2026 FALL OSN Residency Application
Priority will be given to applications received BEFORE AUGUST 15, 2026. We recommend applying early since spaces will be allotted as acceptances are made, and space is limited. Applications received after that date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please also note that payment in full will be requested within five days of notification of acceptance to confirm your attendance and to secure your spot. Please plan accordingly in case of acceptance. For consideration, please complete the Google Form and submit the required supporting materials, outlined below.
Fall Session: Arrive at OSN Wednesday October 7 - Depart OSN Tuesday October 27, 2026 (3 weeks)
What can I expect from a Residency at OSN? What makes OSN a good fit for me?
Officina Stamperia del Notaio is an international multi-disciplinary artist residency program located in the small town of Tusa, located between Palermo and Messina on the northern coast of Sicily. We are a simple and rustic space, lo-fi/no-wifi, artist-run space. The intimate and casual setting makes it ideal for artists who seek unstructured time to experiment, research and explore.
Although the residency has minimal formally scheduled programming, we do provide optional activities that have included guided tours of the town and the local archaeological site of Halaesa, gallery visits in Palermo and museums in neighboring cities, visits to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, attending local feast days and concerts, foraging and cooking lessons, nature walks, and excursions into the countryside to experience some local traditions like making ricotta or harvesting olives.
We also have hosted events including open studio nights, artist talks, performances and screenings, readings, pop-up installations, and other opportunities for artists to present their work amongst themselves and to the public, based on the needs and wishes of the members of each residency season.
OSN proves to be a productive and fruitful experience for those who have a demonstrated record of accomplishment in their field and seek dedicated time to focus on their work and research while being close to nature in a close-knit community, and are content to work independently in a collective space in a self-directed way.
Studio spaces and housing are communal with each artist having a private bedroom, and typically there can be anywhere from two to seven artists at a time. OSN accepts artists and creatives spanning all disciplines and nationalities. Since 2015, we have welcomed visual artists, performance artists, writers, graphic novelists, composers, film makers, architects, designers, photographers, scholars, and curators from over 25 countries. We are equipped with a modest printmaking studio for intaglio, relief and monotype processes, as well as basic darkroom and alt photo capabilities adjacent to the main studio facility, located in the historic center of Tusa.
Regrettably, studios and lodging are not wheelchair accessible at this time.
What is the cost to attend a residency at OSN?
The residency cost per artist $2,000 USD for a 3-week session. This fee includes lodging and 24/7 studio access. Spouses/partners are welcome on a case-by-case basis, but must be agreed upon ahead of time, registered with OSN, and do incur a full or partial additional fee.
The studios and houses are located in the historic center of this small medieval town, and include equipped kitchens and access to laundry facilities. However, please take note that houses and studios are relatively rustic, and NOT equipped with wifi, computers, printers, central heating or air-conditioning and window screens, but fans and personal heaters are provided as needed. As a result, we operate only during the summer and mild fall periods. Before applying, please also consider that Tusa is small and the studios, restaurants, and grocery shops are accessible within a few minutes walk. However, the nature of the town and the houses requires a significant amount of walking up and down steep inclines and multiple stair cases, and can be physically demanding for that reason.
Artists may decide to rent a car for sight seeing and excursions outside of the city limits, but a car is not necessary in town. If you decide to have a car, be aware that you may not be able to park immediately adjacent to your living quarters. Ample free parking is available in the periphery of town and on designated parking areas.
International and local transportation, primary materials, personal art supplies, and meals are the responsibility of the artist. Equipment, some tools and some studio consumables are provided. To get a better sense of what we provide, please check out our website and look under the section: Residency > Studio, Printshop, and Accommodations. It is recommended that artists set up an international data roaming plan with their regular carrier, or purchase an Italian SIM for a mobile device on arrival in the country (such as Vodafone, Wind, TIM, etc.). Printing and photocopies can be made at the local stationary shop in the center of town.
Accepted artists will receive a detailed fee breakdown and payment schedule at the time of notification of acceptance. Full payment is required to confirm attendance and secure a spot. This will be due shortly after acceptance, on the timeline described in the acceptance letter. All artist fees must be paid electronically by the specified deadlines. If a verbal reply of the accepted artist's intent to attend the residency and the payment are not provided by the requested date, the artist's spot may be offered to another artist on the waitlist.
Accepted artists will receive detailed information about studio facilities, housing, travel logistics and considerations regarding packing, where to source local supplies and materials, local transportation, and other pertinent information prior to their travel dates.
When is the deadline to apply, and what should I include in my application?
Priority will be given to applications received by AUGUST 15, 2026. We recommend applying early since spaces will be allotted as acceptances are made, and space is limited. Applications received after that date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please also note that payment in full will be requested within five days of notification of acceptance to confirm your attendance and to secure your spot. For consideration, please complete the Google Form and submit the required supporting materials, outlined below.
https://forms.gle/GkuMKTPiuwovN9ri6
Applications are evaluated on the quality of the work and on the feasibility and strength of the proposal. Note that work samples and bio/statements may be used on instagram artist features and on our website.
To apply, please fill out all sections of the form below. Additionally, please provide:
- Artist Statement (2,200 characters, max)
- Artist Bio (2,200 characters, max)
- CV
- Project or Research Proposal: What do you plan to do with the time and facilities?
- Work Samples (for visual artists, please provide 10-20 JPEG files, 72 dpi, 3MB max, labeled lastname_firstname_1.jpeg; read the sections below for submitting samples for digital media, video, or writing.)
- Name, title and contact email of one professional reference (no letters required)
*if you are applying as a collaboration with another artist, each person must submit an application independently, but should indicate the name of their collaborator. Please note that It is not guaranteed that all artists in the collaboration will be selected. Please also indicate if you would still wish to attend independently if your collaborator is not selected.
I have more questions, who should I contact?
Some of your questions may be answered on our website officinastamperiadelnotaio.squarespace.com (which needs some updating but is useful for getting a sense of the place). Our Instagram page will be updated soon with the most recent cohorts’ artist features to reflect our more recent residency seasons: @officinastamperiadelnotaio. For additional questions please reach out to us by email at: officinastamperiadelnotaio@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer communications via gmail since due to volume, some inquiries sent via instagram DMs may get overlooked.