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Call for Applications: William and Isabel Pope NSCAD Painting Residency

Call for Applications

William and Isabel Pope Artist’s Residency in Painting in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

About
Since 2011, the Robert Pope Foundation and NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) have jointly offered a two-month long residency with studio and honorarium to an exceptional Canadian painter each year.

OPEN CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

We invite emerging and mid-career painters to apply for this unique opportunity to work and exhibit in our dynamic art college environment.

Eligibility requirements
This residency is open to all Canadian painters who have completed an MFA or equivalent degree.
MFA degree must have been completed prior to the residency’s start date.

Duration
Two months

Start Date
September 16, 2024

Application due date

March 4, 2024

The William and Isabel Pope Painting Residency provides…

  • A painting studio (roughly 400 sq. ft.) accessible 24/7 at NSCAD University’s Fountain Campus
  • An $8,000 honorarium from the Robert Pope Foundation toward accommodation and living costs
  • Up to $500 for travel expenses (with receipts)
  • A two-week solo exhibition at NSCAD’s Anna Leonowens Gallery scheduled to coincide with the residency itself

The resident artist will be expected to do studio visits with current MFA students and to give two artist talks (one for students, and a public gallery talk during their exhibition). The resident artist may also be asked to host occasional studio visits from painting classes.

Submission Contents

Please send the following items in a single file in PDF format.
Maximum size: 20MB

  1. Artist CV
  2. Artist Statement
    400 words
  3. Project Proposal
    400 words
  4. References
    Provide names and contact information for two professional references. Letters not required. Shortlisted candidates will be notified before references are contacted.
  5. 15 Images of painting work
    Images must also be formatted to fit into single PDF file
  6. Image list
    List title, year, medium, dimensions and short descriptions if necessary for each of your images
  7. Contact information
    Provide your name, phone number, email address and website address.

All submissions must be sent by email to poperesidency@nscad.ca
For all other inquiries related to the residency please contact painting@nscad.ca

Past Recipient testimonials:

2023 – Shoora Majedian

“My experience at the William and Isabel Pope Artist Residency at NSCAD in Halifax was truly transformative. The warm atmosphere, the inspiring architecture of Duke campus, the ample facilities surrounding my studio, and the lively artistic community collectively created an ideal environment for my creative exploration.  This experience has not only elevated my artistic skills but has also expanded my horizons as an individual.  I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and wholeheartedly recommend the William and Isabel Pope Artist Residency to any painters seeking a nurturing and inspiring environment for pushing the boundaries of their creativity.”

2022 – Karine Fréchette

“It has been a fantastic residency, both creatively and socially. The walkable and vivifying access to beautiful parks and the water was great for gathering documentation sources from natural elements. Working intensively in a studio right inside the school was an enriching experience, NSCAD being such a wonderful and peaceful place. But above all, I’ve been warmly welcomed and incredibly supported by the school faculty and the local art community from day one. I feel lucky and privileged for this time in Halifax.”

2022 – Amanda Boulos

My time at the William and Isabel Pope Residency was restorative and healing. After years of lockdowns and banal routines, the residency enlivened my studio practice, as I met the joyous NSCAD art community, visited classrooms full of life, and ventured into new art making territories. I didn’t realize how much I needed the support, the space, the time, and the social interaction until I was given the keys to the studio. I credit the William Isabel Pope Residency with the resuscitation of my creative spirit as I produced and exhibited a new body of work that I am especially proud of. Thank you, thank you.”

 2019 – Joy Wong

The William and Isabel Pope Residency in Painting has been an unprecedented experience. Along with the generous financial support and the undertaking of a solo exhibition at Anna Leonowens, I was able to work freely in a large and beautiful studio space. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people through giving artist talks, engaging in thoughtful class discussions, and acting as a guest critic.  Welcomed warmly by the faculty of the Painting Area, and the undergraduate and graduate student population, I felt right at home in the NSCAD community.

 2018 – John Player

I was incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity of working as the Pope Award artist in residence. The residency came at a crucial point in my development where I began a new body of work, leaving behind previous complacencies. The ample studio space and generous funding were amazing. But above all, the connections I made with the greater community of students and staff at NSCAD provided me with the most valuable environment in which to create. I had the chance to share my discourse in presentations, engage in studio visits, learn from peers and put together an exhibition, all the things an art maker needs to thrive.

2017 – Nam Nguyen
“The Bill and Isabel Pope residency was of immense help to my art practice. Aside from the great studio, and the generous honorarium that provided the time for focused work, the community at NSCAD University is full of engaged and dynamic students, teachers and technicians. Through the solo exhibition, and so many great conversations, I was able to find new insights into my work that will fuel my creative pursuits for years to come. It was a definite creative boost. ”

2016 – Erin Loree
“For the duration of the residency I was surrounded by incredibly creative students and faculty members, with whom I quickly developed close friendships. I participated in discussions as a guest critic, had the opportunity to speak about my own practice on a number of occasions and quickly became a part of the community at the University. I felt completely at home there.”

2015 – Julie Trudel
“The NSCAD painting residency was an incredible opportunity to develop a new series of painting on shaped Plexiglas panels. The use of a high-tech plastic lab and the help of the technician was invaluable. I received a lot of interesting feedback and felt I was part of the NSCAD community from the very beginning to the end.”