We ask people to rise up and reorder the world they are living in, to break out of the rigid grid of the modern city and to twist and distort it, to realign it into a more beautiful geometry, to create a blueprint for happiness.  

Blueprint for Happiness is a residency for artists engaged in exploring creative practice outside of the gallery and in the public realm. In this space, artists interact with architects and architecture, designers, engineers, fabricators, planners, community members and with each other. The archetype of the solitary artist working on a singular project for exhibition neglects the rich, dynamic, and meaningful experience that can result from working with a diverse group of people.  What does it mean to make art in public today? What is the role of the artist in public discourse and the broader community?  

Taking inspiration from the Finnish “talkoot” and the Amish “barn raising”, we will support each other in our individual studio projects and collaborate over the course of the residency. We will delve into the conceptual, practical and psychological considerations for working in the public realm: self-reflection, motivation, taking responsibility, consultation, conflict and resolution, and ultimately, confidence.  Other topics to explore may include object theatre, model making, public space interventions, aesthetics, creative place-making, digging holes, proposals, temporary and permanent projects, site specificity, and regeneration. Through studio visits with lead artists and visiting experts, short intense practical workshops, discussion groups, seminars, group feedback, and art making, we will develop a deeper understanding of the public realm and collaborative creating. Intend to purge any troublesome obstacles and thoughts about stepping outside of the gallery, and into public space.  We invite all mediums of visual arts practice including curators, architects and designers.  

Please note the intention of this residency is to workshop ideas, designs, and protypes for public art projects to be installed at other locations, not on The Banff Centre campus.