The Textile Centre Residency

About the Textile Centre

The Textile Centre was founded in March 2005 in the town of Blönduós in Northwest Iceland. It is situated in the historical old Womens College on the bank of the river Blanda. The building provides visting artists and scholars with a workspace and living quarters during their stay. Blönduós is situated in the centre of the Northwest agricultural community which is renowned for sheep farming and a rich textile history. The college has been renovated in the past year, with studios catering for textile artists.
The Textile Centre Residency opens for applications in Nov 2010 and is managed in collaboration with the Nes Artist Residency in the neighboring town of Skagaströnd. Nes has been operating since March 2008 with much success, catering for a variety of artists. The Textile Centre will provide facilities for artists offering equipment specific to textile art and projects.

Main Goals

The Textile Centres aim is to promote Icelandic and international textiles by holding seminars and to encourage research as well as education within the textile field of art and design. The center should also provide students, scholars and artists with working space to conduct their research and study-trips within textiles and to function as an international educational meeting point to hold seminars, counsels and classes on textiles. 

Open Call for applications

As of November 2010 applications to Textile Centre Residency may be submitted at any time (open call). The residency is for monthly periods ranging from 1-3 months, hosting up to 6-8 residents at the time. The applications will be reviewed in cooperation with SÍM – The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists.

Application information here
Application form here

Housing and studio facilities - pictures here and further information here

Artists are provided with living quarters of former dorm bedrooms:
single person rooms. (550 €),
double room with separate bath, (700 €).
Shared kitchen and sitting room, communal laundry facilities.
Also available is an apartment:  large studio bedroom, spacious livingroom, kitchen and bathroom (900 €).

Studios are in the building:
Weaving studio with looms 140 cm – 80 cm width.
Multi functional space with a 6 m textileprinting table with access to printing frames.
Multi functional space.
Residents will be equipped with a table-top, chair, shelf unit and lamp. Internet access is in all spaces. Residents will have to cover the cost of travel, food, art materials and possible shipping of art back home.
All studios are with an exceptional views over the mouth of Blanda and to the sea, and the old town of Blönduós.

Residency fee

The residency fee per month in 2010 is from € 550-900, see details in application. We ask all artists to pay the residency fee for the Textile Centre at the latest three months prior to your arrival in Blönduós. This arrangement will help us with placements of artists and give us ample time to fill your post in case you find that you are unable to come to the Textile Centre after all.

The Textile Centre Residency
Árbraut 31,
540 Blönduós.

Office:

Ásdís Birgisdóttir, manager
Office telephone + 354 452-4300
Mobile number + 354 894-9030
Fax number + 354 452- 4304

Office hours Mon-Fri from 8:30-16:30 GMT

For information and general inquiries e-mail: textilsetur(at)simnet.is
For applications e-mail: textilsetur(at)simnet.is
Please send all applications via email

Director:
Ásdís Birgisdóttir
Board of the Icelandic Textile Centre Residency:
Arnar Þór Sævarsson chairman, arnar(at)blonduos.is
Jóhann Pálmadóttir, akur(at)emax.is
Jóhann Guðmundsson, holtsvinadal(at)emax.is