ChaNorth, Chashama's international upstate artist residency has been located in the Hudson Valley since 2006.

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.

The organization was founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Anita Durst to remedy what she observed to be the greatest threat New York City artists faced: the lack of space. Since then, Chashama has played a central role in sustaining New York’s artistic community by giving free exhibition space to over 20,000 artists, presenting 4,000 public art events, and providing 800 free art classes for under-resourced communities.

Chashama supports artists through the following programs: Space to Create, Space to Present, Space to Connect, and the ChaNorth Artist Residency.

www.chashama.org

chaNorth

Artist Residency

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 42 artists during six 4-week sessions running from April through November. ChaNorth accepts applications in all creative fields, including but not limited to visual arts, choreography, writing, music composition, and performance. National and international artists artists are welcome to apply.

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.

Rural Unplugged Residency

ChaNorth is an unplugged rural residency, located about two miles from the center of Pine Plains. In the tradition of the Hudson Valley, ChaNorth offers artists an opportunity to unplug from the stimulation and distractions of modern life to focus on creating new work in a secluded, quiet environment. The campus is almost entirely WiFi free, except for one bar, sometimes.

Fellowships and Exhibit Opportunities

ChaNorth offers

one fellowship award, per season, for a young artist under 30;
a solo show award
an annual curated alumni show.

Both, the solo show and the group show are presented, the following year, at Chashama exhibition spaces in New York City.

ChaNorth fosters a strong alumni community, offering artists various exhibition opportunities including 2019 LIGHT YEAR, Manhattan Bridge Public Art, video exhibition.

Guest Visitors Program

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.

Community Engagement

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.

Pine Plains Library in Partnership with ChaNorth offers artists to create and lead an hour-long free community art workshop. The library offers for each artist a $50 payment for teaching.

Resident Artists can apply to exhibit their work at the Pine Plains Library.

McEnroe Organic Farm

Fostering community engagement and strengthening and supporting our local community, 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 produce and whole grains. Shared meals act as the anchor of the program, resident artists gather once or twice a week for a potluck dinner.

McEnroe's Education Program began in 2007 to provide farm-based learning opportunities and support organic agriculture. Events and programs are held to engage the community and teach organic, sustainable farming practices.

McEnroe Organic Farm has been NOFA-NY Certified Organic for over 25 years. It is one of New York’s oldest and most diverse certified organic farms and stands at over 1,100 acres of fields, pastures, and greenhouses. The farm’s methods include crop rotation, biological pest control, composting, careful cultivation, and cover cropping. We grow certified organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and feed for our livestock. With greenhouses and cold frames, we extend the season for organic tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, field greens and herbs, enabling us to grow as early as April and as late as December.

Team

The Team, please click here

BRIGITTA VARADI, Residency Director

Brigitta Varadi is a multimedia artist and educator who delves into tradition, craft, and the everyday rituals of working life. She investigates themes of sustainability and cultural heritage through a combination of research, community workshops, and material experimentation. Varadi is a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Interdisciplinary Work and been awarded numerous grants and fellowships including the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and MacDowell Fellowship, USA/Italy. Her most recent residencies include the Museum of Arts and Design ( MAD) NY, and Burlington City Arts ( BCA) Burlington, VT in collaboration with Shelburne Farms, Vermont, culminating in a solo exhibit at the BCA Center in 2020.

Email: chanorth@chashama.org