As an artist founded and operated residency, the Mudhouse’s ethos continues to be to provide an increasingly diverse group of artists an affordable, international residency experience. Determined by a selection committee, Full fellowships are based on the merit of the applicants work while Partial fellowships are need based.

Artists are asked to submit an application through SlideRoom, with the link on our application page. The application fee is $10.

Early Applications are reviewed starting in December, with the artists notified in February. Fellowship applications are reviewed starting 3/30, with artists notified 4/14. General applications will remain open until 4/14, with applications reviewed as they are received, and applications received by 3/30 reviewed first.

Fellowship applicants are asked to submit the names of two references, who will be contacted to submit a recommendation survey by 4/14.

Fellowship finalists will be asked to conduct a 20 minute Zoom interview with the Selection Committee, which will be recorded for review.

The accommodations for each artist include a private bedroom and either a private bathroom or a bathroom shared with no more than one other artist. Each apartment also has a shared kitchen. All of the accommodations in the village are unique, as they are the guest homes of the village’s residents. Room assignments are at the discretion of the directors, with attention paid to the artist’s discipline. Studio artists are housed close to the studio, writers are housed in accommodations with private work space, etc. To see some images of the accommodations we have used in the past, look at our photos page. We have a washing machine at the Mudhouse, and will be organizing laundry to take place once during the session. All the accommodations come with bath towels and bed linens.

The studio is a 1,000 sq. foot shared, open facility, with dedicated, individual workspaces within; including a table, chair, easel and wall space, if desired. The studio is available to the artists 24/7, with electric outlets and electric lighting. There are windows with screens on three sides, it is bright with natural light and airy. The Mudhouse also offers the use of the practice space with athletic flooring to one dancer/ choreographer in residence, and the use of the grand piano to one musician/ composer in residence, per session. Writers are housed in accommodations with access to a writing/ work space, they may also use the Mudhouse gardens as work space.

There is no Wifi in the Mudhouse, accommodations, or studio building. Reliable wifi on the mountain is only achieved through a telephone line, and the number of telephone lines in the village is limited. The Kafenio has Wifi, and it can be accessed 24/7 (it is stronger at night). It’s not strong enough to stream video, or download large files, but it is suitable for email and web browsing.

For cellular service artists should look into either an international plan with their cellular provider (it’s usually about $10/ day for unlimited data, or $100/ month with Verizon), or a Greek Sim card (to be changed out for the original Sim card- your phone number will change temporarily unless your original sim card is an e-sim) through the provider Vodafone. Cosmote is another Greek cell service provider, but its coverage in the village is very limited. Artists who want to use wifi on their laptops in their accommodations or in the studio should plan on adding international data to their phone through SIM or data plan, and using it as a hotspot.

Only spouses that are participating as fellow artists-in-residents are allowed. Children are not allowed as part of the Residency. We encourage our artists to think of this as undisturbed time, a respite from daily life and an opportunity to participate fully in a new community. Pets are not allowed. Plan a vacation for before or after the residency with a partner/ friend/ family member!

The weather is typically warm during the day, and cooler at night. It is not unusual for temperatures to reach 40 degrees Celsius (or higher) during the day (about 95- 100 degrees Fahrenheit). It is a dry, sunny heat and August will be consistently warmer than June. The Studio building is covered, well ventilated, and equipped with fans. There are very few buildings with air conditioning in the village, but many of the residences are built with thick adobe-like walls that keep the rooms inside cool. Nights may become very cool, artists are encouraged to bring light summer clothing as well as a warm sweater, jacket or long pants for a cool night. There is also the possibility of rain during the day, and it’s a good idea to have a rain jacket and umbrella. Hiking shoes and hiking socks are recommended, as are comfortable walking shoes. Bring a swimsuit, beach towel, sandals, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, swim goggles and reusable water bottle(!) for a beach trip.

The village is 5.5 miles up a steep, winding mountain road from the coast, a two hour hike each way. There will be a group trip to the beach on the last day of the Residency. If you plan to visit the beach regularly, we encourage you to rent a vehicle.

As an artist founded and operated residency, the Mudhouse’s ethos continues to be to provide an increasingly diverse group of artists an affordable, international residency experience. Determined by a selection committee, Full fellowships are based on the merit of the applicants work while Partial fellowships are need based.

Through the support of individual donors and foundations, the Mudhouse is able to extend a fellowship to every artist who requests aid. Partial fellowships cover a portion of the residency fee. While the overall cost of The Mudhouse Residency is $4,200 per artist for the Summer 2024, the residency fee for partially funded fellowships is $3200.

Artists who demonstrate additional financial need may request further financial assistance of a 25% discount on the reduced fee. Artists who request additional financial aid are asked to perform a job during the residency. This may be in studio upkeep, or setting up for artist presentations, or helping with the final exhibition. Additional financial aid brings the residency fee to $2600, and is based on availability.

Artists accepted to the residency are asked to submit a deposit of 35% of their residency fee to secure their placement in the session.

During the residency period, MH agrees to provide the Artist with:

● A shared workspace within its premises at the Mudhouse Studio, in the village of Agios Ioannis, Crete. Should the Artist need specific studio space to realize the work described in their proposal, such as access to a music room or performance space, MH will make every effort possible to provide the Artist access. Should the Artist request additional studio space beyond the facilities MH offers to realize work, MH will attempt to identify a suitable location and communicate the facility usage/ rental cost of this space.

The Artist will continue to have access to MH’s shared workspace in the event that MH arranges a separate work/studio space;

● Accommodations for the duration of the residency, to begin on the first day of the residency session and conclude on the last day of the residency period. Artists are provided a private bedroom, a private or shared bathroom with no more than one other artist, and a shared kitchen within the house. Residences will be professionally cleaned before the artist arrives, and once while the Artist is in residence. Linens are provided.

● MH provides a midday meal and dinner each day during the course of the residency, served family style at the local taverna. The MH allows Artists to purchase any groceries they may want for their house when they arrive, and again after one week, as each accommodation comes equipped with a small kitchen. Arrangements can be made for specific dietary restrictions if notified in advance. Dietary restrictions must be communicated to MH via the Residency Information and Question form;

● Professional introductions and support in the form of informal studio visits, meetings, and discussions at MH, with MH’s network of visiting arts professionals and curators, guest artists-in-residence, and MH staff, throughout the course of the Residency;

● Project support and technical assistance on a case-to-case basis provided by MH’s Directors and studio interns;

● Community-building activities in-house (e.g. Group meals, workshops, artists presentations), as well as guided and self-guided field trips/tours to archaeological sites and unique geographic locations on Crete;

● Participation in public program(s) in a format to be determined by the Artist together with MH staff as appropriate, (e.g, performance, reading, group exhibition) based on the Artist’s project. All MH public programs are free and open to the public;

● Promotion of Artist residency (online), events, public programs, and post-residency activities in MH materials online (website and social media) and/or in print;

● Parking in Agios Ioannis, within walking distance of the Artist’s accommodations, should the Artist rent a vehicle;

● Transportation to and from the bus station in Ierapetra and Agios Ioannis, if the Artist does not rent a vehicle;

During the residency period, the Artist agrees to:

● Provide required information including, but not limited to: personal and emergency contact information; arrival and departure information, flight information, travel plans before and after the residency, dietary restrictions and allergies, medical insurance details for period of residency;

● Provide details including, but not limited to: artist statement, bio, images and photo details if requested;

● Be responsible for organizing their own travel to and from the residency;

● Allow the Mudhouse to take photos of the Artist and their work during the residency, to be used for promotion as well as in future reports and grant applications;

● Attend and participate in the Mudhouse’s scheduled programs, artist presentations, and group activities to the best of the Artist's capacity. This includes preparing a Pecha Kucha presentation on personal artwork by May 1, to be presented during the residency session;

● Purchase any individual groceries for meals beyond the two daily meals provided;

● Respect the rules for accommodations and studio space;

● In the case of any loss of studio property and/or willful damage to the studio space or any loss of accommodations property and/ or willful damage to the accommodations, the Artist shall be held responsible for the total cost of repair or replacement of such equipment or property, and their residency may be terminated at the discretion of the Mudhouse Directors;

● Be professional in your conduct at all times as you are a representative of Mudhouse and your fellow residents at Mudhouse. Should the Artist’s actions jeopardize the Mudhouse programming or be detrimental to the well-being of fellow Artist Participants or Mudhouse staff, the Mudhouse will immediately provide written notice demanding that such actions cease, followed by a meeting with Mudhouse Directors to address the issue. Should the Artist fail to immediately redress the situation, the Mudhouse reserves the right to demand that the Artist vacate the studio and to terminate the Artist’s participation in the residency program without a refund of fees;

● Fill out an exit survey within one month after the end of residency;

● Credit and acknowledge the Mudhouse in relevant materials online and/or in print for work, projects, and/or opportunities created as a result of the Artist’s residency at the Mudhouse;

Artists are asked to prepare a Pecha Kucha presentation. Pecha Kucha are 20 slides at 20 seconds per slide, for a 6 minute and 40 seconds presentation. Slides will be submitted as a pdf by May 1, and arranged ahead of time for the residency presentation evenings.

The closing exhibition will take place at the close of the second week of the Mudhouse. Artists will propose works created during the course of the residency, which will be included in the closing exhibition at the discretion of the directors.

Artists may also choose to organize their own studio visits, informal critiques and readings among themselves. Mudhouse organized excursions and events include a guided tour of the Minoan archaeological site Gournia by archaeobotanist Carly Henkel, artist presentations in the evenings, the closing exhibition, and a beach trip on the last day of the residency.

Artists are required to submit the remainder of their residency fee and confirm their intention to attend the residency by May 1, 2024. After May 1, 2024, the residency fee will not be refunded.

The residency fee will be refunded at 65% if the artist requests a cancellation of their residency session up until May 1, 2024. Artists must request the cancellation in writing.

If the remainder of the residency fee has not been submitted by May 1, 2024, the Artist’s residency position, and deposit, is forfeited.

Artists must submit their rescheduling request in writing before May 1, 2024. We will attempt to accommodate rescheduling requests due to emergency circumstances, if the situation allows. After May 1, rescheduling requests will be considered on a case to case basis, but are far less likely to be accommodated.

We cannot “rollover” residencies from one year to the next.

Should there be an unforeseen cancellation of the residency, on the part of Mudhouse or the Artist, caused by any event of war, fire, earthquake, flood, strike, any law, rule, regulation or act of governmental authority, or any other act, event, cause or occurrence rendering the Mudhouse or Artist unable to perform its obligations which is not within their reasonable control, then the party affected by such an event shall immediately notify the other party in writing of such an event.

In the unlikely event this should occur, 65% of the residency fee, prorated by the number of days the Artist has attended the residency, will be refunded to the Artist.

The major airport in Crete is in Heraklion. The airport bus station is a short walk after you pass through Customs and exit the airport, across from the car rental area. First, you will need to take the #6, 10 or 19 blue bus to the KTEL central bus station in Heraklion, it comes every 20 minutes, costs 2€ and takes about 12 minutes. At the central bus station in Heraklion, you will take the bus to Ierapetra (it makes a stop in Agios Nikolaos). The buses to Ierapetra, the largest town near the Residency, are €12 - you will need cash for this. The bus takes approximately 2.5 hours.

The KTEL bus schedule is approximate and subject to change. We recommend buying a ticket at the station rather than online, because the most recent schedule will be posted at the bus station.

We will pick you up at the Ierapetra bus stop and then drive you to the Residency village, which is about 30 minutes. Leaving the Mudhouse is the reverse of arrival, but please keep in mind the transit time. You’ll want to make sure your return flight doesn’t leave before 11am to be safe. There is also taxi service from Heraklion to Agios Ioannis, but it costs around €120 each way.

Occasionally artists have chosen to spend a night in Heraklion before or after the residency because it allows for more flight options. We recommend the GDM Megaron hotel, but there are many nice boutique hotel options in Heraklion. The Archaeological Museum in Heraklion is definitely worth checking out. Peskesi is an incredible restaurant in the city center.

The address for the bus depot in Heraklion is Efessou 102, Iraklio 713 06, Greece (view on Google Maps). You don’t need to buy your bus tickets online, you can purchase tickets at the bus depot. Heraklion is a small city, and very walkable. Heraklion is also the port city for an overnight ferry from Athens (Piraeus). If you choose to take the ferry, we recommend the Minoan Lines. You can book a deck seat (cheapest) and spend the night in the lounge on a couch (bring a pillow and blanket!), or you may book a shared or private cabin. The ferry departs approximately 9pm and arrives in Heraklion approximately 6:30am.

If you’d like to rent a car, we suggest Discover Cars to start your search. It’s not necessary, but keep in mind that there is no public transportation in the village, and it’s about a 5.5 mile hike down to the nearest beach and convenience store. If you are renting a car, download and print (do it!) these driving directions to arrive at the Mudhouse (Google Maps will try to take you over goat paths, DO NOT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS). You no longer need an international driver’s license to rent a car on Crete, only a valid driver’s license from your country of origin.

If your residency begins on the 10th of June, for example, you should plan to arrive in Ierapetra at some point during the day on June 10th. This means taking the bus from Heraklion to Ierapetra on June 10th, where the Mudhouse Residency staff will pick you up and bring you to the village of Agios Ioannis. We will have lunch and dinner for artists arriving on the first day of the session.

If your residency ends on June 24th, this means the Mudhouse staff will be coordinating trips to take the artists to Ierapetra at different times during the day on June 24th. There will be breakfast and lunch provided for those artists still in the village during the day, but there will be no dinner or accommodations for that evening.

For artists who choose to spend the night in Ierapetra, and take the bus to Heraklion the next day, we recommend the Cretan Villa Hotel and Casablanca nearby for late night snacks and drinks, as well as breakfast in the morning. We also recommend visiting Yiannis and Maria at their store By the Sea in Ierapetra.

You should rent a car if you plan on doing much of your work outside of the village, along the coast or exploring the countryside. Cars can be rented at the Heraklion airport or seaport, and are typically very cheap for manual transmission economy cars.

The Mudhouse provides brunch and dinner, served at the Kafenio. All allergies and dietary restrictions we are made aware of in the Google Form will be taken into account. Artists may purchase coffee, tea, biscuits, snacks and drinks for the kitchens in their accommodations.

It is not handicap accessible. It is a 600 year old village built on the side of a mountain in rural Crete, and there are many steps and stairs throughout.

There are no stores or supermarkets in the village. The nearest supermarket is in the town of Ierapetra. You will have the opportunity to purchase groceries when you arrive in Ierapetra, and again one week into your residency.

There are no art supply stores in the village. The nearest town, Ierapetra, has a print and stationery store, with a small cache of elementary art supplies. Artists must bring the supplies with them that they intend to work with. It is not possible to mail supplies to Greece, so please plan to pack what you will be using.

The Mudhouse has easels, tables, chairs, odorless turpentine, linseed oil, jars, rags and eco cleaning supplies for common use.

The Mudhouse printmaking common supplies include a pin press, ink knives, barons, glass/ plexi, bench hooks, 1”- 4” brayers and relief carving tools. We encourage artists to use the water based relief ink brand Cranfield Caligo for easy clean up. We have bookmaking materials including Binders board, Nori paste, awls, curved needles and wax thread. We also have paper making supplies, including deckles, sponges, strainers, large tubs, mixers, pulps, felts and a blender.

Our cyanotype materials include two 14 x 17” photo trays and Hake brushes. Artists must bring their own paper (we recommend 9 x 12” Arches Aquarelle paper), clear sheets for inkjet printing, and Cyanotype chemicals. You can bring the dry Photographers’ Formulary Kit in your checked luggage.

If you are working with motion picture film (8, 16 or 35 MM), you must bring the film with you. Bring it in your carry on, and make sure you require the film be hand checked (do not let your film be x-rayed, regardless of what they tell you is safe!). We have materials at the Mudhouse for creating phytograms, and eco-processing B & W Negative film (Caffenol), including a LOMO tank and dark bag. We also have the E6 kit to develop color slide film (Ektachrome). We have a 16MM Eiki SL-0 Slimline projector, and analog film editing supplies, including a lightbox, lupe glass, splicer and tape. We have had artists bring Super 8 cameras and Bolex 16MM cameras with them to Mudhouse. We encourage artists to bring their own tripod, light meter and ND filters (the sun is bright!).

For digital projection purposes, we have one projector, and a Raspberry Pi, for installing and looping video in the ruins for the final exhibition. We also have a bluetooth speaker.

Dancers/ Performers/ Musicians/ Sound Artists should plan to bring their own speakers/ AV equipment as needed. One dancer/ performer will have access to the practice space with a soft vinyl Marley-adjacent floor over hardwood (arranged in advance) and one musician/ composer will have access to the music room with the grand piano (arranged in advance).

If you are planning to work in a specific medium and you cannot bring the supplies with you, you must coordinate with Mudhouse staff ASAP.

The Mudhouse Residency does not have a dedicated ceramics facility. We do not have an electric wheel or an electric kiln on our premises. We encourage artists, including ceramics artists, to adopt the resources the remote mountain village and our rural studio has to offer. We have invested in paper clay materials to embrace the residency’s environment. By mixing locally sourced clay slip with paper pulp artists can handbuild large sculptural forms, allow the forms to air dry naturally in the warm, arid weather of the village without worrying about cracking, re-activate the forms with water to continue building, paint the forms, and incorporate natural elements or lift textures from the surrounding area. Paper clay also allows the artist to carry the lightweight, durable artwork home with them, or return the form to its original malleable state without waste.

We can also coordinate the purchase of clay and the firing of works for ceramics artists with the local ceramics facility in Ierapetra. Clay is available in 25 kg bags for 25€, in its natural terracotta color. The Tzaros Ceramics facility charges 25€ daily to use the space, including glazes and underglazes. The ethos of the space is not commercial production, but a facility to allow artists to make a few artistic pieces. The Shimpo RK-5T potter’s wheel is not reservable, artists share their time on the wheel. The space is approximately 350 sq. ft. with a long, common work table for building and glazing. The kiln is fired communally, it is 15€ per firing. If you are planning to use the ceramics facilities regularly, we recommend renting a car. Ierapetra is approximately a 20 minute drive from the village.

There is a Canon PIXMA PRO-100 Inkjet Printer at the Mudhouse, it can accommodate paper up to 13 x 19”. BYOPaper, we recommend the Canon Photo Paper Pro Premium Matte in 13 x 19”. We encourage you to also bring your own ink. You must download the driver for the printer here if you plan to use it. You will need to be able to attach a standard USB to your computer (BYO adapter). We do not provide tech support for the printer, so please plan to use it only if you can manage your own printing.

There is also a printing service in Ierapetra. They print on low quality paper, but the prints are inexpensive, and they can print all international A Format sizes. For artists who want to show large format digital work in the final exhibition, but not spend a large amount of money on printing, and not worry about traveling afterwards with large prints, this is a great option.