Artist Residency Program
Located in Antigua Guatemala, our residency hosts and collaborates with international & local creatives across all fields to support research, creation and connection surrounding creative work, process and purpose.
Our residency program is focused on your creative practice and all the ways it can manifest. Residents work independently on proposed project or research. Residents are also encouraged to do nothing, to rest, to not work. To read one book slowly. Or go into town everyday and explore. You may design this residency however you wish.
Program Details
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Each resident creates their own daily work schedule depending on their project and work/research methods. Residents are given the option to teach a workshop or give an artist talk to the local community. Our staff and residents meet weekly for discussions.
We assist with project development and research as much as possible to create a platform of support, conversation, reflection, and accessibility. That said, all needs and desires are not always possible to access and the primary work does lie in the hands of resident themselves.
Applicants are encouraged to consider how their work or research will interact with Guatemala and it’s vast history, and to reflect on their role and responsibility as a maker learning and creating in a new country. -
Two-week Independent Residencies include:
Initial call one month prior to residency
Housing at La Casita with private room, amenities and WIFI
Desk and wall space
Breakfast pantry
Assistance with research development, local introductions and navigation of the area
Weekly resident meeting to share work, engage in conversation and learn from each other
Photo documentation of your process at the end of your residency
Opportunity to share your process with the community via artist lecture or workshop
Guatemala City Airport pick-up and transportation upon arrival & departure ~ only for residency dates
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Designed for artists + designers interested in exploring traditional Guatemalan textile practices, this program includes all the benefits of our two-week residency, plus immersive, hands-on experiences:
A visit to the Textile Museum in Guatemala City
A trip to Chichicastenango, the largest open-air textile market in Central America
A Natural Dyes Workshop led by GRACIA founder, Mafer Hernández
10 hours of personalized Back-strap Weaving instruction with local weavers
During this intensive, you’ll learn how to set up your loom and create your own textile piece while gaining deep insight into Guatemala's rich textile traditions.
*Textiles Intensive activities will be scheduled within the same two-week period.
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2025 - 2 week residency program - $980 USD.
Textiles Intensive: 2 week residency program + textiles intensive activities - $1430 USD.
50% deposit due upon confirmation of attendance. Final deposit will be due two months before the program.
Deposits are non-refundable and residency dates are non-transferable.
We are happy to work with accepted residents on varying payments plans. Contact projects@graciagt.com for more information. -
FALL 2025
JUNE - AUGUST 2025
OPEN
Closes: January 17th 2025WINTER 2025
SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2025
Opens: February 2025
Closes: March 2025SPRING / SUMMER 2026
JANUARY - MAY 2026
Opens: August 2025
Closes: September 2025
Create in Guatemala
Past AIR Experience
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Emily Zadoretzky
My residency at GRACIA was an incredible, impactful experience that continues to inspire my creative practice and my life as a whole. I fell in love with Antigua. Every day, I woke up inspired to explore and create. From ancient Maya artifacts and traditional weaving and textile arts to Colonial-era ruins to contemporary cuisine, the city is this incredible blend of history and modernity. I had ample time to both explore the city and delve into studio work and Mafer was an excellent guide and resource. In my practice I explore the utilization of natural materials, dyes and pigments and really enjoyed taking both of Mafer's course offerings in that area. During my residency, I was exploring the materiality of corn/maiz as well as its cultural and political influences within Guatemalan culture and that of my own country, the US. Mafer put me in contact with a local restaurant owner that partners with growers of heirloom corn varieties and we were able to meet over delicious heirloom tortillas and have a very informative and meaningful chat. I am so grateful to Mafer for this experience!
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Kiara Aileen Machado
I will forever be grateful for having the opportunity of returning to Guate after so long. Not just returning to my mothers birthplace for leisure but the reason being that it was for an artist residency means so much to me. Seeing a procession in person passing through the callesitas de Antigua is much different than solely hearing stories from my family archived through their memories. Post residency there is so much to reflect on and I am currently working on a new body of work in reflection to my short time in Guatemala.
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Brooke Adams
GRACIA was an inspiring time of colors, community, and creating new art forms. Mafer, GRACIA founder and local host, connected me to people and places to help fuel my creative process in Guatemala. I loved wandering Antigua, being inspired by the colors and textures and people. Just as inspiring was the casita with wonderful light and space for creating. I came back from GRACIA ready to create and share my inspiration with others. I would return in a heart beat.
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Daniela Monzi
GRACIA is the perfect residency for any and all creative folks. Whether you're a seasoned vet with a degree in art or someone who dabbles on the side, it's truly a magical experience for anyone who does anything creative. Being in Antigua was so inspiring; there are so many colors, textures, lovely people, incredible food and epic landscapes. Thank you so much Mafer, for creating such a wonderful residency!
