About Artist Residencies in The Drawing Room Studios at The PaintBox

The PaintBox is an artist-run business comprised of an art supplies shop and four studios collectively known as ‘The Drawing Room’. Our Residency Programme is run in association with the international body ResArtis. The Drawing Room studios have a focus on visual art, drawing, painting, printmaking, textile art, jewelry art and contemporary crafts in addition to curatorial and administrative professional development.

Applications Invited

We invite applications from creatives in Australia and abroad, as we foster international dialogue. Our studios are located in an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural significance. Hahndorf is a small community surrounded by inspiring landscape, made famous by Sir Hans Heysen, in the heart of the Adelaide Hills wine district.

Our busiest studio is the teaching studio, which is accessible between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm. In addition to our teaching studio, we have two private studios available for short term (one month to twelve-week) hire. The fourth studio also functions as a gallery space; it is a large studio and is the primary studio available to the Artist in Residence to use.

Our Residency Programme

The aim of our residency programme is not only to help the development of the resident artist as an individual but also to invigorate the art community in our local area with new ideas, techniques, and different cultural perspectives. With a variety of disciplines, our hope is to foster the growth of the contemporary art scene in South Australia, inspiring both local and visiting artists. We focus on applications from emerging artists who seek an opportunity to engage the public through talks and demos and an opportunity to participate in an exhibition. We also look for applications from established artists who have the ability to lead workshops or classes with an aim to invigorate the local arts community.

Our minimum residency period is one month and the maximum three months, up to three artists can be resident at one time. At the moment we do not provide funding (other than prizes through the Hahndorf Academy). However, we will assist with any questions about applying for grants, or provide any information necessary to support the application for a grant. Our residencies are self-funded and a charge is made to cover the costs of running the Drawing Room Studios and artists are able to recoup these costs by running classes or workshops. Our expectations of an artist are presentation; cleaning up after oneself or one’s students; a willingness to lead a workshop or a class and participation in an exhibition. Current residency fees are $110 per week inclusive of GST. Expenses paid by the artist are travel, accommodation, supplies, food etc. We work with local accommodation providers to find suitable accommodation to suit various budgets.

Our Philosophy

The PaintBox and the Drawing Room Studios were founded on a philosophy that our art supplies shop would thrive if we support and invigorate the local community around us. If artists are doing well then the shop and studios will flourish, a symbiotic relationship not unlike growing a garden of creativity around us. With this in mind, we are very supportive of the arts and the local art community in terms of prizes and sponsorship. We have a belief that art should not be seen as a mere hobby, a pursuit or a holiday activity but a way of life with the potential of building a professional career.

Our selection procedure is by committee or, if it is by prize then the Hahndorf Academy selects a panel of judges, or by People’s Choice, where the public vote for their favourite piece.

How to Enrol

At present, the Residency Programme is booked out well into 2020. We are taking applications and it important for interested artists to get themselves in our list. The application requirements are as follows:

• A completed application form. Contact us at mail@thepaintbox.com.au for a form.
• An up to date CV
• A proposal of work to be achieved throughout the residency
• A maximum of 10 images of works, representing a cohesive overview of current work (Digital images can be submitted by email).
• Images should be clearly numbered with an accompanying list of images annotated with the title, date, medium, and dimensions.