The Beneath the Surface residency, is a partnership between Craft NB and Parks Canada. It takes place in Fundy National Park from Oct 3rd to Oct 7th, 2022. We award 20 Craft NB members the opportunity to explore new perspectives in craft-making while experiencing New Brunswick’s rich natural environment with the goal of enlivening their individual studio practices. 

Our 2022 Residency is designed to help artists experience the natural landscape, learn about the scientific processes that shape and change the natural world, and discover the rich cultural history of Fundy National Park (FNP) which is an important site for craft in New Brunswick, starting with the work of Dr. Ivan Crowell in the 1950’s. 

During this 5-day residency, scientists, park interpreters and creative leaders will interact with the artists to educate and inspire cross-pollination of ideas. Artists are also encouraged to spend time alone breathing in and pondering the nature that surrounds them. Please note that this residency has a physical component of hikes, park exploration, and optional kayak trips.

The residency program is linked to the 2023 Craft NB exhibition, which will feature new installation-based work created by the participating artists as a result of their time in FNP. No work is required to be produced on-site during the residency portion of the program. Rather, the aim of the residency is to serve as a kind of retreat, to give artists time to be inspired and explore new ideas and ways of working. Artists will have until April 2023 to develop and create work in their own studios. Work will then be submitted to the curator for consideration in the resulting exhibition in Fundy National Park. Pending funding, the exhibition will then tour to several other locations throughout 2023, with the goal of showcasing work outside of NB and ideally outside of Canada. 

The 20 artists selected to embark on this journey, through the vast and beautiful environments of the Fundy National Park, will have the chance to unplug from their busy lives and let nature inspire new ideas and exploration in their craft.