Since its beginnings in 1992, Art Omi has hosted visual artists from every continent, representing a wide diversity of artistic styles. In that time, over 650 artists from more than 100 countries have come to Omi to create, experiment, collaborate and share their ideas. The residency takes place in early summer and offers artists four weeks to concentrate on creative work, cultural exchange and critical appraisal. Artists are provided with a private studio, shared living quarters, and meals at no cost.
Omi is located in the town of Ghent, New York, in the Hudson River Valley, approximately two and a half hours from New York City, and three hours from Boston. The campus consists of over 300 acres of rolling farmland, woodlands and ponds, and includes The Fields Sculpture Park, which exhibits contemporary art year-round. The facilities include a Federal Period farmhouse with views of the Catskill Mountains, a large two-story barn with indoor studios, and contemporary residence buildings designed in the traditional New England vernacular.
Numerous fellowships and support are available to artists from specific regions and/or who are dealing with specific issues. These range from Unlimit Art, initiated in 2013 to support an artist with disabilities, to the Arte East Fellowship for an artist from the Middle East and North Africa region to the American Dream Fellowship, for an artist who has never been to the United States before. All fellowships are intended to assist in facilitating cultural exchange and bringing artists together who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in a residency.
In addition, Art Omi's Visitors Program brings artists, critics, gallerists, and curators to meet the artists and offer valuable input and networking opportunities. The Visitors Program enables residents to engage directly with the New York City art world in a fashion unmatched by similar residency programs.
During each session, Omi invites a distinguished critic or curator to participate as a Critic-in-Residence. Recent participants include Sylvie Fortin, Executive Director Montreal Biennial, Sara Reisman, Artistic Director, The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; Charlotta Kotik, Curator Emerita, Brooklyn Museum; and Saul Ostrow, Art Editor for Bomb Magazine, among others.
The residency culminates with a very popular event open to the public on the last Sunday of the residency, during which hundreds of professionals, art lovers, neighbors and friends engage with the artists and view their work.
Since its founding Omi International Arts Center has been guided by the principle that artistic expression transcends economic, political, and cultural boundaries.