I’m proud to share that I’ve been accepted to the prestigious Arctic Circle residency, “where art intersects science, architecture, education and activism”!

I will be departing in spring 2027 on expedition vessel full of creative researchers. As an artist who has been making work about the ocean, Sirens, island lore, and water spirits for well over a decade, I’ve been interested in this residency for many years. It’s always been the cost that prevented me from applying. At this stage in my career, and given the unpredictability of my income, I typically do not pay for residencies. Usually I look for ones that pay ME, or at least cover travel or amenities.

The Arctic Circle, while subsidized by grants and other funding sources, does cost money given the uniqueness and scale of the initiative. In fact the price is quite steep for someone like me. But after speaking with past residency artists, I’ve received encouragement that this opportunity cannot be passed up.

That, if there’s ANY way I can find the money, I “MUST DO IT!”

One reason I finally did apply is because I received a small grant in 2025 that allowed me seek help with grant writing. Given my constant hustle as a full time freelance artist, I struggle to meet as many annual application deadlines as I like. I’ve been furiously applying over the last 1.5 years, but so far have not received funding- given how increasingly competitive and under-funded my field is in the current political climate. It’s been disheartening, but when I think about the current state of the world, I feel all the more determined to make this happen. As I’ve said many times in my newsletters “I’m in un-closeted solidarity with the miraculous”.

The good news is that I have many months to raise funds in support of my 2027 expedition. I considered launching a Kickstarter or Gofundme. But honestly, I do not want to take up real estate on crucial mutual aid and crowdsourcing platforms where so many people are collecting funds for basic survival. There are many families, for example, on Gofundme that I support regularly by donating a small portion of my income or online sales. While I’ve chosen to believe that my Arctic Circle residency is worth the investment of time and money, I prefer to keep the fundraising within my own virtual spaces at this moment.

I might be adding opportunities to purchase my work or limited-edition offerings to this page. But for now-

I wanted to create a landing spot where I can at least begin collecting donations.