How I found my first Artist Residency

I didn't have a plan.

I knew about artist residencies the way you know about things that sound impossibly good — something other artists do, something that happens somewhere out there, in wild and beautiful places. Exciting. Meaningful. A little out of reach.

And then I went to one.

THE ACCIDENTAL BEGINNING

My first residency happened almost by accident. An artist from my city had been there. I followed them on Instagram, the way you follow people whose lives look like the version of yours you're still growing into. When they posted a open call, something in me said: apply.

So I did.

I almost didn't check my phone that night. I was with friends, we were by the sea, and I made a conscious decision to put my phone down and not touch it until morning. Sometimes you just know that a moment deserves to be whole.

In the morning, there was an email. I got in.

I remember the feeling exactly — a kind of lightness, like something had quietly clicked into place. A few months later, I was on a plane to a wild, staggeringly beautiful place in Catalonia. It felt completely natural and completely foreign at the same time. I was comfortable from the moment I arrived.

That's how it starts, sometimes. Not with a strategy. With a follow button.

ONE TIP NO ONE TELLS YOU

Here's what I've learned after years of residencies, applications, acceptances and rejections:

One of the best ways to find residencies is to follow other artists.

Not institutions. Not residency databases (though those help too). Artists. Specifically — artists in your niche, around your age, at a similar stage in their practice.

Why? Because they're already doing the research for you. If an artist whose work you respect shows up at an interesting residency, that residency is probably worth your attention. Follow them. Subscribe to their newsletter. Pay attention.

And then — when the open call comes — you'll already know the place. You'll know the vibe, the kind of work made there, the kind of artist they welcome. That context makes your application stronger, and your chances higher.

You're not copying anyone. You're mapping the territory through people you trust.

YOU’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRST

The first residency is the hardest to get — not because you're not good enough, but because you have no track record. Every residency after that becomes easier. You have something to show: you've done this before, you know how to be in a space with other artists, you know how to work away from home.

So the goal of the first one isn't to be perfect. It's to exist.

Apply before you feel ready. The readiness comes after.

WHERE TO START

• Follow 10–15 artists in your field whose practice you admire
• Notice where they go, what they apply to, what they share
• When an open call appears that feels right — apply
• Don't wait for the perfect residency. Apply to several.

The map draws itself as you move.

Keep going! good things are coming.

-Arbelle

Cover Image: ‘Desk’ by Arbelle Shtainer, marker on paper, A3, 2026.