Brashnar Artist-in-Residence Summer 2023 (August, September)

The residency award includes a private bedroom, a private studio and shared living space, opportunities for community projects and engagement, the chance to learn how to live a sustainable lifestyle, fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden, and great opportunities for cultural exchange.  Staff members will be available to assist residents with any questions they may have about materials, events, or Macedonia in general and will also prepare traditional Macedonian meals for residents once or twice a week. 

Assorted tools and hardware are available for general use.  Some studio supplies can be acquired in Skopje and we encourage artists to be resourceful with the materials already at hand. 

Equipment available for artist’s:
Worktables, chairs
Easels
Clamp lights
Basic hand tools
Electric hand drills
Traditional sewing machine
Electric sewing machine
Work and studio clothes
Drawing boards
PC desktop computer
B&W printer

Expenses for artists related to the residency include materials for studio practice, travel expenses to Skopje, food/meals not from our gardens, any possible travel or other related travel around the city to events. 

While residing at BAiR, residents live in an open, communal style environment situated in a family-oriented neighborhood. The living area of the Art House includes: 6 private bedrooms (residents are provided with a bed, linens, pillows, blankets and towels.), 2 and half bath with washing machines for resident use, 2 fully equipped kitchens stocked with basic staples, seasonal vegetables, fruit and fresh herbs from our gardens, 2 community rooms and 4 balconies

The studio area of the Art House includes: 4 private studios (three are 140 square feet (13 square meters) and one is 220 square feet (20 square meters) with 7 foot (2.2meters) high walls), 1 shared studio (420 square feet or 40 square meters with 10-foot or 3 meters high walls). The studios are outfitted with worktables, chairs, easels, drawing board, storage areas, clamp lights and hand tools (power hand tools are available upon request). Work clothes, studio rugs and re-usable material (variety of paper, used bicycle tubes, glass, wire, cardboard, various old metal objects, thread, yarn, plastic containers etc) are also available for resident use. The studio area also has a bathroom and a small kitchen with outdoor common area for coffee/tea. An outside area around the house can also be used as an open-air studio or as an installation space.

Resident artists are expected to participate in all aspects of the residency program. A guided tour of the surrounding neighborhood and city center either as a group or individually (depending on resident arrival) during the first days of the residency. Informal meeting and welcoming traditional Macedonian dinner for all resident artists prepared by Brashnar staff members. A short informal presentation of artists’ work at the beginning of the first week. Garden related activities up to twice a month totaling approximately 2 – 4 hrs (planting, harvesting fruits and vegetables, garden maintenance, food preservation, pickling, making of marmalade, pinjur, ajvar). 1 – 2 short group trips to locations outside Skopje (Lake Matka, Mountain Vodno, Katlanovo natural thermal bath, Observatory Kokino etc.). 1-2 scheduled group dinners per week. Up to 2 traditional Macedonian group meals at Volkovo Project Space prepared by Brashnar staff members. Cultural exchange night through meal preparation, cultural dances or other forms of cultural exchange. This is a self-directed, process-based residency with no obligation or expectation to complete a body of work, but artists are expected to engage with the community during Open Studio events organized by Brashnar that take place the last week of each month.