Visual Arts at The Banff Centre

Creative Residencies

Creative residencies in the Visual Arts department of The Banff Centre provide the luxury of time and space for the artist to create new works, research innovative ideas and experiment with different techniques and modes of production. For artists in residence at the Centre, located in Banff National Park and surrounded by the awe-inspiring mountain vistas of the majestic Rocky Mountains, facilities accommodate the printmaker, painter, ceramist, photographer, and sculptor. Artists are encouraged to explore all our facilities, regardless of their primary discipline. This exploration can open up new possibilities and directions for the contemporary artist.

Thematic Residencies

Thematic residencies offer a more structured program where artists are brought together under the umbrella of a common theme that runs through their work. Through peer interaction, discussion groups, studio work, and formal lectures and studio visits from world renowned visiting artists and curators, the thematic resident gains new ideas and insights that can be applied to the continued creation of contemporary art.

Self-Directed Residencies

Self-directed residencies are self-guided opportunities where the artist is free to experiment and explore new directions in the production of their work. Interaction with other artist residents is encouraged through presentations, studio visits, and informal discussion. This, combined with intense periods of art creation in a private studio, creates a transformative atmosphere of art as life, a stark and refreshing contrast to artmaking amid the distractions of every day living.

Both the Self-Directed and Thematic Residency programs are for the professional artist, curator, art writer, or new media creator in search of a community of peers in the exploration of innovative contemporary art and ideas.