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, with 24/7 studio access.
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 host 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 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 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 ten 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, photographers, and curators from 20 countries. We are equipped with a modest printmaking studio and darkroom adjacent to the main studio facility, located in the historic center of Tusa.
Regrettably, studios and lodging are not wheelchair accessible at this time.
When are the residencies scheduled for 2025?
We invite applicants for our two summer sessions:
Summer Session 1: Arrive in Tusa Tuesday June 3 - Depart Monday June 23 (3 weeks)
Summer Session 2: Arrive in Tusa Tuesday July 1 - Depart Monday July 21 (3 weeks)
Fall Session 1: Arrive in Tusa Tuesday September 2 - Depart Monday September 22 (3 weeks)
Fall Session 2: Arrive in Tusa Tuesday October 7 - Depart Monday October 27 (3 weeks)
Applications are evaluated on the quality of the work and on the feasibility and strength of the proposal.
What is the cost to attend a residency at OSN?
The residency fee per artist ranges on average from 450-550 euro per week. This fee includes lodging and 24/7 studio access, and fluctuates based on the type of accommodation and whether or not an artist is accompanied by a guest. Partners are welcome and can stay for the duration of the residency or for a short visit for an additional cost or a daily rate for short stays. Accompanying partners who also intend to attend as an artist-in-residence are permitted, and will have a discounted room rate, but will pay the standard studio rate as the other artists in residence.
Note: Our ability to accommodate children varies and can not always be guaranteed, as it is based on room allotments, availability and occupancy. If a second room is required, additional costs will be incurred.
The houses include fully-equipped kitchens and access to laundry facilities. Houses and studios are NOT equipped with wifi, computers, or air-conditioning, but fans are provided. Transportation, primary materials and 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.).
Accepted artists will receive a detailed fee breakdown and payment schedule at the time of notification of acceptance. A 50% non-refundable deposit to confirm attendance and secure a spot will be due shortly after acceptance, with the remaining 50% due no later than April 1st. All artist fees must be paid through PayPal by the specified deadlines. If a verbal reply of the accepted artist's intent to attend the residency and the deposit are not provided by the requested date, the artist's spot will be given 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?
For consideration, please complete the Google Form and submit the required supporting materials no later than 11:59 PM EST (USA) February 10, 2025.
To apply, please fill out all sections of the form at the following link:
https://forms.gle/xDyLq9p2zqJWtnaG9
Additionally, please provide:
- Artist Statement (2,200 characters, max)
- Artist Bio (2,200 characters, max)
- CV
- Project or Research Proposal
- Work Samples (for visual artists, please provide 10 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 recommender (no letters required)
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 is more current and reflects 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.