MEET OUR PAST ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
The artist-in-residency program at the Chester Art Centre is made possible by the Donald Curley fund, established in memory of the Chester based artist with an international reputation upon his death in 2009. Funded by contributions of friends and family, as well as the proceeds from the Donald Curley lecture series, please check back here for lecture details and to make donations or purchase tickets for upcoming lectures.
The residency exists to support emerging artists as they stretch and grow their artistic scope. Please check back regularly or sign up for our newsletter for information on upcoming residencies.
2026 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
APPLY NOW FOR OUR 2026 EMERGING ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM!
We offer a 4-week emerging Artist Residencies in the Village of Chester, Nova Scotia during the month of May. Now accepting applications for our spring residency.
Spring Residency Dates: May 1st, 2026 to May 29th, 2026
Completed proposal submission deadline is: January 1st, 2026 at 4:00 PM.
Program Details
The Chester Art Centre (CAC) is located in the beautiful seaside Village of Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada. The AIR program allows artists to create new work that will contribute to the development of their art practice and to interact with the local community.
All visual art mediums and styles are welcome to apply. The goal of the residency is to provide you with the resources you need to grow and stretch as an artist. Your proposal must highlight how the support will propel you in new artistic directions, as well as why you are interested in doing a residency in the Village of Chester and how this will impact your work.
We will be awarding one residency for our Spring 2026 program.
Stipend: The Centre will pay the successful applicant a stipend of $1000.
Accommodations: Accommodation will be provided by the residency program unless the applicant lives locally. Please let us know if you have accessibility needs.
Studio Space: Studio space will be provided by the residency program. Please specify your studio needs so that we can match you to the most suitable studio space.
Materials and Equipment: Materials and equipment are the responsibility of the artist.
Travel: Applicants are responsible for the cost of travel arrangements to and from Chester.
Community Engagement: As part of the residency, the Arist-in-Residence will be required to hold a workshop, demonstration or interactive artist talk during their time in Chester, as well as participate in one open studio day at the end of their residency which will serve as a chance for the artist to showcase what they've been working on in an informal studio show.
Mentorship: On request, the Chester Art Centre will try and pair artists with a mentor to support them during their residency.
Application
Completed application forms along with supporting materials must be emailed to info@chesterartcentre.ca with the subject line “Artist-in-Residence Application” no later than January 1st, 2026 at 4:00pm. For accommodations during the application process please email us at info@chesterartcentre.ca or call (902) 275-5789.
2023
2023
2022
2022
CARSON TARNASKY
2021
CARLEY MULLALEY
2021
MARLEY JOHNSON
2019
CLAIRE STEWART
2018
Inbal Newman is a Wisconsin-born printmaker and sailor based in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York (2013), and a Master of Design from the Interdisciplinary program at the Ontario College of Art and Design (2020).
Between sailing voyages she has taken part in lectures, residencies, and exhibits throughout the U.S. and Canada. Inbal was selected as the Lunenburg School of the Arts Winter 2021 Artist-in-Residence, and will participate in the exhibition Crafts___Ship at St. Mary’s University Art Gallery in Halifax in February 2023.
Renée Brazeau (she/they) is an artist and educator living and working in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Their art practice explores a variety of areas including textiles, drawing, painting, teaching, and community-based projects. They have facilitated arts-based workshops through Wonder’neath Art Society, NSCAD Extended Studies, and the Centre for Craft Nova Scotia. Renée holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, as well as a Master’s of Arts in Art Education from NSCAD University.
Curtis Botham is a large-scale charcoal artist who graduated from NSCAD University in 2017. He has won numerous grants and awards, including NSTT scholarships, the Canada Games Young Artist of Excellence Award, and numerous grants from Arts Nova Scotia and the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. His artwork has been displayed in galleries around Nova Scotia. His previous artwork dealt with heavy industry in Pictou County, where he explored the origins, impacts, and labour involved in the products that make up our lives. While in Chester, he’ll apply the same approach when depicting the local aquaculture industry and community.
Elise Campbell is a felting textile artist and educator who works with wool, silk, and other fibres to create sculptural and wearable art. Originally from the Pacific side of Canada, she now lives on the Atlantic Coast and draws much of her inspiration from the movement of the sea, the creatures that dwell within it and the flora, fauna and fungi of the forest. The versatility and sustainability of wool is what draws Elise to fibre as a creative medium.
Elise is the owner and operator of Full of Wool, a small fibre art company based in Stillwater Lake, NS. She specialises in silk dyeing, one-of-a-kind wearable art and garments, seasonal decor and inclusive felting workshops. She is a PAINTS artist and her pieces have been awarded Distinguished Artist, Best Emerging Artist, People’s Choice Award, and have been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Carson Tarnasky holds a bachelor's degree in Design from the University of Alberta and has worked in various sculptural mediums. After completing the year-long sculpture studio practicum at the Banff Centre, he attended a month-long stone carving workshop in Italy, creating a sculpture for public display in the municipality of Gramollazo. Having lived, and working in Lunenburg for three years now, he wishes to work with the community and teach various sculptural workshops.
Carley is a textile artist from Pictou County, Nova Scotia and currently based out of Halifax/Kjipuktuk. She completed her BFA at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and went on to receive her MA from the Royal College of Art in London, England in 2018. Her work focuses on the versatility of textile processes such as rope-making, knotting, and netting, and how they can be translated for a wider audience. While teaching various workshops as well as classes at NSCAD University, Carley continues to work on collaborative research projects while simultaneously continuing her own art practice. She hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of textiles applications, continuing to collaborate with designers, makers and engineers, and to encourage non-textile artists to use these structures in innovative ways.
Marley is an emerging artist and a graduate student at Concordia University. He completed his BFA at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and studied at Cooper Union Visual Arts In New York. He began his studies in visual arts at Western University in London Ontario and then transferred to NSCAD in 2015. Marley has completed two residencies starting at the Lunenburg School of Art followed by the OUGallery in British Columbia.
Claire is an emerging artist and designer, a graduate of McGill with a Certificate in Graphic Applications for Desktop Publishing from Concordia University and a fascination with ceramics. She began her studies in clay at the Visual Arts Centre of Montreal in 2014, then moved to Nova Scotia two years ago to continue her studies at the Lunenburg School of the Arts.
