“The clay takes shape, and the community gains a future.”

ARTE 351

Emerging Artists Program of Atelier Retiro

The Emerging Artists Program of Atelier Retiro offers a unique opportunity for young artists or artists with less than five years of career to immerse themselves in the world of ceramics through an intensive residency.

This program aims to support the new generation of artists by providing them with the environment and resources necessary for the development of their artistic practice. Participants have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other artists, build international networks, and participate in exhibitions, all while experiencing the rich culture and beauty of Guimarães, Portugal.

The program was designed to be accessible to early-career artists, allowing them to explore ceramics in depth without the need to pay the full residency fee. Through contributions from the community, emerging artists can benefit from this support, which partially covers the residency costs.

This program was created in 2024, born out of a crisis faced by Atelier Retiro. After losing a significant investment and being on the verge of closing our doors, we decided not to give up and sought support from our community to save the Atelier. The creation of the Emerging Artists Program was a response to this crisis, allowing us to ensure the continuation of the 2025 summer residencies and provide a platform for rising artists.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, with donations from all over the world, and thanks to the support of the community, we were able to make the program possible and give emerging artists the chance to grow and create in our space.

Each emerging artist of Atelier Retiro will be entitled to a full spot in one of the summer residency sessions, with no monetary cost. A morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack will be provided on all instructional days. Independent access to the studio will be granted from 10 AM to 10 PM, allowing the artist to enter and leave as they wish, and to organize their time as they see fit. Two group exhibitions will be held at Nº6 | Ceramic Gallery: one at the end of the residency and another featuring all the emerging artists in September. No monetary value will be assigned to any artist.

The artist must rank the residency sessions according to their interest in participating in each session. Only after the selection period will the emerging artist be informed about which residency session they have been accepted into. The spots will be allocated fairly and based on the merit of the application evaluation. Please bear in mind that your first choice may not be the final outcome, so you should be prepared to participate in another session.

Session 1 - Ceramics for Beginners: From Zero to 1 Kilogram
June 1 to 14, 2025

Session 2 - Portuguese Tiles: Past, Present, and Future
June 15 to 28, 2025

Session 3 - Elevated Jewellery with Clay and Alternative Kilns
June 29 to July 12, 2025

Session 4 - Shaping on the Wheel: Animals and Plants
July 13 to 26, 2025

REQUIREMENTS

The Emerging Artists Program of Atelier Retiro is open to students in the arts or design fields, as well as artists with less than five years of experience working with clay and less than five years of ceramic sales. The program is aimed at young talents who wish to expand their artistic practice by exploring ceramics, regardless of their previous experience with clay. In other words, no prior experience with ceramics is required, but artistic or design experience is necessary.

Base Requirements

  • Only individuals aged 18 or older may apply.

  • Applicants must reside in Portugal and be Portuguese or hold a residence card in Portugal.

  • The application can be submitted in Portuguese, English, or a combination of both languages. It is not necessary to translate any requested documents if they are written in Portuguese, English, or both languages.

  • The spots are intended for Emerging Artists who are students in the arts or design fields, or up to five years after graduation, and for Emerging Ceramic Artists with less than five years of practice and less than five years of ceramic sales.

  • Each candidate is responsible for their own accommodation during the residency.

  • A morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack will be provided to each emerging artist on instructional days.

    All dinners, other snacks, and meals outside of instructional days are the responsibility of the resident artist.

Evaluation

Application Requirements

  • No prior experience with clay is required. However, artistic or design experience is mandatory.

  • You must submit a letter of intent, which can be presented in writing, video, or through a work of art. This letter should clearly define your exploration intent during the residency, based on the provided training offer, and explain the impact this experience will have on your artistic practice after its completion.

  • The submission of a recommendation letter is optional. The letter can be provided by an instructor, supervisor, boss, studio colleague, or any other person relevant to your artistic practice.

    *Submitting a recommendation letter can earn you extra points. See the evaluation section.

  • The CV should include information about your academic background and a timeline of your experience with clay or artistic practice, covering both the artistic and professional aspects.

  • You should include a portfolio of your artistic practice, which can encompass any branch of art or design. For candidates with experience in ceramics, the portfolio may include ceramic works created.

  • After the initial approval, the artist will be directed to the interview phase. The interview will be conducted informally and may be held either in person or virtually. The main purpose of the interview is to provide an opportunity for the candidate to meet the Atelier Retiro team, as well as allow the team to get to know the candidate better.

    During the interview, questions may be asked related to the candidate's application or artistic work. The conversation will be informal, and no prior preparation will be required from the candidate.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following variables and respective weightings:

  • Letter of Intent / Motivation: 25% (0 to 25 points)

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV, any type of format): 15% (0 to 15 points)

  • Portfolio of artistic practice (covering any area of art or design): 45% (0 to 45 points)

  • Interview: 15% (0 to 15 points)

An extra value of up to 10 points will be awarded for the recommendation letter.

SELECTION PROCESS AND DATES

  • April 1: Opening of the open call

  • April 20: Closing of the open call

  • April 21 and 22: Exclusion of incomplete applications or those that do not meet the requirements. Complete applications will be sent to the jury

  • May 2: All selected artists will be contacted

  • May 6 to 9: Informal interviews, in person or online

  • May 10: All selected artists for the residency will be contacted

  • May 15: Selected artists must confirm their acceptance by this date

Once the residency is assigned, the candidate has 5 days to accept. If they do not accept or withdraw, the spot will be offered to the next person on the waiting list. No replacement residency will be assigned, and if the artist cannot attend the residency, they will lose their spot.

Become an

Emerging Artist

and explore ceramics

at Atelier Retiro

“Retiro is truly a gem of a learning space that makes you feel safe and part of a beautiful and diverse community, where you find yourself discovering a lot more past you’d expect to get from clay and its processes. I came there in search of highly specific technical help for a project and left with not just that but an inspiring very new collection of creative references (and a banging music playlist...)”

GABE

“ O Retiro is a genuine community where I was introduced to ceramic materials and techniques that have strongly influenced my artistic work.”

RYAN

“While learning basic sculpting techniques and experimenting with clay was a great experience, I'd say the most rewarding outcome out of my short time spent working at Atlier Retiro, was the community of great artists I joined. That's what keeps me coming back to this unparalleled creative place.”

IAGO

“Retiro was the place that first made me fall in love with clay and show me how much more the practice of ceramic can be. There, I found not only support for all my ambitions, learning from the A to Zs of ceramics, but also an exciting environment of like minded people who radiate great love for their craft and a passion for cultivating loving and inspiring environments.

Always doing their best to meet everyone where they are and to take them to the next step. I will always remmember atelier as a place where there's always laughs, hugs, and amazing art !!!”

KARI