By Wollongong artist Salwa Woodroffe
In the Champagne-Ardenne area of France, the stunning Chateau d'Orquevaux in the village of Orquevaux north-east of Paris offers a residency for visual artists, sculptors, writers, poets, musicians and film directors.
Recently, I was very lucky to be the only Australian selected among 25 other artists from nearly 1500 applicants worldwide.
Chateau d’Orquevaux was built in the 1700s, then renovated later in the style of Napoleon III. The current owner is Ziggy Attias, an American from New York.
An artist, designer, entrepreneur and award-winning filmmaker, Ziggy has made the chateau a beautiful place that inspires the creativity of artists from all over the world. Ziggy collaborated with Beulah Van Rensburg, an Australian artist from Wollongong who owns galleries in Hong Kong, New York and Australia. She is now the cofounder and artistic director for the Artists & Writers Residency programs.
Beulah and Ziggy organise the different daily programs, working directly with the selected artists to share techniques, inspiration and advice on promoting their art.
The chateau is like a palace surrounded by 40 acres of beautiful landscape. The bedrooms are tastefully furnished with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the enchanting grounds. The artists are allocated studios in the chateau, all are spacious with good light.
All meals were provided, very delicious and plentiful. There were allocated hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all served in the elegant dining room.
My routine was painting all day in my own studio overlooking the green hills, Orquevaux village and the river. In the evening, we all gathered to socialise. This included sharing discussions, enjoying social entertainment (such as karaoke and dance), sitting around the fire in the garden at night, and swimming in the river nearby.
During our residency, we could do whatever inspired us, whether painting outside, visiting other artists' studios or attending life drawing with a hired model. The environment was very stimulating with regular interaction between the different artists and feedback from Ziggy and Beulah. We could also attend talks by artists about their work or listen to poets and performances.
Beulah gave us an informative session on ways of promoting our artwork. This included visits to the studios, discussing individually with the artists their artwork and direction.
The 11th day of the residency was an open studio. Beulah and Ziggy and the other artists visited the different studios to see what each artist had done during their residency. This was followed by a social gathering at the chateau gallery, Galerie Diderot, to view and celebrate the exhibition of our donated art as part of the chateau's private collection.
I was so fortunate to be offered this chance to immerse myself into art and beauty. The friendships I made will last for a long time. I encourage Australian artists to apply and be part of this amazing experience.
For more information and to apply, visit the chateau's website.