Mothering in Residency / Resistance

Artist Residency for Mothers and Their Children*
📍 Palestina, Caldas, Colombia
📅 March 2026

About the Residency

NEST Colombia is an international artistic residency designed for artists, cultural workers, and creatives who are also mothers*. This program offers a productive pause — a space for creation, reflection, and shared experience between artists who balance their artistic practices with the demands of caregiving.

Located in the breathtaking landscape of Colombia’s Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero), this residency invites participants to explore their creative processes while embracing motherhood as a powerful and generative force.

The residency provides time and space to develop or research projects, experiment, or simply reconnect with your practice, surrounded by a supportive community of fellow artists who share similar life experiences. Children are welcome to join the residency.

Note: We use an inclusive definition of ‘mother,’ welcoming applications from all who identify with this role — including single mothers, trans mothers, non-binary parents, queer families, adoptive mothers, and other caregiving constellations.

Who Can Apply?

The residency is open to national and international artists from all disciplines who are also mothers* — with their children present during the residency. There is no requirement to present a finished project; proposals may include artistic research, process-based work, or the need for time and space to unlock creative ideas.

We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and encourage participation from migrant artists, racialized artists, queer artists, and artists from underrepresented communities.

Program Dates and Location

• Dates: March 2026
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Location: Finca Taras, Palestina, Caldas, Colombia — a beautiful farm with shared accommodations, a communal atelier, natural surroundings, and a swimming pool. Accessible from Matecaña International Airport (Pereira).

What We Offer

• Creative guidance and mentorship
• Group meetings with cultural professionals
• Production support for the final presentation in Colombia
• Shared accommodation with access to a communal workspace (atelier)
• Pick-up and transport from the nearest airport (Pereira, Colombia)

What Is Not Included

• Travel costs to and from Colombia
• Meals and personal living expenses
• Personal art materials
• Child care (parents are responsible for the care and supervision of their children throughout the residency)

Participation Fee

• Program Fee: 1000 €
• Solidarity Rate: 750 € (for self-funded artists without access to public grants or funding)

👉 A letter of participation can be provided to support your mobility grant applications or other funding processes.

Commitment and Community

We would love for artists to commit to active participation in the program, embracing a spirit of solidarity and mutual support towards fellow residents and the organizing team. NEST is not just a residency — it is a space of shared care, where collective processes, dialogue, and community-building are at the heart of the experience.

Application Process

Please apply by this link: “NEST Residency Colombia 2026”

Your application should include a single PDF (max. 10MB) with the following:

• Contact information: full name, artistic name (if applicable), age, country of origin, current residence, email, phone number, website, and social media links.
• Portfolio: up to five projects from recent years (maximum 5 pages).
• Conceptual interests: a short text (up to 500 words) explaining your artistic focus and what you would like to explore during the residency.
• Methodologies: a brief description of the working methods or approach you would like to bring to the residency.
• About your motherhood*: a short introduction about yourself as a mother, including the number and ages of your children (please do not include photos of your children).

Selection Criteria

• Artistic merit: quality and consistency of previous work.
• Project proposal: clarity, relevance, and feasibility of your proposal.
• Diversity and inclusion: we are committed to representing a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and artistic voices.
• Potential impact: how the residency could support your artistic practice and growth.
• Group cohesion: we will consider the balance of interests and life situations within the group to foster an enriching collective experience. The children’s ages will also be taken into account to create a harmonious environment.

Deadline for Applications

• Application deadline: [to be confirmed]
• Results notification: via email.

Contact

For any questions or further information, feel free to contact us at:
info@karnekunst.com

✨ Because mothering is also resisting, creating, desiring, and connecting.
We believe in the power of art as a space of care and in motherhood as a territory of potential.