Welcome to Part 4 of our continuing exploration of artist residencies for ceramic artists!

In today’s post we’ll be looking southward again, this time to share 8 opportunities in Central and South America that we think are worth applying to. And since we didn’t have an opportunity to cover them in our North American addition of this series, we’re going to cover the Caribbean islands here too!

While there aren’t quite as many residencies to choose from in this region of the world as in others, its rich cultural history and impressive natural environment provide plenty of inspiration to any traveling artist, and we are sure you’ll have a productive time at whichever program you attend. In some cases, we’ve chosen to include residencies that may not have high end ceramic facilities, but who offer unique creative experiences that will be sure to have lasting impacts on your practice. 

1. Kaaysá

Kaaysá is a residency for artists, writers, and other creators who wish to develop their poetics from  intimate contact with the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the sea and community of fishermen, and the indigenous peoples who inhabit their environment. Programs include experiences, expeditions, interdisciplinary exchanges, rituals, integrative practices, approaches to the local community, and follow-up of projects by mediators. Residents are invited to leave their footprint, in order to provoke reflections, changes in the landscape, and social counterparts.

Where: Boiçucanga, Brazil

When: Variable

Duration: Variable, with programs starting at 4 weeks

Facilities: Shared studio space with one kiln available.

Technical Support: Not stated

Accommodation: Yes, community kitchen, laundry, pool, and common areas, free internet access, and bicycles

Cost: Varies by program, contact for details

Expectations: Artists are encouraged to offer a social contribution to the community

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: Some programs include an extensive list of activities, including expeditions in the atlantic rain forest with an ecologist, visit to the Guaraní Indian community, conversation and ritual

trail to Brava beach, conversation with local caiçaras women, dialogues and exchange of references between residents, open atelier for collectors and invited curators, exhibition of works for the local public, and more!

2. Sachaqa

Sachaqa offers an opportunity to disconnect from life’s distractions and really focus on your creative process. They offer a ceramics-specific program that takes ceramicists out of their comfort zone and into indigenous communities. Opportunities to harvest and process local clay, work with local makers, and learn traditional firing processes are available.

Where: San Roque, Peru

When: Year round

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Facilities: You’ll have access to a studio with wheel and kiln, but there is also the option to fire your work using the traditional shuntu firing process with the help of indigenous makers, as well as an option for learning how to make an under-earth kiln.

Technical Support: Yes

Accommodation: Yes, there are two options for artists staying at Sachaqa. One is to share facilities with other artists, with a private room. The second is a private house. Both options have a dry compost toilet.  

Cost: Basic Residency Price is one month 1800 soles (~ $550 USD) – two weeks 1280 soles (~ $350 USD). The ceramics program activities have an additional cost of between $100 USD and $380 USD

Expectations: None stated

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: The opportunity to learn from traditional makers with processes you may not have encountered before, in a remote and unique environment.

3. ArteSumapaz

ArteSumapaz was created on the premise that the arts can fundamentally enrich the lives of both artists and communities. The cultural center is focused on a love of nature, and a concern for the exploitation of the planet. All activities will be held up to a philosophy of environmental sustainability, inclusiveness, and the idea that the sharing of culture is paramount. Their artist residency program is designed for visual artists, musicians, writers, architects, clay artists, performers, and other makers.

Where: San Bernardo, Cundinamarca, Colombia

When: Variable

Duration: 4-24 weeks

Facilities: There are a couple of communal studio spaces as well as more specialized studios. For ceramics there is an electric kiln, as well as access to local clay that is easily harvested.

Technical Support: Not stated.

Accommodation: Yes, there are three options available, including a shared room and bath, private room and bath, and a private cabin. 

Cost: $725-$925 USD/month, depending on your accommodation preference. Artists are responsible for their own materials and transportation to and from ArteSumapaz. There is a special car and driver available for pickups from El Dorado Airport in Bogotá for about $80 USD.

Expectations:  Residents are expected to help with post-meal cleanup and to help maintain sustainable practices such as recycling and energy conservation.

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: They offer the possibility of having an exhibition in a Bogotá gallery or in the exhibition space inside ArteSumapaz that is open for the community.

4. La Wayaka Current

La Wayaka Current is an alternative residency & research project committed to creating a space in which artists-in-residence can explore contemporary socio-political concerns and current threats to the environment through their practice. Their site-responsive program introduces artists-in-residence to the local ecology, history and culture of this territory, cultivating spaces in remote environments that nourish and encourage space for personal and professional growth. They focus on cultivating experiential nodes of learning with a focus on research and experimentation to manifest inspiration in an outdoor creative space, beyond a conventional studio context.

Where: Atacama Desert, Chile; Guna Yala, Panama

When: Various

Duration: 3 weeks

Facilities: Minimal. While communal studio spaces are provided, these residencies are very back-to-basics. This residency is not suitable for high production ceramics, but rather research, learning, and experimentation.

Technical Support: Not stated

Accommodation: Yes, shared sleeping quarters with shared toilet, shower and kitchen. Tea, coffee and simple kitchen supplies will be provided along with some communal dinners to share among the residents depending on the program. Participants are in charge of all their other meals (costs and preparation) and we will offer a weekly transport into town to get supplies.

Cost: 2600 GBP (~$3045 USD), with some financial aid available to qualifying artists

Expectations: Engage with the program with an open mind, and exercise respect for the environment and its peoples

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: The program consists of a series of activities and guided research trips to inform and expand your understanding of this region. This includes cultural encounters, research excursions, guided talks, and activities that aim to connect artists to biodiversity in experiential ways. 

5. CMCArts

CMCArts connects artists with St. Croix and the Caribbean to develop their professional practice while educating and diversifying the local arts culture. They provide dedicated time and space in the scenic town of Frederiksted for artists to work, research, and develop while living at the museum in their artist-in-residence apartment.

Where: Frederiksted, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

When: Year round except September

Duration: 1-5 weeks

Facilities: CMCArts has a shared ceramics studio equipped with a sink, several wheels and a kiln.

Technical Support: Not stated

Accommodation: Yes, each residency includes a fully-furnished private suite apartment, complete with a private kitchen and bathroom, living room/studio space plus a shared studio space.

Cost: Non-teaching Residency fee is $150 USD per night for a minimum 7-night stay. 

Expectations: Artists are requested to donate one piece of original artwork to add to the program’s Permanent Collection.

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: A subsidized teaching residency is available. During your teaching residency you will create a workshop series and we will connect you with local schools, youth, and other artists on St Croix. These workshops will be held on school campuses, or as after-school and weekend programs at CMCArts.

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6. Mauser Foundation

The Mauser EcoHouse is an Artist Residency program where artists from all over the world come to work on their personal projects; for a minimum of two weeks. They accept all kinds of focus areas and mediums, including visual art, installation art, fiber and textile arts, performance art, writing, and more. 

Where: Between Jaco and Quepos, Costa Rica

When: Not specified

Duration: 2 weeks-3 months

Facilities: No specific ceramic facilities available, so this program is better suited for research and idea development. There is a main studio (20’x 22’) with up to 4 spaces available, with natural light, large wooden doors with view to backyard gardens, and studio spaces available on covered veranda overlooking the jungle.

Technical Support: No

Accommodation: Yes, there are different bedroom accommodations available, including the deluxe suite, a private room, or shared bedroom. Breakfast is included.

Cost: $18-56 USD per night, depending on length of stay and private or shared room accommodations. 

Expectations: None stated.

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: The residency is partnered with a local tour operator, with unique day excursions available at an extra cost. Trips can include visits to local waterfalls, monkey mangrove tour, rainmaker waterfall and suspension bridges, beach days, Manuel Antonio National Park, the Gold and Jade museums, and more.

7. The Museum of Modern Art, Chiloé

Located on a remote southern island in Chile, the Museum of Modern Art has had spaces exclusively dedicated to Artist Residence since 2007, which allow the investigation, experimentation, and creation of contemporary art in a unique and particular environment. Most of the artists that stay at MAM come to participate and interact with the local culture, attracted by the place, by its special geography of islands, channels, and persistent rain. They come for what the island offers them as inspiration: the rurality, the shipyards, the agricultural tasks, or the local mythology. Chiloé offers a conceptual and cultural framework in which artists submerge even if they bring a preconceived idea.

Where: Chiloé, Chile

When: Year round

Duration: 5 days – 2 months

Facilities: No specific ceramic facilities are mentioned, so likely most suitable for idea generation, research, and inspiration. 

Technical Support: Not stated

Accommodation: Yes, bedroom with shared bathroom and kitchen

Cost: $35 USD per night

Expectations: None stated.

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: Located at the southern end of Chile and America, Chiloé Island is the 3rd largest insular territory of South America. Its location, geography, and isolation has led to a unique culture and different pace of life, which is sure to bring new inspiration to your practice. 

8. R.A.R.O

Colectivo R.A.R.O. was born in Buenos Aires, in early 2014, resulting from its founders’ interest to generate spaces for reflection and production for artists, curators, and cultural managers. Since its inception, the R.A.R.O. team has formed a solid base of local artists’ ateliers in which other artists can come to develop their own projects. Currently, it has a total of 17 adjoining spaces in Buenos Aires, each of them directed by artists of wide and medium trajectory, from different disciplines.

The residency offers a unique format, where residents work in two or more ateliers. Choosing the studio will depend on the techniques each resident wants to develop and/or deepen, and on the times established by each atelier.

Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina

When: Variable

Duration: Minimum 3 weeks

Facilities: There are 22 different ateliers to choose from, including a fully equipped ceramic studio at Atelier La Borda.

Technical Support: Yes

Accommodation: Not stated

Cost: The cost varies depending on the chosen Ateliers and the time of stay

Expectations: None

Open to International Applicants: Yes

Unique Benefits: The format of atelier-based practice offers the chance to deep-dive into a varied of media, while also offering the opportunity to meet and network with local makers

As we conclude our exploration of artist residencies in Central and South America, along with the often-overlooked Caribbean islands, we’ve uncovered eight compelling opportunities that promise a unique blend of cultural immersion and natural inspiration for ceramic artists. While the region may not boast as many residencies as others, the ones we’ve highlighted offer experiences that extend beyond high-end ceramic facilities, providing lasting impacts on artistic practice. With locations in lush landscapes to bustling urban centers, these programs invite you to weave your artistic narratives amidst rich cultural histories and impressive natural environments. 

We’ve got one more stop on our global ceramic residency tour, so be sure to check back soon! And if you missed the rest of this series, be sure to check out our articles covering residencies in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Asia! And of course, don’t forget to check out our Residency Directory for even more opportunities.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to participate in the residencies mentioned above, let us know your experience in the comments below! And be sure to read all about The Ceramic School’s very own artist residency in Austria!