About the Similkameen Artist Residency
The Similkameen Artist Residency (est. 2021) operates out of a recently renovated log cabin and former B&B, affectionately referred to as the Log House. Surrounded by sage-covered hills on the edge of Keremeos, SAR’s mission is to provide a tranquil, affordable, and supportive environment for artistic exploration. We believe that all artists—including those at various career stages and across diverse artistic trajectories—should be given opportunities to rest and refocus their practices. Enhanced by an ethos of community, curiosity, and creative exchange, SAR’s self-directed residency structure fosters productive solo studio time and collegial cohorts.
The Similkameen Artist Residency acknowledges that our programming takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the syilx Okanagan Nation. We ask visiting artists to be considerate to the land and to the Similkameen people who have tended to this place for centuries and to treat these territories with care and respect. SAR is honoured to share space to create here.
THE LOG HOUSE
THE LOG HOUSE
The recently renovated Log House has three levels and is sectioned down the middle as a duplex.
One-half of the building is dedicated to 1-3 month-long residents; the upper floor boasts four bedrooms, with the main floor offering a communal living room, dining room, and kitchen. A small piano room is additionally available to musically inclined residents.
Five connected solo studios, a tool/storage room, and a small flex studio space are found on the garden level.
The second half of the Log House contains a private unit, occupied by the Long Term AiR/Onsite Residency Coordinator. This space includes a guest room for visiting curators, guests, and residency staff.
Short-Term Artists in Residence (1-3 month residencies)
Accommodations:
Every bedroom allows for a second person to stay with the artist, with the approval of the Onsite Residency Coordinator. The project aims to accommodate these requests when possible. Artist couples or collaborative groups of whom each member is requesting a studio should indicate this on their application. Please see our FAQ for additional fees that may apply.
Studios:
There are four semi-private, recently renovated solo studios located on the ground level, all with natural light and most with large doors so that artists may work outside if they wish. There is also an additional small bright room on this level. The studios vary in size—averaging 10’ x 20’—and are well-appointed with track lighting and 8’ high ceilings, and are equipped with basic studio furniture.
There is no restriction on working hours (24-hour access) but we request that artists be respectful of noise during quiet hours.
Common Space:
On the entrance level, there is a full kitchen equipped with a fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave, and cookware. The gathering space has chairs and a large dining table. For warm weather, there is a picnic table on the adjoining sundeck. In the entry, there is a TV area with a fireplace; a nearby piano room is available to residents. A shared washroom with a shower is located on the entrance level, and two additional washrooms are located on the upper floor—one with a shower. Laundry facilities and WiFi are also available to residents.
Long-Term Artist in Residence/Onsite Coordinator (12+ months)
The Long-Term Resident/Onsite Residency Coordinator resides on the other side of the Log House. For their longer stay, this suite includes a private kitchen, dining area and decks, a small sitting room with a fireplace, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a bright 15 x 15 office with high ceilings and large windows.
They are an artist(s) who values both the isolation and beauty of the remote location and the communal engagement of the SAR project and the location near Keremeos. Besides working on their practice, this person(s) facilitates Short-Term Residencies and manages onsite maintenance of the Log House. They must have a vehicle. As this space is self-contained, a partner, child, and/or pet are permitted.
A guest room for short-term visiting artists, curators, and/or residency personnel is also on this side of the building.
This space is currently filled.