Sounding Like a Mountain Visual Arts Residency in Canada 2027
Applicant criteria
- NationalityNo specific nationality required
- Age18 - 60
- GenderBoth
Opportunity criteria
- Opportunity FieldMusic, Art and Graphic Design
- Job locationCanada
- Deadline2026-11-17
Opportunity description
The Sounding Like a Mountain visual arts residency in Canada invites visual artists to develop projects about sound, place, memory, and ecological relations. Hosted in person at Banff Centre, the five-week program runs from May 17 to June 18, 2027; applications are due November 18, 2026.
About the Sounding Like a Mountain Visual Arts Residency
The residency asks artists to consider how places sing, how memory persists through vibration, and how listening to land can reshape ethical and political relationships. Drawing on acoustic ecology and the mountains of Banff, the program considers sound in relation to land use, migration, ecological disruption, and colonial infrastructures. Participants reflect on listening and sounding as part of their thinking, art-making, and presentation.
Program activities combine independent research and studio practice with faculty-led sessions, workshops, individual mentorship, and studio visits. Each participant is assigned an individual studio and can access shared production facilities, with technical assistance from staff. The residency also supports peer learning and the development of a professional community. Participants can present work in progress. Access to some facilities depends on facilitator availability, and priority goes to requests included in the initial application.
The first week includes orientation, a facility tour, a library tour, introductions to facilitators, participant presentations, and an open lecture by Xenia Benivolski on May 20. Week two focuses on independent studio work and visits, with an open lecture by Elina Waage Mikalsen on May 24. The third week includes studio work, visits, a lecture by Kathryn Yusoff on June 1, and an off-campus geological walk and land-based learning planned for June 3. The walk is listed as subject to confirmation. Week four includes independent studio work and group exhibition planning. Week five concludes with open studios on June 16 and program wrap-up. Dates may change, and faculty mentor visits are scheduled during the program.
The program dates are May 17 to June 18, 2027. Participants arrive May 16 and depart June 19. Applicants should plan projects with the itinerary in mind. Banff Centre notes that this program does not qualify participants for a Canadian Student Visa; accepted participants must obtain a Visitor Visa if required for entry from their country of origin.
Who Should Apply
This residency is intended for individual visual artists and duos of no more than two collaborators, at any career stage. Relevant practices include ceramics, digital media, painting, drawing, printmaking, papermaking, performance art, photography, sculpture, and installation, among others. Applicants should be able to take part throughout the full five-week program and have post-secondary visual arts training or equivalent experience and peer recognition gained through traditional knowledge and practices. The program is open to domestic and international applicants aged 18 or older at the program start date.
Key Highlights
- In-person, five-week residency at Banff Centre in Banff, Canada.
- Program dates: May 17 to June 18, 2027; arrival May 16 and departure June 19.
- Application deadline: November 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
- The stated total program fee is $10,033.70; the Banff Centre Arts Scholarship is $5,556.87, leaving a participant cost of $4,476.78.
- Canadian Indigenous Arts applicants receive a scholarship covering tuition, accommodation, and meals.
Explore other residencies and exchange programs or browse opportunities open to Arab applicants for related options.
Benefits
- Participants receive a Banff Centre Arts Scholarship worth $5,556.87, which covers tuition plus a contribution toward accommodation and meals. The listed participant cost after the scholarship is applied is $4,476.78.
- Canadian Indigenous Arts applicants receive a scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, accommodation, and meals.
- A limited number of Banff Centre Named Scholarships are available to eligible Canadian and international participants. Eligible applications are considered automatically; no separate application is required.
- The program fee includes a single bedroom on campus for the duration of the program.
- The meal plan includes all meals at Vistas Dining Room. Banff Centre can accommodate most dietary requests. Participants with special dietary needs should contact Participant Resources in advance; a medical report is required before arrival for a medical condition that warrants opting out of the meal plan.
- Participants receive an individual specialized studio, access to shared production facilities subject to availability, and technical assistance from staff.
- The program includes group seminars and workshops with faculty, individual mentorship and studio visits, and opportunities to showcase work in progress.
- Participants can use the Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives and access activities and support provided through Participant Resources.
- The program fee includes free access to the swimming pool, climbing gym, and fitness equipment at the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre.
- Special artist rates or complimentary access are available for ticketed performances.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old when the program begins.
- The residency is for individual artists or duos with no more than two collaborators, at any career stage.
- Applicants must be available for the entire five-week program.
- Applicants must have completed formal post-secondary training in visual arts, or have equivalent experience and recognition from peers acquired through traditional knowledge and practices.
- Applicants must have foundational knowledge of the equipment and techniques they intend to use. Banff Centre staff technically assess all applications for feasibility.
- Applicants will benefit most if they are competent in their proposed production processes, comfortable working independently within a cohort, have a clearly developed research- and process-focused project, and can manage time between scheduled activities and independent studio practice.
- Domestic and international applications are welcome. Accepted participants must comply with entry requirements for Canada as visitors and obtain a Visitor Visa if required. The program does not meet Canadian Student Visa eligibility requirements.
- Children are not permitted in visual arts studios or production areas.
Ready to apply?
Sounding Like a Mountain Visual Arts Residency in Canada 2027