2 Rooms Artist Residency is an opportunity for professional visual artists and writers to pursue their creative work in the rich natural and cultural environment of east coast Newfoundland.

The Artist Residency provides studio space and living accommodation for 2 artists or writers at the same time. Artists and writers connect with the local community simply by living in Duntara, and with the larger art community in the surrounding area through events, studio visits and recreation. 2 Rooms Artist Residency is a space for multi-layered cultural exchange between artists, craftsmen, writers, and fishermen.

2 Rooms Contemporary Art Projects is a registered non-profit corporation operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. 2 Rooms gratefully acknowledges the generosity of all donors to our 2014 Kickstarter Fundraising Campaign

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

ACCOMMODATION

2 Rooms is located in the outport community of Duntara, Bonavista Bay, a quaint hamlet on the edge of the continent. The residency is in a traditional fisherman’s saltbox house in Bog Lane, accommodating two artists or writers at one time for a 3 week period between June and September. Each artist or writer is provided with a separate bedroom and workspace. The house has an open concept living area on the ground floor and 2 bedrooms plus 2 small studios on the second floor. A third workspace in the shed is suitable for larger and 3 dimensional work. Amenities include dishes, towels and bedding.

THE CULTURE

Outports in the Bonavista area are small coastal communities that developed around the fisheries. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/outports.html

Many of these towns were devastated by the1992 cod moratorium and only a small amount of fishing remains. Arts and Culture are part of a developing geo-tourism industry that is helping revitalize the area. It is within this context that 2 Rooms Artist Residency has been conceived.

THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

Duntara is a small village located on an 8km stretch of winding road connecting it to the communities of Keels and Kings Cove, and basic amenities such as general store, post office, gas station, liquor store and school. Bonavista is a much larger town 30km away at the tip of the peninsula, with grocery, hardware, department store, library, coffee shop/ restaurants, bars, theatre, laundry etc.

The surrounding communities on the Bonavista peninsula host a variety of artist studios, workshops, museums, inns, and cultural spaces. 2 Rooms has affiliation with some of these and is developing new relationships with others. Outreach within the area is growing as the need for specific resources arises. Hiking trails run along the coast and seabirds and whales can be seen from the shore.

TRAVEL

Duntara is a 3 hour drive from St. John’s. There are direct flights to St. Johns from Canada, US, and EU, and a taxi service to the Bonavista area. To drive, a ferry service is available from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. Artists may choose to rent a car- booking well in advance with Expedia is advisable, and some might want to share the expense with their co-resident.

CLIMATE

The Bonavista peninsula is generally warm or hot in summer, rainy and foggy in spring, and crisp in autumn. Evenings can be cool in summer, warm and waterproof clothing is advisable. Sudden changes in weather are common as the saying goes- ‘if you don’t like the weather wait 15 minutes’.

UTILITY FEE

The residency accommodation includes living and workspace for each artist. Travel and living expenses are the responsibility of the artist. A utility fee of $260 is payable upon acceptance, helping to defray the operating costs.