Artist-led Cohort Residencies at Empire of Dirt
Residency dates: May 29 - June 12, 2026; July 24 - August 7, 2026
Application Deadline: 11:59 PM PST on January 16, 2026
Location: Empire of Dirt, located on Yaqan Nukiy territory within the Ktunaxa Nation (Creston, BC)
Residency stipend: $1500 residency stipend, plus $500 towards travel costs
No fee to apply
Situated in a quiet, rural environment, Empire of Dirt offers time and space for artists to reflect on their practice, develop new ideas, and focus on specific projects in a restorative, peaceful setting. For the 2026 season, we are holding a series of mentorship-based residencies. Two artists will join a lead artist at the residency for a 2-week period to develop their practice, engage in conversation and research, and collectively think through intersections in their practices and ways of working.
Fielding Abstraction - painting and drawing - blurring the lines with Mark Dicey
May 29 - June 12, 2026
Is abstraction a big part of your practice? Is your work in abstraction planned, spontaneous, intuitive and/or improvised? What influences your work?
This residency will support your personal investigation into abstraction in your practice, and where it can be rigorously developed through discussion, dedicated studio time, and reflection. We will consider why we are drawn to abstraction, and how considering our own personal journey, and the complex history of abstraction can be both integral and inspiring in our practice.
A studio practice is an intense, thoughtful process vital to rigorously pursuing your work. This residency period is an opportunity for you to continue your practice, along with input from the residency cohort you are a part of. While time in the studio may be mostly solo, we will collectively think through the ideas, questions, and persistent concepts at work in our practices. Time at the Empire of Dirt is focused time to reflect on your practice and converse with others in a natural setting. Outside of the bounds of an institution, this is an opportunity to ask and reflect on what your practice is doing, and how you are engaged in your practice, on your own time and terms.
Mark Dicey is a practicing visual artist living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Active in the city’s art scene throughout his over 40-year career, Dicey has pursued painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, installation, music, teaching, and curating. Collaboration has been a strong part of Dicey’s career running parallel to his personal practice; working with various artist groups in all of these areas. Currently, Dicey works collaboratively primarily with the drawing trio “Drunken Paw” (MD, Leslie Sweder and Janet Turner). Dicey has worked and volunteered in the arts community through artist-run centres, various boards, teaching, and working as an art technician. Mark Dicey’s work is represented in private and corporate collections throughout Canada and abroad.
Hot & Dry: Crackling Images of the Present with Alejandro a. Barbosa
July 24th - August 7, 2026
In the digital present, photography and video are dry practices that consume materials to store and expend energy in the endeavour of producing images. Energy is then an indispensable consumable; yet an excessive flow of energy equals a sudden halt to the camera's operability. What do digital images offer toward thinking through the times we inhabit? How do images contribute to the persistence or erosion of what is deemed im/possible or in/evitable in the present?
Hot & Dry: Crackling Images of the Present invites applicants who are interested in exploring the intersection of heat and dryness both literally and metaphorically in the pursuit of an understanding of the relevance of lens-based image-making in torrid times.
Alejandro A. Barbosa (they/he) is a 2SLGBTQIA+ latinx visual artist born in Argentina who lives and works on the unceded territories of the sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Band. Alejandro’s practice focuses on lens-based media and investigates the flaws of representation, queer lived experience, and the politics of looking. Alejandro holds an MFA in visual art from the University of British Columbia, and a BFA in photography from Concordia University, and they are Non-regular Faculty at Emily Carr University of Art + Design since 2023. In 2025 Barbosa presented their projects I Got Us the Moon at The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver, and Unsavoury Witness at SUM Gallery in Vancouver. Their work has been exhibited and collected in Canada, Argentina, Peru, and the United States.
Studio Information
The live-work studios are heated with electricity and include induction cooktop, toaster, small fridge (no freezer), reservoir stored potable water / gray water disposal, and cookware (utensils, dishes, pots and pans). All of the studios have wi-fi.
The terrain at EoD is mountainous, but paths between facilities are level and graveled; depending on the specifics of physical access needs and the type of mobility device used, certain studios may not be amenable for some artists if they use mobility devices.
All the water at EoD is filtered and softened and comes from our well system. Each studio has a 4L container provided for drinking water, these can be refilled at a common tap, accessible 24 hrs a day, adjacent to the common bathroom.
Learn more about the studios at Empire of Dirt..
To apply:
To apply, please send the following to info@empireofdirtresidency.ca by 11:59 PM on January 16, 2026
1. A Statement of Interest (250 words). Please describe your practice, state why this residency would be impactful for you, and what you hope to glean by visiting Empire of Dirt.
2. A short (50-100 word) biography describing your relevant background.
3. Which residency you are applying for (please choose just one), and why you want to work with the artist leading the residency specifically (150 words).
4. Portfolio (10 samples of work) compiled in one PDF file, and/or link to a website to show past work or projects.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel, and will be informed of decisions by Spring 2026.
About Us
Empire of Dirt Residency (EoD) is an artist-run, non-profit organization that fosters a nurturing environment for contemporary visual artists to freely explore their practices, expand them in unexpected ways, and connect, whenever possible, with the local community. We offer two residency programs: funded and independently-funded. EoD offers an open-ended residency experience that affirms the need for research, reflection and experimentation.
Our remote mountain location in Creston, BC provides both quiet and solitude. EoD cultivates and supports a community for emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary visual artists. Residents are given the time and space to concentrate upon the development of their own work. We also support community and creative connections amongst the artists that attend our residency.
In addition to individual artist applications, we encourage applications from arts groups and collectives to develop collaborative projects and other activities crafted to build a sense of community. We are not a medium-specific residency but please be aware of our limitations. Past visual artists in residence work in painting, drawing, photography, film, performance art, fibre art, sculpture, site-specific and responsive art, environmental art, and socially-engaged art. We also welcome applications from writers. Visit artists to view past artists-in-residence.
EoD is also interested in offering opportunities for artists to connect with the local community. We host programming such as workshops, talks, walks, skill shares, and more. Please note that public programming is not a requirement for artists-in-residence but if you are interested, we will work with you and discuss possibilities.
Visit projects to view past thematic residencies and workshop programs at EoD.
Location
Empire of Dirt encompasses 30 acres and is situated on Arrow Mountain, aka Goat Mountain overlooking the Creston Valley. EoD is a 15 minute drive to the town of Creston. We are located in the heart of the Kootenay region, the southeast corner of British Columbia where Ktunaxa people first lived in relationship with the land. The Lower Kootenay Band, known as the Yaqan Nukiy, is a thriving Indigenous community located just south of Creston.
The Creston Valley stretches from Kootenay Lake to the USA border. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the valley offers important winter habitat for many species in the wetlands as well as corridors for grizzly bears and elk. There are many hiking trails in the region, including two up the road from the residency, as well lakes, rivers, and shallow beaches. The nearby Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area is home to nearly 400 different species of wildlife including many rare and endangered species. EoD is bounded by crown land and has immediate access to thousands of acres of the Creston Community Forest.
Creston is a small town with a post office, two grocery stores, four local vineyards, one microbrewery, a community Museum & Archives, a Home Hardware, local butcher, and small shops. EoD is the sister organization to Tilted Brick Gallery, an artist-run centre in Creston through which we create opportunities for local programming, including artist talks and workshops.
Questions
Please visit our F.A.Q.
Email info@empireofdirtresidency.ca with any questions and please put “2026 Artist-led Residency” in the subject line.