animal-in-residence portland, or
portland, or
About
What is Animal-in-Residence?
Residents are provided with free communal studio space, material resources, room and communal meals, workshops, activities, and individual mentorship over an intensive two-week residency period. Resident artists work alongside a cohort of creative peers to forge meaningful connections and further develop their individual creative practices in a supportive studio environment.
Our inaugural 2024 program is generously supported by a RACC Arts3c Grant.
Who should apply?
> Visual Contemporary / Multidisciplinary Artists
Visual contemporary artists working in any medium, who are engaging with any aspect of furry are welcome to apply. Ideal candidates are visual artists who are self-motivated, actively dedicated to developing their artistic practice, are interested in engaging in contemporary dialogues about furry in relation to their work, and are committed to immersing into a dynamic artistic community and co-creating a positive, supportive residency experience during their time here and beyond.
Artists that self-identify as being part of a historically marginalized group (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, queer, trans and/or gender non-conforming, disabled, low-income, rural, etc.) are especially encouraged to apply. We recognize the systemic barriers that prevent artists from diverse backgrounds from attending residencies and pursuing a career in the arts, and are committed to doing what we can to allieviate these challenges.
Eligibility Overview
- Artists working in any and all mediums may apply—see our Program Overview for details on what resources and equipment are available.
- Your work, or the work you wish to explore at the residency, engages with the concept of furry in some way—conceptually, literally, aesthetically, culturally, socially, etc. Applicants are encouraged to interpret the concept of furry expansively: there is no set definition.
- Applicants must be 21+ to attend the residency.
- Residents must participate in an ADA accessible, public-facing component of the program that engages the local Portland community, such as (but not limited to) an artist talk, pop-up exhibition, a public performance, etc. This public component can be co-decided by the resident to align with their goals and interests.
Program Overview
Next residency session dates: TBD
The main floor and studio are currently accessed via stairs, so please let us know if you have accessibility concerns so we can work with you to modify the space to suit your needs.
Program Offerings
24/7 studio access • Material & supply stipend • Travel fund • Free lodging and communal meals • 1-on-1 Mentorship • Critiques • Workshops
• Public presentation of your work • Community with a growing cohort of fellow artists working in contemporary art + furry
Materials, Tools, Equipment, and Supplies
We offer a basic selection of drawing and painting supplies, sculpture fabrication tools, hand tools, and power tools for communal use.
Artists are encouraged to bring all necessary tools and equipment they anticipate needing for the residency. Additional tools may be rented for free from the North Portland Tool Library with advance notice. If you are anticipating needing a specific tool or piece of equipment, let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate.
We have some restrictions on materials and solvents that create toxic waste, particulates, and/or fumes; if you work are interested in working with these materials please let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly.
Our studio facilities are currently best equipped to accommodate most drawing, painting, photography, video, performance, textiles, and basic mixed-media sculpture practices. Artists working in any medium are welcome, and we will do our best to connect you to local resources and facilities that we do not provide, or work with you to find alternative solutions.
Nearby Resources:
Within 1 mile:
St. John’s ACE Hardware
Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Within 5 miles:
Artist and Craftsman Supply
Sewlarium
North Portland Free Tool Library
Grainger Industrial Tools
Harbor Freight Tools
Lowe’s Hardware
Within 10 miles:
SCRAP PDX Creative Reuse Store
Columbia Art & Drafting
Blick Art Materials
Jo-Ann Fabrics
Within 25 miles:
Mill End Store - Fabric Emporium
I’ve Been Framed - Art Supply Center
Available Tools / Equipment:
- Utility sink
- Painting
- Rotary saw
- Basic hand tools
- Drivers
- Hammer drill
- EverSewn digital sewing machine
- Janome New Home sewing machine
- Soldering irons
- Dragonhawk tattoo machine
-
Installation tools and hardware
- Projectors: digital, overhead, and opaque
- Digital camera + tripod
- Studio lighting equipment + backdrops
- PC workstation with Adobe CC access
- Oculus VR Headset
- Flatbed scanner
- Inkjet photo printer
- Laser printer
- Bluetooth speaker
- Access to the N. Portland Tool Library catalog
› 2024 Faculty
Zephyr Kim
they/heFursona: Theory (Pink dragon)
Zephyr (Lara) Kim explores the potential of nonhuman embodiment to investigate trans becoming and feral insubordination, as methodologies toward queer liberation. He is interested in creating work that causes regenerative destruction, collapses binaries, and gives form to impossible longings - like the kaiju that rampages through the city. He earned a BFA from the University of Oregon in 2015 and a MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2023. They are the founder of Animal-in-Residence, an artist residency program in Portland, OR.
zephyr.kim
Tommy Bruce
he/himFursona: Atmus (White-tailed deer)
Tommy Bruce’s work explores the formation of identity in contemporary culture through work with the Furry community. He lives in Portland, Oregon and was born in State College, Pennsylvania. He received a MFA in Studio Art from the University of New Mexico in 2020 and a BFA in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2014. His work has been featured in exhibitions and publications internationally, including Art in America, The Institute for Contemporary Art Philadelphia, Vice, Lenscratch, and ArtForum. He has advocated for the legitimacy and value of the Furry community through public presentations, exhibitions, and programming for more than a decade.
tommybruce.net
Jesse England
he/himFursona: Redacteur (Grey wolf)
Jesse England is an interdisciplinary artist based in Portland, Oregon. His artwork exists in both the field of contemporary media art under his human name and in the realm of furry comics and illustration under the handle Outsidewolves. Both areas of expression seem to be slowly converging.
jesseengland.net
outsidewolves.tumblr.com
outsidewolves.bsky.social
Brett Hanover
they/themFursona: Auryn (Lynx)
Auryn is a filmmaker whose work explores neurodiversity, queer virtual communities, and transformation. Their films have been exhibited at venues including the SXSW Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, Cinémathèque Française, and many cons and DIY spaces. Auryn currently teaches photography and digital art at the University of Memphis.
bretthanover.com
Paul Peng
he/himFursona: Paul Peng (Chinese-American)
Paul Peng likes to make art and show some of it. His art looks like drawings and comics and is sometimes about monster boys doing things that real people do, like wearing clothes and fulfilling quests and eating sandwiches. He received a BCSA in Computer Science and Art from Carnegie Mellon University in 2017 and has done stuff since. Lives and works from Pittsburgh, PA. Good at DanceDanceRevolution and running a 9-minute mile.
paulpengdotcom.com
Covid-19 Policy
All residents and faculty are expected to adhere to these guidelines we co-create during the entire residency period.
In addition:
- Covid-19 vaccination and boosters are required for all on-site participants.
- Free KN-95 masks and rapid tests will be provided to all residents and on-site faculty upon request.