Goldenrod Artists’ Residency: June - September 2025

What does reciprocal relationship with land and water look like in the age of climate chaos and rising fascism? How can being in right relationship with the more-than-human world build our capacity to create just, sustainable and joyful futures? Goldenrod Arts Residency will support queer and trans visual artists taking up these questions in their practices by giving them access to space to work with land and support in sharing their work in community.

The residency takes place on Eramosa Herbals’ one-acre herb farm at the Ignatius Community Farm just outside of Guelph, ON. Nestled between wetlands and hundreds of acres of agricultural land and hardwood forest, the acreage is home to diverse, large-scale medicinal herb gardens, and neighbour to a regenerative fruit and nut orchard orchard, a queer cut-flower micro-farm, and an artist-built pollinator garden.

Goldenrod Arts Residency welcomes two artists-in-residence to spend time with this land over the course of the growing season, from June-September 2025. Artists are invited to use the space to grow plants used in their practice and/or use the garden as a place to rest, play, make and be. Additionally, they will each host one public presentation of their work, whether in the form of a skill sharing workshop, a performance, meal, gathering, etc (this can take place on the land, or somewhere else).

The residency understands queer land-based practices—growing, tending, harvesting, relationship building, art-making— as necessary and potent tools for cultivating queer joy, community and liberation. Emerging queer and trans artists, especially those who experience barriers to accessing land, are invited to apply.

What’s Included

Two successful applicants will receive:

  • $520 artist fee (CARFAC half-day presentation fee 2025) and $130 materials fee ($650 total)

  • Access to site infrastructure (fully prepped garden beds, hoophouse, watcher catchment structure, garden tools) and plants grown on-site. 

  • Support in hosting and promoting the public presentation of their work, as desired

While artists are invited to spend time on site whenever they like, no accommodations are provided and no camping is permitted.

How to Apply

Proposals should include:

  • A bio and artist statement

  • A project proposal: how do you intend to use/engage with the space over the course of the growing season? Include a description of an event in which you share your work (a workshop, performance, activity, etc). Include a list of plants you plan to grow, if relevant.

  • Documentation of relevant work, and/or link to your website or social media

Send a .pdf to eramosaherbals@gmail.com by Sunday, May 25th. Successful applicants will be contacted by Friday, May 30th. Please feel free to reach out with questions.

Thanks to the Guelph Arts Council and OPIRG-Guelph for funding this project.