The Alfred and Trafford Klots International Program for Artists 2020 provides time for uninterrupted work in an inspiring and historic setting made unique by Brittany’s extraordinary light, distinctive landscape, and rich cultural traditions. The program awards successful applicants with free housing and studio space in the village of Léhon, France. Residents are responsible for most meals and incidental expenses. MICA charges no fees for application to or participation in the Alfred and Trafford Klots International Program for Artists.

Click here for the application / registration

Deadline: 1 Feb 2020

The selection committee and program directors seek four to eight practicing American visual artists, regardless of affiliation. Applicants must not be students at the time of their application. They are looking for artists who can use the specific character of the residency experience productively and whose mix of media, approaches, styles, and focus will create a dynamic and collegial community. The residency is best suited for artists working in the traditional two-dimensional disciplines of painting and drawing.

The natural landscape of Brittany and its historic (and prehistoric) built environment, to say nothing of the magical light in the west of France, are ideal for those artists working on site, en plein aire. Photographers using digital media will find the residency’s setting inspiring. Artists working three dimensionally might find the residency useful if their residency work takes the form of two-dimensional paintings or drawings produced as research or complements to later three-dimensional work accomplished in their home setting.

The committee does not accept applications from artists proposing film, video, or other time arts projects. They offer large shared studio space that opens into the expansive Abbey gardens; however, the residency has no kilns, darkrooms, tools, or technical spaces necessary for complex or large-scale fabrication.

Klots International Program For Artists 2020 Artist Benefits

This residency supplies a rare opportunity for talented artists to deepen their practice for a period of eight uninterrupted weeks in an inspiring setting in the west of France. The residents participate in an important closing exhibition sponsored by the commune of Léhon.

Residents have an opportunity to interact with townspeople and important officials as well as local artists. They can explore intriguing megalithic monuments and Roman ruins that dot the landscape. Artists experience aspects of French village life, including amenities available in Dinan, such as a local outdoor market. The residency is close to historic sites, such as Saint- Malo, Mont-Saint. Michel, and the spectacular Brittany coastline.

About The Maryland Institute College of Art

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) was established in 1826 in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art in the nation. MICA has become the leader in the education of artists and designers by fostering a community of talented, creative individuals committed to redefining the boundaries of art and design and to expanding their own vision and perspective through rigorous study. MICA assumed oversight of the Alfred and Trafford Klots International Program for Artists in 1995. The program was created by the late Isabel Klots to honor her father-in-law and husband, who welcomed fellow artists to their home in Brittany.

For more information, contact cshipley@mica.edu.

Previous call for artists from The Maryland Institute College of Art