Current open calls

• A call is currently open for a partially-funded residency ArtCRAFT, deadline to apply is May 8, 2026. Learn more.

• The residency will be available for Self-Funded residencies in September and October. The fee for Self-Funded residencies is $550/week, for a one or two week period. To apply, please email empireofdirtresidency@gmail.com to indicate interest. If you have not been to Empire of Dirt before, please include a letter of interest and a portfolio (10 images compiled into a single PDF, or a website link). Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

residencies

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. EoD offers an open-ended residency experience that affirms the need for research, reflection and experimentation.

We offer two residency programs: funded and self-funded. Funded residencies include thematic and artist-led cohort residencies, such as Black Artists Gather, Indigenous Arts, and ArtCRAFT. Some Funded residencies are fully funded, while some are partially-funded. Self-Funded residencies are self-directed residencies for artists seeking time and space for dedicated research and work at the 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.

Please click below for more information on each program and how to apply.