Sunday, July 19–Saturday, August 1, 2020
In a rugged desert environment in Northern New Mexico, SSB AWAY offers a two-week residency at Plaza Blanca (“the white place”), memorialized in countless paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe. The mesa is a space of deep solitude, silence, and emptiness—offering artists an ideal location to retreat, rest, recreate, and dream in the midst of pristine, enchanted landscapes.
On a remote mesa with spectacular views, the two-story casita on several acres of land includes a fully equipped kitchen and dining table, small light-filled living room with sofa and chairs, wood burning stove, desk, large second-story bedroom, full bath, and patio with outdoor seating. In the arroyo below the residence, petroglyphs and pictograms abound—testament to a continuum of millennial history. The Genízaro village of Abiquiu (where Georgia O’Keeffe’s home is located), Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu Lake, the Chama Wilderness and nine northern pueblos are nearby. Both Santa Fe and Taos are approximately one hour away.
The two-week residency is entirely self-directed. The resident must be self-sufficient and comfortable with solitude. Materials about the region will be provided in advance. However, it is up to each individual to structure their time, shop and prepare meals, and make arrangements for transportation and activities beyond the mesa. A $300 stipend is offered with the residency. Airfare and car rental are not included.
Please note that Plaza Blanca is at a high elevation (6,000+ feet) and may not be suitable for everyone. Applicants should take into account the retreat’s unique circumstances and historic location. The casita is surrounded by vast open space, but its small size offers limited indoor work space.
Eligibility: Writers, visual artists, composers, musicians, performance artists, architects, designers, activists, curators, and art workers of any kind—as well as thought leaders, spiritual teachers, and others working to foster mutual respect and understanding. Preference will be given to mid-career artists and those seasoned in their chosen field. Students are not eligible.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 15, 2020
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: March 1, 2020
SSB AWAY retreats provide crucial time and space for artists to germinate ideas that might otherwise be marginalized during the intensity of public life and artistic production. A network of residences and workspaces offers artists the agency to take time away from their habitual surroundings, to rest and inhabit a nourishing space of creative sanctuary with solitude, access to nature, and multivalent privacy. SSB offers residencies in Abiquiu, New Mexico and Podere Malabiccia, Tuscany, Italy.