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The 2025

 

CANADIAN ARTISTS

IN RESIDENCE PRIZE

 

The Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program offers Canadian artists a $26,000 residency prize, a chance to collaborate with other celebrated international artists, and the opportunity to live and work at The Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland. We annually host a small group of visual artists from around the globe, who work in a diverse array of media from print and photography to animation, performance and installation. The historic setting, deep in Scotland’s highlands has inspired Canadian artists in the creation of original art work for over a decade.

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Since its inception, the Artists in Residence program has seen over 160 artists from 20 countries take part in the summer residency at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. The art created takes inspiration from the distillery, history, heritage, people, and craftsmanship of the surrounding area. Each year a diverse and exciting group of the world’s artists create new, inspirational pieces of art, which are exhibited in the Glenfiddich gallery as a culmination of their time at the distillery. The residency has become widely acclaimed in the art world for providing artists with an original setting, space and community in which to work.

“Through its commitment and support of the arts, the Glenfiddich Artist-in-Residence Prize gives artists not only the monetary value of their residency but provides such a fertile platform in the lovely Scottish Highlands” Dr. Sara Diamond President OCAD University.

“The Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program has established a reputation for producing radical contemporary art in the normally traditional surroundings of the Scotch whisky industry.” The Fleming Collection

PAST RECIPIENTS

ANDY FAIRGRIEVE

As curator for the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program, Andy Fairgrieve is the colourful, dreadlocked go-to-guy-in-a-kilt. Andy holds the all-inclusive role of coordinator/curator; from artist selection to travel visas, Andy insures that visiting artists get the very best experience while in residence, “In short I act as a local guide, curator and gallery technician. For me whisky is all about relationships, bringing people together and sharing with friends. With that in mind it’s a positive reinforcement of ‘guid’ Highland hospitality that each year, over the weeks and months that the artists are here, lasting associations are formed.”

Andy has been handling every detail of the Artists in Residence prize since its inception in 2002. As curator, he understands the creative thought process and is able to visualise not only the artists’ proposed pieces but the path needed to turn it onto a reality. Andy’s knowledge of the distillery is essential, particularly, when it comes to knowing who to speak to in order to help make the artists’ ideas come to life. One of the things Andy loves most about the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program is the mission to encourage people to delight in life’s adventures. Andy shares that over a decade after its inception, the program remains, “vibrant and has earned a world-wide reputation for its un-prescriptive and supportive approach. What never ceases to amaze me is that despite having had over 100 artists through our doors since we began, each one of them always sees the distillery with fresh eyes. I feel as long as we can carry on in this vein the program will continue to delight and surprise for years to come!"

OUR JURY

DAVE DYMENT

Dave Dyment was the 2008 Canadian Artists in Residence Prize recipient and has served on the selection jury panel for Artists in Residence Canada for the past 5 years.

Based in Toronto, Dave is best known for his sound installation work, although he also works in multiples and photography. Dave has had a number of solo exhibitions, and his work has been displayed all over the world from Bulgaria to Ireland, London, Canada and the USA.

David Diviney

DAVID DIVINEY

David Diviney is the senior curator at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax. Prior to joining the AGNS in 2009, he practised as an independent curator and held positions at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Eye Level Gallery.

He has also taught courses at Alberta College of Art and Design, University of Lethbridge, Thompson Rivers University, and Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Diviney participated in the Canada Council for the Arts Asia-Pacific Visual Arts Delegation in 2014 and was a member of the curatorial panel for the Sobey Art Award in 2010, 2012 and 2015.

Stefan Hancherow

STEFAN HANCHEROW

Stefan Hancherow is a curator and collector based in Toronto. He has recently held positions as the Project Director of Feature Contemporary Art Fair and Assistant Curator of the Sobey Art Award.

He is an alumnus of NSCAD University, and graduated with an MFA from OCAD University in 2013. Recent curatorial projects include Absolutely Free at OCAD U, There is No There at the Hamilton Artists Inc. and Is This Thing On? at MSVU Art Gallery.

IVAN JURAKIC

Ivan Jurakic is the Director/Curator of the University of Waterloo Art Gallery. He received his MFA from SUNY Buffalo and an Honours BA from the University of Guelph. Since 2004, he has curated numerous exhibitions, sat on the curatorial panel for the 2009 Sobey Art Award and co-curated Zone C for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2013.

His curatorial practice focuses on multidisciplinary art and installation and he has curated significant exhibitions and written about the work of Kelly Mark, Colleen Wolstenholme, James Carl, Laurel Woodcock, Kelly Richardson, Lois Andison, Roula Partheniou and many others. He is also a principal of TH&B, an artist collective whose site- responsive projects address the intersection of urban and rural environments. He lives in Hamilton.

JOSHUA SCHWEBEL

Joshua Schwebel is a Canadian artist based between Montreal (Tiohtià:ke) and Berlin. Since graduating from NSCAD in 2008, Schwebel has become known for practising a particularly direct form of institutional critique, undertaken through process-based performances, withdrawals, delegated transactions, and impostors.

Selected solo exhibitions include presentations at L’Oeil de Poisson (2023) Galerie UQO (Gatineau, 2022), Centre Clark (Montreal, 2021), piloto pardo (London, UK, 2021), Or Gallery (Vancouver, 2019), Kreuzberg Pavillon (as one of the shortlisted artists for the 2019 Berlin Art Prize (2019)), the Fonderie Darling (Montreal, 2018), and Centrum (Berlin, 2017). Schwebel was a participating fellow in the Art by Translation program’s inaugural year (2017), was a participant in BPA // Berlin Program for Artists (2020-21), and has undertaken residencies at AiR 351 (Lisbon), Laznia CCA (Gdansk), the Couvent des Récollets (Paris), the Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin), Rupert (Vilnius), Tadeusz Kantor Foundation (Krakow), Standards (Milan), and Where Where (Beijing), among others.

Schwebel’s work has been supported by numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.

Eunice Luk

EUNICE LUK

Eunice Luk (b. 1988, Hong Kong) is a visual artist based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Her practice includes installations, sculptures, paintings, and multiples.

Luk’s work explores sentiments and commonalities found across cultures and landscapes and draws inspiration from the natural environment. She publishes artist books and multiples under the imprint, 'Slow Editions’.

Ruth Burns

RUTH BURNS

Ruth Burns is a programmer, curator, advocate and non-profit administrator with over twenty years of experience in the arts. She has served as the Executive Director of Ontario Culture Days since 2017.

She was the founding director of Nuit Blanche Edmonton, which launched in 2015 as the largest arts event the city had seen at that time. Ruth has also served as an Associate Curator and lead of Interpretive Programs at the Art Gallery of Alberta. She was a sessional instructor at MacEwan University, and recently completed a term as co-chair of Ontario's Provincial Art Service Organization Coalition.

Ruth was a founder and editor of Locus Suspectus Magazine, a contemporary art publication which ran from 2005-2008. She is a freelance consultant on several high-profile arts initiatives, with her work often highlighting contemporary and historical Canadian art. She holds an M.A and B.A (Honours) in Art History from McGill University.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does the proposal have to be about whisky?

 
Not necessarily. It can be if that is what the artist wishes to focus on, however the programme seeks to capture the essence of the artist’s experience while at Glenfiddich. While many artists do become attracted to the process of distillation, the local community, the environment and heritage of the area have also featured in artist’s projects over the years. The bottom line is that the Glenfiddich residency exists to provide artists with full creative freedom and the programme will seek to support the artist’s regardless of the direction they choose to follow.

Can the project change from the original proposal?

 
Yes. We fully appreciate the difficulty in writing a proposal detailing an experience the artist has not yet had. The proposals submitted should be seen as fluid and open to evolution once the artist has arrived at Glenfiddich.

What is the jury process?

 
A jury of artists, curators and art professionals from across Canada select their personal top ten applicants, ranked one to ten. These lists are then collated into a single shortlist of ten artists. Andy Fairgreive, the curator of the program, makes his final decision from this shortlist.

Do you accept collaborations?

 
Yes we do, and have already had a collaboration residency in 2014 with Trevor Mahovsky and Rhonda Weppler. Under these circumstances the total award remains at £10000 (GBP) and collaborating artist share the same accommodation, however we do cover flight costs for both artists.

What sort of accommodation/studio space is offered?

 
Each resident artist is provided with a self-contained house which is fully furnished and all essentials such as bedding towels etc. are supplied. The houses are all on the distillery site and each one is only a few minutes’ walk from the others. Each house has oil fired central heating and comes with its own wi-fi connection and phone line. Spare rooms can be utilized as studio spaces and are suitable for most practices.

Can I bring my family?

 
In most cases the houses have two or three bedrooms, meaning artists can bring (at their own expense) family and friends to join them for part of or throughout the residency period.

Are there facilities for ceramic working/metal working available on site?

 
No. However we are only twenty miles from the Scottish Sculpture workshop at Lumsden (http://www.ssw.org.uk/) where a ceramic workshop and metal foundry can be accessed. Glass work can be accommodated at Northland Creative Glass at Lybster which is a four hour drive to the north (northlandscreative.co.uk/) In all cases it is advisable to make arrangements to use these facilities well in advance if required.

Can the residency be extended?

 
This has been arranged in the past provided accommodation is available and plenty of notice is given. Due to the visa restrictions imposed by the UK government any requests for extensions beyond the tree months should be made at time of residency application. If extensions are granted the budget remains the same as for the three month residency.

Can breaks be taken during the residency period?

 
Yes, but with-in reason. Should an artist require time away longer than two weeks from the residency (out of the standard twelve weeks) reductions may be made in the over-all fees paid.

What assistance is given in the visa application process?

 
William Grant and Sons is a fully certified member of the UK Governments Sponsor Management System under which the required Tier 5 (creative and sporting) entry visas are issued. A certificate of Sponsorship is issued to the resident artist by WG&S well in advance of arrival in the UK and should be used by the artist as part of the application process for the visa. Failure to secure a visa for any reason disqualifies the artist from taking up the residency. Artists should ensure they have a valid passport and are responsible for all fees required for the visa.

Is the residency open to writers and musicians?

 
No. The programme is aimed primarily at visual artists.
Glenfiddich Distillery

HOW TO APPLY

 

Artists in Residence Prize will open as of December 7, 2024 and must be received by midnight eastern standard time, January 31, 2025. Applicants will be shortlisted for jury consideration based on their completion of application. Candidates for The Artists in Residence Prize are requested to submit a proposal outlining how they would like to use their residency. For complete terms of reference, selection criteria and application process please download the PDF below.

 

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