Overview
Timeline:
January 16th: Open Call for AiR 2027 Released
February 28th, 11:59pm NT: Applications Due
June 18th: Applicants Notification
UHA is accepting applications for our 2027 Artist-in-Residence program! This residency will provide studio space, living quarters, and additional support for professional artists to have the opportunity to experiment with their practice, develop their focus, and test new ideas in the unique historic district of Port Union.
UHA will work with selected artists to create residencies that support both the artist and the community’s development. While it is not expected that the applicant has an existing relationship with Port Union, the committee will consider both the relevancy and the feasibility of their work and practice in the context of Port Union, as well as the potential for meaningful and relevant public engagement when making their selections.
We highly encourage all applicants to read about our residency program to see if its a good fit for you and your artistic practice. For more information about the current community, the land, and its history, see https://unionhousearts.ca/artists-in-residence/
THEME:
During the 2026-2027 season, we are focusing on practices that relate to the theme of WATER. The theme, WATER, was selected to support and relate to continued conversations surrounding the impacts of climate change; community connections to the ocean; and relationships to water as both a source of life and hardship. Our organization’s proximity to the ocean and nearby rivers directly influences the ways in which we operate as an organization, particularly our engagement with the historic and contemporary cultures of Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut, and Nitassinan (Labrador).
WATER is the giver and taker of life; a fact that has echoed for centuries through our island’s generations, cultures, and landscapes. Oceans and rivers are the very beings that connect us with one another—bodies that carry, hold, and protect us. The waters that surround us have fed, nurtured, cared for, and carved out the landscapes we all call home. Yet, water is also in motion and can quickly, and suddenly, change its grip; often taking back the life it so graciously gave. Practices that will be prioritized include, though aren’t limited to: work that is responsive to: climate crisis, coastal economies, sustainable futures, habitat preservation, folklore, intergenerational knowledge, out-migration and immigration, and regenerative tourism.
Union House Arts is dedicated to decolonizing while creating opportunities for diverse programming. We will privilege residencies for artists who identify as Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA, as well as New-Canadians and those with diverse backgrounds. Additionally, while this residency is open to those across and outside of Turtle Island, we will be reserving a number of residency slots for artists who reside in Newfoundland and Labrador. If you are a member of any of these communities and wish to bring that information forward, please self-identify in your LOI.
Starting in 2027, UHA will be receiving applications for our Artist in Residence Program based on the artist’s practice instead of a specific project.
The documents we will now require are:
- CV (or equivalent overview of work)
- Letter of intent (max 2 pages or 750 words)
- Applicant Supports (Fillable Questions)
- Documentation of work (portfolio), artists choice of digital images, video, audio, artists website and social media, or variety.
The new practice-based format exists as a way to prioritize the artist’s potentially changing plans, open up the residency to those without the capacity for comprehensive formal documentation, and to more accurately assess what work and research will likely be explored at UHA during the residency.
All required documents should be supplied in a single google folder and uploaded to our fillable form here: https://forms.gle/ANTsD5uaSJwJ9DQ6A
More information regarding each document and what they will require can be found below as well as a downloadable application checklist pdf:
Curriculum Vitae
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a document that outlines an artist’s previous experience in exhibitions, residencies, commissions, curatorial work, publications, and other professionalized experiences in the arts. We ask that an artist upload an up-to-date, 2-page (max) CV that outlines the experience they have in the arts. A CV may include forthcoming work.
A CV does not need to be a fully developed 2-page document but must show that an artist has an active and ongoing practice. Assessment will not be made on how much experience an artist has as UHA selects a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established artists.
Letter of Intent
The Letter of Intent (LOI) should be up to a maximum of 2-pages or 750 words. It should be a document that describes why you wish to attend the AiR program. Your LOI should describe how a residency at UHA will support and impact your practice.
The LOI is a document that will substitute our artist statement and project proposal requirements in previous application rounds. The letter does not need to include a detailed project description but it should outline who you are as an artist, what you do within your practice, and why you want to partake in our Artist in Residence Program. In your LOI please include a brief description of your artistic practice including themes you are interested in, mediums you work with, and specify how participating in the residency may impact your practice. For artists who plan to use equipment at UHA, please include a brief description of your experience with said equipment. If you are interested and intend on offering workshops or community programming, please indicate this in your LOI.
Artists may also choose to submit a short video (max 3 minutes) in lieu of a written document.
For artists applying as a group, the letter of intent should be a single document outlining how your practices work together and how the residency will support your practices in conjunction with one another.
In summary, the LOI should answer the following questions:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Why you want to partake in our residency program
- What impact the residency will have on your practice and what you hope to gain from the experience
While writing your LOI, please understand that Union House Arts will prioritize artistic practices that engage community based work, knowledge sharing, reciprocity, and sustainable land-based practices in line with the 2026-2027 theme of WATER
Applicant Supports
The applicant support section is a fillable pdf of questions that we ask artists to complete to ensure that UHA is able to support you and your practice should you be selected. Completing the Applicant Support (AS) is required; it’s meant to support the selections and programming committee in the organization of residency slots to help UHA prepare for all support, tools, and space requirements you may need during your residency.
A detailed Access Rider for specific supports regarding accessibility or additional needs will be included in your residency package should you be selected.
Documentation of Work/ Portfolio
Up to 10 images and/or 2 videos (maximum 5 minutes each) that showcase your practice OR a link to a portfolio, website, or body of work that showcases your practice (please note that you do not need to do both).
You will be asked to upload your support documents into a shareable folder such as google docs or another cloud sharing system and submit a viewable link. Please ensure that your link has all sharing permissions active for evaluation and that all required materials are inside.
The folder should contain your LOI, CV, as well as any relevant support documentation and/or links to websites/viewing material.
Supplied images and/or videos should be compiled in a shareable cloud folder with you LOI and CV. Support Images should also have an Image list with accompanying photo descriptions that include title, material, dimension and year.
If you decide to supply a link to a portfolio, website, or body of work that showcases your practice, please include it in your LOI and highlight that it is your choice of documentation of work. Please also provide any passwords to view links and cloud materials if needed.
Application Checklist
Please use this document to help guide you in preparing you application to our artist in residence program.
We will also accept applications via video or alternative formats. Please contact us at unionhousearts@gmail.com to discuss alternative application submissions