chashama North is a residency program for artists and writers designed as a nourishing environment within which great artwork is born. The program offers live and work space for seven rotating artists-in-residence from June-October. chaNorth provides artists with a setting that nurtures their body, allowing their artistic practice to flourish. The residency fosters a culture of both serious artistic production and play. Participants emerge from the residency sated both physically and artistically, many commenting that they have never had a healthier month, or a more productive one. The communal kitchen is stocked with fresh, local organic produce and whole grains. Cooperatively prepared daily meals with a focus on whole foods act as the anchor of the residency program. Residents are asked to contribute a few hours per week working at a local organic farm, allowing artists the opportunity to interact with the environment, the community and agricultural history of the Hudson Valley.

Facilities
Set on five acres with a sprawling meadow, adjacent to hundreds of acres of undeveloped woods, chashama North consists of two structures, Spruce House and the Bungalows. Spruce House is a historic farmhouse with two bedrooms and five studios. The Bungalows are three adjoining apartments that house the communal kitchen and lounge, five bedrooms and two studio spaces.

Each artist is given a private bedroom with private or shared bathrooms.

The studios are semi-private and have one or two tables, and a few other artists' supplies.

Communal lounge and kitchen, stocked with delicious, whole foods.

2-4 kitchen spaces for artist experiments or food-related installations.

Communal computer for emailing. Wireless network in Spruce House.

Beautiful lake for swimming and hiking trails a mile down the road.


Residency Information:
Residencies are four weeks and culminate in an Open Studio event.

Artists are free to set their own daily schedule and activities.

Artists must coordinate their own transportation to and from the residency.

A communal bicycle is available.

One day per week, chaNorth residents will contribute 4 hours at McEnroe Farm, an opportunity to gain a deeper connection with our food, learn about organic farming practices, and enjoy the Hudson Valley sunshine.

There is one shared meal per day, the kitchen is stocked so individual meals and snacks can be prepared as needed. (Primarily vegetarian, meals may include organic and naturally raised meats two to three times a week).

chaNorth Successes:
Past chaNorth artists have gone on to exhibit both nationally and internationally, from New York City to Russia, a chaNorth collective was featured at the Verge Fair during Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2009, another past resident will be featured at the Museum of Art and Design in Spring 2010.

chaNorth 2010 Schedule:
Session 1: June 1 - June 28
Session 2: July 3 - August 2
Session 3: August 6 - September 6
Session 4: September 12 - October 18

Fee: $875/session

There will be one work position available for an artist/food coordinator. In exchange for room/board and studio for the full 5 months, the food coordinator is responsible for keeping the kitchen stocked and organized. The food coordinator will liaise with the farm that we work at, handle the food shopping, and keep the kitchen in working order. This position is approximately 12 hours of work per week and you must have a car.

If you are applying as an artist/food coordinator, please include an additional page in your application describing your experience in food management and any specialty skills in vegetarian/whole foods preparation.

For more information, please contact eliza.chashama@gmail.com

You can download the (pdf) application here.

The deadline for applying is MARCH 15, 2010.