• There is currently an Open Call for ArtCRAFT, a partially funded residency from August 8 to 15, 2026. Deadline to apply is May 8th, 2026.

  • The application period for Artist-led Cohorts for 2026 at Empire of Dirt has closed.



ArtCRAFT: Emily Neufeld and Marnie Temple

Call for Applications Deadline: May 8, 2026.

Three early career artists will be selected for a one week residency at Empire of Dirt during the week of August 8 to 15, 2026.

What’s the residency about?

  • This residency is for earlier career artists who want to take their final artwork from nearly complete to ready for installation, or who want to learn how to consider the final installation at the beginning of a project.

  • Learn techniques for installing your work and troubleshooting those details that really matter at the very end of the creation process.

  • Have you been to an exhibition where the way the work attaches to the wall is more visible and glaring than the work itself? Have you made a small sculpture and don’t really want to put it on a plinth, but don’t have other ideas?

  • This is a time research, exchange, and reflection in a rural space without the distractions of daily life, so bring ideas for a project you want to start or bring artwork that you need to finish.

What is offered:

  • $300 travel stipend

  • One week stay at EoD in your own live/work studio

  • Four half days of skill sharing workshops with Emily and Marnie

  • A quiet exchange with nature

About the Facilitators Emily Neufeld and Marnie Temple

Emily Neufeld’s practice investigates place and the layers of memory and psychic history that accumulate in our material world. She is committed to examining her own Mennonite and Scottish settler colonial histories in understanding her relationship to this place as Indigenous land. She received her BFA from ECUAD in 2013. Emily is the installation technician at Gordon Smith Gallery.

Marnie Temple’s practice explores her lived experiences in relation to the aftermath of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. She is a Black biracial person who grew up in the Prairies before settling in the Kootenays and co-operating EoD with her partner. She recently received her MFA from ECUAD in 2025. Her experience with building materials comes from her work at the residency and the creation of the buildings at EoD.

How to Apply

Please send the following to empireofdirtresidency@gmail.com by Friday, May 8, 2026.

1. A Statement of Interest (250 words max). 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. Portfolio (10 samples of work) compiled in one PDF file, and/or link to a website to show past work or projects.

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 eodresidency@gmail.com 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 eodresidency@gmail.com with any questions and please put “2026 Artist-led Residency” in the subject line.