The Golden Fountain residency looks lovely...but is it?
We’ve all heard horror stories about artist residencies. There was no bathroom for miles on the farm! The studios were rickety and falling apart! The application fees were outrageous! So before you start thinking about your next “adult summer camp”, aka a residency, you’ll want to take a look at Rate My Artist Residency. It’s a new website with descriptions and deadlines for residencies across the world, and it allows anonymous users to submit ratings about each program. It’s similar to “How’s My Dealing?” the popular website that hosts comments from artists who’ve worked with the listed galleries, critics, and curators. Seriously, a great idea.
The site is still thin on comments, but some of the listings have plenty of useful ratings and discussion. In Wisconsin, one commenter mentioned that you’ll need a car to get out to ACRE since there’s no public transportation out there. In New York, another commenter called Art OMI “a bit of Skowhegan lite, great artists.” Each are good to know.
Also useful is information on which residencies are more like resorts and which resemble hostels. From the sounds of it, the Vermont Studio Center—which, according to RMAR, is glitzy, with yoga classes, a salad bar, and 24/7 fruit and beverages—falls into the first category. Still, the residency received scattered remarks, some good, some bad, across the board.
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I suppose “glitzy” is a relative term. (VSC May 06, Sept. 06, May-June 07, May-June 08, Oct. 2009-Jan. 2011). Also re: “scattered” remarks…. you realize that 6 votes is not a representative sample for a residency that hosts 600+ artists (and writers) per year, right?
Yeah, that’s why we noted that the comments are a little thin. The more comments this site gets, the more useful the site will be.
i found “how’s my dealing” just slightly more informative than the onion and at times as humorous. “how’s my dealing” was in a way an artwork in itself – never posturing itself far above creating a gossip k-hole.
on the other hand, “rate my residency” asserts to provide substance over entertainment. isn’t it misguided (unethical?) to present unsubstantiated comments and votes submitted by anyone with a trigger finger’s knowledge as representative of past participants’ residency experiences? rate my residency is a great concept – yet in execution ratemyartistresidency.com fully embraces a Jayson Blair model. exerting time/effort to survey residency participants is laborious. however, a bit of diligence is really what the integrity of this concept and the great residencies (whichever they may be) deserve. i see the site’s evolution to being a resource hinging on disseminating first hand accounts instead of handing out as many permanent markers and poster boards one can to anyone happening to wander by.
Totally agree with you. So far, this is what we’ve got.
You’re welcome for the tip Corinna 😉
Are you behind the site? I’ll note it.
Thanks for the mention Art F City and Corinna Kirsch. RMAR <3s you!
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