OAXACA
Clay + Ceramics Residency
The Oaxaca Clay and Ceramics Residency is a unique Comuna offering that aims to provide an immersive bio-cultural exchange in one of Mexico's most ancient and revered cradles of ceramic art and craft.
This experiential learning experience invites residents to bring their creative processes and investigations into collaboration with the medium of clay and the rich bio-cultural context of Oaxaca. Through hands-on workshops, cultural immersion with local masters and young contemporary artisans, and independent studio time, residents will delve into their explorations with the medium. By becoming directly engaged with local regenerative practices and fostering an eco-somatic relationship with the elements that make up the landscapes of Oaxaca’s communities, residents will deepen their processes and reflect on learnings from the innovative spirit of Oaxaca’s artisans who have kept the traditions of ceramics art and craft alive and evolving through generations of bio-cultural exchange.
Why Clay and Ceramics?
In a world where innovation often diverges from tradition, the study of clay craftsmanship can offer inspiration for innovative, regenerative practices amidst the complexities of contemporary life. It can serve as an important reminder of the timeless wisdom inherent in ancient practices that can guide us toward envisioning other futures. Across human history, clay has been a foundational medium that has shaped civilizations, formed cultural identities, safeguarded languages and worldviews, embodied a profound connection between humanity and the earth, and influenced our approach to shaping the material world.
Engaging in the tactile exploration and creative process of working with clay transcends artistry, providing a direct pathway toward fostering more embodied regenerative thinking and practice. Collaborating with clay facilitates a rekindling of our relationship with the earth and her elements, nurturing an eco-somatic awareness essential for personal and planetary well-being and transformation. It serves as a conduit for profound creative expression, guiding ecological and spiritual connectivity, and fostering a commitment to the preservation of bio-cultural diversity and knowledge.
Hybrid Urban-Rural Residency
We’re thrilled to offer this residency in partnership with Agua de Rio ceramics studio. Residents will be hosted between Agua de Rio’s beautiful adobe home studio in the rural town of Tlalixtac de Cabrera, and the Casa Comuna residency. Residents will also have extra opportunities to visit traditional artisan communities and contemporary projects dedicated to the art and craft of ceramics and clay building.
Casa Estudio Agua de Rio: 4 days, 3 nights (minimum)
Casa Comuna: 6 days, 5 nights (minimum)
To allow ample time for drying and burning of clay pieces, this residency must take place over a minimum of 10 days but may be extended up to 3 weeks. Residencies must occur during each calendar month's first or last 10 days.
Residency Details and Application
This residency is being offered in a hybrid urban-rural context. It includes a mix of curated programming and independent study and direction.
Space is limited to one residency at a time, with applications being reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
Applicants who would like to apply together as a collaborative residency pair, please fill out the application at the bottom of this page, and we will be in touch about augmented pricing.
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Daily walks and hikes to connect with the local landscape and ecology
Access and connection to our vast and diverse local network of creatives, artisans, and communities.
We can organize additional private workshops, excursions, and visits to communities for an additional cost
Support throughout your residency period, and daily check-ins (on request)
Photo documentation of your work and process at different stages of the residency period (on request)
Opportunity to share your work with a larger community at the end of the residency period
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Housing and private garden suite with a private bathroom in Agua de Rio home studio
Access to a fully equipped kitchen and shared studio space
Guided workshops and independent studio time with Brenda, creator of Agua de Rio
Materials and tools, pottery wheel, clay, pigments, clay press, electric kiln, wood-fired kiln *
* For Beginners: all materials will be included in your residency fee, including the firing of pieces.
For Intermediate and Master Ceramicists: there will be an additional cost that residents will be responsible for in terms of clay, pigments, and other materials occupied and the firing of pieces dependent on the number of pieces and sizes. -
Housing and private room with balcony, a small desk, and private bathroom in Casa Comuna residency
Welcome dinner, welcome orientation to the residency, neighbourhood of San Felipe del Agua, and Oaxaca
Light home-cooked weekday breakfasts and daily morning check-ins, on request
Access to a fully equipped kitchen, common work and lounge spaces, and a library of books
Access to independent studio/meditation space with a window and daybed
Access to a big, private rooftop terrace, perfect for sunrise/sunset meditation, movement practice, relaxing, and working on projects
High-speed fibre optic internet
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$29,000 MXN + IVA (10 day residency)
To check prices in your preferred currency, we offer the resource to this conversion calculator.Applicants may apply for residency periods from a minimum of 10 days to a maximum of 3 weeks. Prices will be adjusted accordingly based on the fee listed.
A 50% deposit will be due upon confirmation of your residency period. The remainder of your payment is due 60 days before the start of your residency period. If your residency period is confirmed within 60 days of the start date then 100% of the payment is due. If you require a specialized payment plan outside of this one, we’re more than happy to accommodate any requests and encourage you to please get in touch. Deposits for accepted residency periods are non-refundable and non-transferable to future periods.
We encourage applicants to seek outside funding opportunities for their residencies. Though we don’t assist in grant applications, we are happy to provide a letter of invitation for participating in the residency program.
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We are motivated to make our residencies as financially accessible as possible while sustaining and honouring the contributions and work of all involved. Therefore, we offer a limited number of residency spots per year through a sliding scale option that is based on your economic standing and access to wealth. Offering this payment system is made possible by those with more access to wealth covering the costs of those with less access to wealth over the lifespan of these residencies. We don’t believe in financially separating folks based on where in the world you live or are coming from, as we recognize the complexity and diversity of lived experiences and how this leads to varying degrees of access to wealth that currently exists across the world.
Please feel confident continuing with your application and choosing the “sliding-scale payment option” in your application. We are committed to working with individual needs and constraints on a case-by-case basis to the very best of our ability. We trust in your discernment and self-reflection of how you fit into the global economic context of privilege and access to wealth.
If you would like to become a Seed Supporter of our bursary fund and sliding scale, so that we may offer more access to those experiencing financial constraints, we would be honoured if you considered choosing “Seed Supporter” when confirming your participation.
We encourage and welcome participants from all backgrounds, levels of knowledge and experience, creative leanings, and proposed projects, who resonate with this residency offering to apply. If you have any questions about the residency or application process, please get in touch. We’re very thrilled about the opportunity to meet and connect with you.
2024 and early 2025 residency periods have already been filled.
We continue to accept applications to be waitlisted for 2025.
