Chicken Coop Artist in Residency

The Chicken Coop AIR offers time and space for urban visual artists to focus on their creative process in a rural setting. The Chicken Coop AIR centers on visual artists of different ages, career stages, abilities, and identities. Residents stay at Villekulla Farm, a beautiful Nebraska acreage in Stanton County, only an hour and a half drive from both Omaha and Lincoln.

Our goal is to foster a creative experience where visiting artists regenerate a colorful and inclusive environment in rural Nebraska.

You will be sharing the house and property with host Trudie Teijink and her yellow lab Pippi and cat Anika. Other family members and friends might come over to stay as well. The over 120-year-old farmhouse is being renovated with a DIY approach. This means that some spaces are unfinished and look messy but are clean. All guest bedrooms and communal kitchen and bathroom are completed! Artists and host prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Artists are asked to help in covering costs for this residency. Therefore a reimbursement fee of $250 is required for a week-long stay at the acreage. Financial help may be available. Please mention in the application your need for financial help.

Residents will be assigned to either the Chicken Coop Studio, the Barn Swallow Studio or the Great Horned Owl Studio in the Petronella Barn.

Chicken Coop ArtistIn Residency Dates for summer 2024: Applications now closed

The Chicken Coop Artist In Residency will connect urban artists and the rural community through a public open house event with an AIR exhibition and hands-on creative activities.

To deepen the rural experience, you are welcome to help at the acreage voluntarily. See where you would like to pitch in:

• Animal chores. We will provide instructions for participating.

  The animals will thank you!

• Taking care of the vegetable garden, yum.

• Taking care of native grasses and plants in our prairie initiative.

• Taking care of the newly planted native trees and shrubs in the forested windbreak.

• Renovation efforts. We will provide instructions for participating and equipment.

• Grounds upkeep. We will provide instructions for participating and how to use equipment.

• Other. Let us know if there is something else you would like to do that is helpful to us!

You don’t need to feel obliged to work on the acreage; our main goal is for you to have a good experience that enables you to focus on your creative process. Finding inspiration, meeting people, being supportive, being supported, creating memories, living life in a different pace than your usual day-to-day and enjoying life to the fullest with community spirit in mind!