National Artist in Residency competition

The project is to host a national competition, with the prize of a one month residency at Lucky Rabbit & Co. Artists' House in Annapolis Royal. The competition will be advertised through national and provincial arts organizations as well as on social media. A jury of three will make the selection.

To honor the guest artist and introduce them to the community, I will host a "meet and greet", require them to open their studio to the public on Saturdays in keeping with Artists' House hours, and will offer an exhibition in my gallery to those who are interested. An extroverted artist with tangible product to sell will thrive in this location in the summer, while a more introverted artist will benefit from the peaceful and respectful atmosphere of winter work time.

Offering the first residency as a prize will create a buzz, and act as a magnet to attract other artists to this "art destination".

This project will capitalize on the existing strength of Annapolis Royal as a cultural hub. Annapolis Royal has the opportunity to host a world class artist, who will then go on to promote the town in the best possible way. Could Annapolis Royal boast that it once hosted the next Emily Carr or Margaret Atwood? An open competition will garner interest from a vast array of artists from across the country. Artists help one another, and network in unusual ways. By bringing artists "from away" into the Artists' House community, a rich cultural exchange will take place. Local artists will benefit by making contacts with artists from outside of this community and province, and the greater community will be enhanced by the dialogue and creativity that is sparked.

Funded by Annapolis, NS (August 2017)