWorks.

Harley Ngai Grieco hosts an open studio visit with members of the community in the summer of 2021.

Harley Ngai Grieco hosts an open studio visit with members of the community in the summer of 2021.

A family poses outside of the Tides institute for a tin-type portrait photograph taken by John DiMartino, Jr.

A family poses outside of the Tides institute for a tin-type portrait photograph taken by John DiMartino, Jr.

Herb Weaver sits behind ceramic teapot sculptures artwork in the studio. As part of his residency, Weaver worked with students at local schools and hosted community members to work on a collaborative piece.

Herb Weaver sits behind ceramic teapot sculptures artwork in the studio. As part of his residency, Weaver worked with students at local schools and hosted community members to work on a collaborative piece.

Tara Homasi's StudioWorks project involved writing, video and the study of community through its representation on Google.

Tara Homasi's StudioWorks project involved writing, video and the study of community through its representation on Google.

StudioWorks Artist-in-Residence Program

Eastport, ME, United States

 The StudioWorks Artist-in-Residence Program at the Tides Institute & Museum of Art (TIMA) offers residency opportunities to visual artists from the U.S. and abroad to deepen and develop their practice within a community setting. Our studios, museum and housing are located within the historic downtown and working waterfront of Eastport, Maine and overlook the U.S./Canada boundary. TIMA’s downtown StudioWorks building contains private studios, common work areas, and a ground floor printmaking and letterpress studio. 

The StudioWorks program mission, supported by two national awards from ARTPLACE and many additional funders, is to place the arts in the center of the community, utilizing the arts and artists to foster, engage, and create a vital and vibrant downtown. A StudioWorks residency provides an artist with a unique experience to play an active role in our creative community and region through socially engaged projects, educational outreach or public programming. So far, 71 artists from 18 different states and three foreign countries have participated in the program. 

Contact

43 Water Street
Eastport, ME 04631
United States

Year Founded
2013
Context
Rural
Remote
Residency Structure
Embedded in an arts or cultural organization (including theater + gallery)
Embedded in a museum
Longterm/embedded in neighborhood
Residency Program Type
Studio-based (with housing)
Community-engaged
Residency Length
2 weeks - 8 weeks
Languages
English
Average Number of Artists in Residence at a Time
2
Collaborative Residency
Must apply and be accepted individually
Discipline
Drawing
Interdisciplinary Arts
Mixed Media
Painting
Printmaking
Sculpture
Visual Arts
Book Arts
Ceramics/Clay Arts/Pottery
Costume/Fashion Design
Digital Fabrication
Fine Metals/Jewelry
Installation Arts
Paper Arts
Textile & Fiber Arts/Weaving
Woodworking
Animation
Augmented Reality
Digital Media
Documentary
Electronic Arts
Film
Moving Image
Multimedia Arts
Photography
Sound Art
Virtual Reality
Graphic Design
Illustration
Industrial Design
Architecture
Environmental Arts
Public Art
Social Practice
Urban Planning/Design
Art Education
Companions
Pets (Non-service animals)
Country of Residence
Open to artists based anywhere in the world
Family Friendly
Residents granted leave during residency
Spouses/partners allowed for full stay (non-collaborators)
Children allowed for full stay
Stage of Career
Any stage of career
Additional Expectations/Opportunities
Participate in public programming
Participate in open studio with fellow residents
Give artist talk or presentation
How does your residency program support artists?
Opportunity to be in another context
Opportunity to travel
Immersion in new culture and/context
Unstructured time
Unrestricted funding
Research support
Art production support
Access to studio space to create new work
Access to equipment, specialized facilities and/or technical support
Inspiration from natural environment
Inspiration from cultural context
Professional development support and/or trainings
Opportunities to develop relationships with local or regional artists/arts organizations
Opportunities to collaborate with local or regional artists/arts organizations
Opportunities to collaborate with other artists/residents
Opportunities to develop relationships with other artists/residents
Opportunities for work with the local community
Opportunities to exhibit or perform new work
Additional Eligibility Information

The StudioWorks artist-in-residence program is open to professionally established and/or emerging visual artists and craftspeople from anywhere in the world. Students who are enrolled in an undergraduate or masters-level degree program at the time of the application deadline are not eligible for a residency and should not apply. Proposals from collaborative teams of two will be considered, but StudioWorks cannot consider proposals from larger groups/teams due to housing and studio limitations. Collaborative pairs must apply separately to the program, and indicate in their proposals that they wish to work together. Please include evidence of collaborative work, if possible/applicable, and specify housing needs (separate or shared). Artists-in-residence may overlap with other artists-in-residence, artists working as museum guests, lecturers, or community members using printmaking/letterpress studio during scheduled times. Private studios and/or live/work spaces will be designated for artist-in-residence use only

Number of Artists Accepted in Most Current Year
17
Total Applicant Pool in Most Current Year
240
Artist Stipend
2000
US Dollar (USD)
Travel Stipend/Material Stipends
Residency Fees
0
US Dollar (USD)
Grant/Scholarship/other Funding Support
Application Fee
25
US Dollar (USD)
Application Type
Open application
What does your program provide during the residency experience?
Pre-orientation
Manual / handbook before arrival
Communication before arrival to discuss accommodations, medical conditions, or other health needs
Orientation upon arrival
Contact information and available accommodations for programs, events, and campus
Full description of accessibility on campus
Links to resources, effective practices, grievance procedures, etc.
Materials in large print
Use of colored paper for printed materials
Audio description
High contrast, clear way-finding and/or signage
Accessible seating
Staff/volunteer reading information aloud
Staff/volunteer giving directions
Staff/volunteer providing guidance to help locate facilities or activities
Contact info for accessibility requests for event/programming
Is your campus wheelchair accessible?
Partially Accessible
Additional Accessibility Information

In the StudioWorks building, private studios are both located on the ground floor and there is one ground-floor, ADA-compliant bathroom. Both studios are storefronts, with their own door to the street.  One studio has a single step up to the entry, and the other one is ramped. Once you enter the building you can get to both studios through interior doorways and both studios have access to the ground floor ADA-compliant bathroom.

There is a second floor to the studio building, which has a kitchenette, open work space, second bathroom, washer/dryer and storage. The flight of stairs is long, with two landings, and there is a handrail. 

We have two housing options. One is a ground floor private apartment that is accessed by a wooden ramp from the yard and driveway area. This is a large open plan apartment, with a small but fully furnished kitchen and small bathroom. The bathroom is not ADA-compliant as the interior space is small, and it has a low-threshold, small shower.

Our other accommodations are in a house that is accessed by exterior steps and a step up from an enclosed porch. There is a handrail on the entry steps. There is a ground-floor bedroom with attached bath (also small, with a low-threshold shower) and a shared kitchen with washer/dryer. There are two second-floor bedrooms, and a second-floor bath with a cast-iron tub with shower attachment, and a handrail on the staircase.

Lastly, there is a somewhat steep hill on Dana Street in Eastport, which connects Water Street (studios, museum, downtown) with Green Street (housing). The distance between Water Street and Green Street is about a city block long.

Caregiver/Aide/PCA
Housing available on campus
Housing available off campus
Local arrangements coordinated by staff
Case by case consideration by staff
Accessibility Contact Name
Kristin McKinlay
Accessibility Contact Email
kmckinlay@tidesinstitute.org
Accessibility Contact Phone Number
How much of the residency experience can artists with limited mobility participate?

The facilities are partially accessible. Public-access spaces on campus that are not fully accessible are the second floor of the studio building and the second floor gallery space of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. StudioWorks housing is partially accessible, as described above.

Please briefly describe the facilities and areas of the campus that are NOT accessible.

Public-access spaces on campus that are not fully accessible are the second floor of the studio building and the second floor gallery space of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. StudioWorks housing is partially accessible, as described above.

Type of Housing
Private housing off campus (individual apartment/cabin/house)
Private bedroom in a shared housing facility on campus
Accessible Housing
Partially Accessible (50% or more)
Housing for Companion And/or Caregivers
Housing available
Accessible Communal Spaces
ADA Compliant
Additional Housing Information
Access to laundry on campus
Access to laundry in housing
No WIFI in housing
Heat and Cool control managed by resident
Meals Provided
Residents have access to shared kitchen
Residents have access to private kitchen
Additional Meals Information
N/A
Computer/Internet Access
Wireless Internet (WIFI)
Studios/Facilities Details

StudioWorks Facility (Year-round):
Ground-floor private studio and separate print studio: each approx. 450 sq. ft. Ground floor shared accessible bathroom. Second floor common area, shared kitchenette and laundry and second bathroom.

Studios may be equipped, as needed/desired, with stainless steel or folding tables, folding chairs, stools, portable desk lamps, clip-on lights. A sink is in each studio. Studio walls are sheet-rocked and primed, but not finished with final paint coat and some walls have white-painted fiberboard panels (Homasote) for pinning work. Wireless internet and landline telephone is provided. Both studios have private entrance doors and screened transom windows.

Nina Bohlen Print Studio equipment:
Custom-designed etching press (Peter Lindenmuth/Hyman Bloom) (24”x 48”); Vandercook No. 4 letterpress; Ettan etching press (12”x 24”); Sigwalt tabletop letterpress (6”x 9”); Line-O Scribe tabletop letterpress; Nolan tabletop proof press. Miscellaneous collection of wood and metal type, inks, screen printing frames, and other printmaking- related tools and supplies. Full inventory list available to accepted artists.

North Church Project Space Facility (seasonal):

Ground-floor private studio, approx. 500 sq. ft. Studio is equipped with folding tables, wood workbenches on casters, shop sink. Studio has concrete floors and plaster walls, and south-facing screened windows.

Studios/Special Equipment
Private Studios
Large Format Printer / Plotter
Large Format Scanner
Printers + Scanner
Easels
Printmaking Workspaces
Book Arts Facilities
Etching Press
Glass Inking Table
Drying Racks
Hot Plates
Paper Tearing Table
Large Sinks
Washer And Dryer
Studios/Facilities Accessibility
ADA Compliant
Partially Accessible (50% or more)
Studio Support/Tech
Studio/facility orientation provided
Studio support provided by staff
On-call Studio support provided
Heat and Cool control access
Additional Studio Information

Tools, Equipment and Supplies Available:

The StudioWorks Artist-in-Residence Program has basic shop and hand tools for artists to use, including a jigsaw, circular saw, portable drill, hammers, etc. Other tools and supplies include an iron, ironing board, studio blender, studio hot pot, hot plate, sewing machines, portable electric 2-burner stove and extension cords/power strips. Supplies may need to be shared with other artists-in-residence.

A general office all-in-one b/w copier/scanner/printer is available at StudioWorks. Other equipment at is also available to use at the Tides Institute main building: Epson Expression 10000XL (17” x 22”) photo scanner; Epson 3880 (17”) color printer; general office printers (b/w, and color toner).