Chashama supports artists by partnering with property owners to transform unused real estate into space to create and present, and provides free art classes to under-resourced communities.  

In 2006 Chashama opened the ChaNorth international artist residency in Pine Plains, New York.  The ChaNorth residency offers the opportunity for emerging and mid-career artists to work and live in the Hudson Valley for four weeks. Annually the program hosts 48 artists during seven 4-week sessions running from April through November.

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ChaNorth upholds the storied tradition of the Hudson Valley by providing local and international artists with a supportive and secluded environment in which to create new work. The artist residency is embedded in the rural communities of the surrounding towns, serving as a cultural resource for the Hudson Valley. The program offers networking, exhibition and teaching opportunities and promotes awareness and understanding of visual arts in a rural community through engagement with the artists. ChaNorth also sustains a successful partnership with McEnroe Organic Farm to supply healthy, fresh produce for the artist residency through a work exchange program.

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ChaNorth accepts applications in all creative fields, including but not limited to visual arts, choreography, writing, music composition, and performance. National and international emerging and mid-career artists are welcome to apply. For international artists, we can provide letters of support, but each artist is responsible for arranging their own visa. Artists enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs at the time of their application are not eligible to apply to ChaNorth.
 

The application process is in two stages: shortlisted artists will be asked for a 10 -15 minute Skype/phone interview to be scheduled from February/March 2023. Artists are selected based on quality and commitment to their work, their project description, and their ability to interact positively with the community. ChaNorth accepts at total of 48 artists for each summer season.

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During the ChaNorth residency, artists have multiple opportunities to share their work and network with others, including 2-3 studio visits per session from critics, curators, gallerists, and residency directors. Previous studio visitors have included:

• Nora Khan, a writer focused on emerging issues within digital art and the philosophy of technology.

• Will Hutnick, artist and curator residency director at the Wassaic Project, NY.

• Junho Lee, Founding Director of NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY

• Olga Dekalo, Assistant Curator at the Katonah Museum of Art in Westchester, New York.

 

ChaNorth offers a fellowship award, for young artists under 30,  two alumni solo show awards.

ChaNorth provides the opportunity for alumni  artists to submit to our yearly selected group show. Both solo shows and the yearly group show is presented at Chashama exhibition space in New York City.

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Artists are invited to participate in an evening of artists' talks and presentations, at the Pine Plains Free Library and participate in the Open Studios program. Both events are open to the public.

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We are hoping to restart our community outreach program, after we paused it due to Covid-10 pandemic.  We offered artists to create and lead an hour-long free community art workshop. If you wish 

 

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McEnroe Organic Farm Work Exchange Fostering community engagement, ChaNorth collaborates with McEnroe Organic Farm’s Education Garden where resident artists are asked to participate in 3 hours of work exchange each week. In return, our shared kitchen is stocked with fresh, seasonal produce and whole grains. Shared meals act as the anchor of the program.

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