The Digital Arts Resource Centre piloted its Indigenous Residency in 2024 to allow Indigenous artists to share their stories and culture while the organization moves forward with reconciliation.
The residency provides mid-career artists access to DARC’s facilities and equipment, up to 16 hours of advisor time, and an artist fee of $2,000, plus $500 for an artist talk or presentation.
After a successful first iteration of the residency, DARC has decided to open their residency to Indigenous artists from anywhere in Canada, with the support of the Hnatyshyn Foundation.
“In the Residency’s first iteration we were already considering opening applications nationally, but didn’t have the resources to do so,” DARC Engagement & Mobilization Manager Salem Paige Maskell says. “Opening the residency across Canada allows for Indigenous artists who live outside of urban centres to access resources that aren’t readily available to them otherwise, and to share their unique stories and experiences.”
Maskell says artists-in-residence will present their work in Ottawa, allowing them to “build direct connections with the Ottawa arts community.” They say this will also benefit the local community through the art and conversations sparked.
Oo Kierstead, a previous Indigenous Residency recipient, says the experience was “incredibly empowering.”
“It gave me the time, space, and support to fully immerse myself in a creative process, and especially be able to deeply connect to my identity as an Inuk,” Kierstead says. “Being able to explore new skills with the tools and ways of storytelling in a resourceful environment made a big difference in how I approached my work, including amazing staff that helped to reassess as the project progressed.”
Oo Kierstead. Photo provided.
“The residency helped me grow in confidence—not just in my technical skills, but in how I see myself as part of a larger conversation around Indigenous art and digital media. Since the residency, I felt more equipped to take on larger projects, collaborate with my community, and share our Inuit digital art in ways that resonate across generations and platforms.” —Oo Kierstead.
Applications are open until June 30 for the next iteration of the residency, which will take place from Oct. 1–31. Maskell says applications go through a general review, then are individually assessed by a group of external jurors, composed of Indigenous artists and cultural workers, based on the mediums of the projects proposed.
Maskell says they hope to continue connecting with Indigenous artists from across the country in the future, even past this next iteration.
“Last year’s pilot of the Indigenous Residency program has evolved into a three-year partnership with the Hnatyshyn Foundation, which we hope will become a part of DARC’s core programming,” they say. “We hope to continue to connect with Indigenous artists from across the country to share their perspectives and support them in developing their skills and artistic practices. We also hope to continue forming relationships with Indigenous arts collectives and centres across the country to open the door to future partnerships and strengthen our connection to Indigenous artists and arts communities.”
To learn more about DARC’s Indigenous Residency, visit their website.
