Visual Arts Thematic - On Other Archives

Working with institutional, personal, fictional and/or speculative archives, participants are invited to think critically about the archive as a method or 'technology' for re-storying social and cultural narratives. Themes may include, but are not limited to: familial/ancestral lineages and cultural inheritance, oral histories, micro-histories, absence, amnesia, re-memory.

Participants will be engaged in stimulating discussion and mentorship by leading faculty. Access to Whyte Museum and Banff Centre archives are available by prior arrangement. Please indicate your interest and rationale for access to either of these archives in your project description.

Description

Visual Arts residencies at Banff Centre are structured programs of faculty-led activity and mentorship, supporting project-based studio practice. Participants will be mentored by accomplished faculty through research, experimentation and hands-on learning.

This program supports: 

• the development of conceptual thought and creative skills through faculty supported research-creation
• the development of technical skills through skill-based experimentation 
• faculty-led discussion workshops to foster critical thought and professional development
• cross-cultural engagement with international faculty and participants
• peer engagement that fosters a professional community towards supporting and sustaining an artistic career.

Studio-based work is further supported by faculty studio visits, lectures, and workshops, fostering a valuable community of learning. Artists are assigned individual studios with access to shared production facilities. 

Please take note of the program itinerary when planning your project proposal. 

Facility access is based on availability of facilitators and priority goes to those requesting access in their initial applications. 

Scholarships are available.

Program Dates Nov 02, 2026 - Dec 04, 2026