ARCHIVE
ALT-
The ALT- Residency was OLAW’s first and foundational artist residency program. As an alternative artist residency, ALT- was interested in simplifying the typical residency model by solely providing psychological components (accessibility, accountability, affirmation, and attention) of a residency program rather than the physical (space & supplies). This shift in structure allowed residents to participate in formative experiences despite location, financial, or physical restrictions. ALT- residents participated in week-long or longer residency stints from their homes, rented lodging, a hospital room, and more.
ALT- aimed to make creative experiences accessible despite class, age, race, gender, location, or a history of past "art world" experiences. The ALT- residency is a collaborative social practice project that studies the needs and desires of creative people, and encourages growth, simplicity, and inclusivity in creative experiences.
ALT- is a test to see if this type of residency is possible. And if so, where could it take us?
24/2
The 24/2 Residency was ALT’s little sibling. Designed for folks that couldn’t get time away from their obligations, but still wanted accountability, structure, and attention, 24/2 honored the idea of making the most of the little time we’re able to find by facilitating weekend residency experiences.
Big WAter
Big Water Songwriting Residency was established in partnership with the bluegrass folk band, Trampled by Turtles. Created in 2018, it offered songwriters a free program with complimentary housing at the cozy North Country Lodges on the shore of Lake Superior, just north of Duluth, MN, the home of Trampled by Turtles. The band felt it important to share the creative powers of the big lake and quiet solitude in the north woods. Artists-in-residence included Bevin Foley, Su Na, and John Reine.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the music industry in 2020, Big Water is no longer active.
in-Sight
In-Sight Photography Project’s Artist-In-Residence program was established in the winter of 2022 by Grace Clark as she worked as Program Coordinator at In-Sight. Differing from the regularly scheduled photo classes that taught very specific skills to kids of wide ranges, the In-Sight AIR provided youth a self-driven but mentored art experience where they were provided their own studio space and a stipend and encouraged to explore a project of their own choosing. The Artist-In-Residence continues to be active annually.
SHELTER
Shelter was a residency opportunity for creatives of all media affected by COVID-19. A Shelter residency may have looked like an artist having to work from home instead of their shared studio space, a student without the resources of their university, a parent taking care of their child while school is closed or a friend unnerved by anxieties, or any one of the many other variations of artists confronted by this global pandemic.
OLAW had been playing with a web-based residency model for some time, considering ways to adapt and work-with-what-we've-got in a time of limited resources, restricted mobility, and stress of the human experience. This model seemed especially appropriate during the shelter-in-place orders resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic.