The Toyama City Institute of Glass Art in Japan is now accepting applications for its Artist-in-Residence Program, which will take place later this year from October 20 through November 30, 2014. Located on the northwest coast of Japan, Toyama prides itself on being a "Glass Art City", with the school positioned in a creative environment ideal for studying the craft.
The residency program, established in 2010, aims “to promote glass art and cultural activities in Toyama City, to invigorate the local communities, and to develop human resources,” according to the TIGA website. One artist of any glassmaking discipline is selected from a pool of international applicants to visit Toyama for six weeks and to take advantage of access to the hot shop, kiln shop, and cold shop at the school. Past artists-in-residence have included Anna Mlasowsky (2011), Ethan Stern (2012), and Ben Wright (2013) (Disclosure: Ben Wright is currently the education director at UrbanGlass, which publishes the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet).
On top of using the available resources to create work throughout the duration of six weeks, artists-in-residence will be expected to interact with TIGA students, who undertake two-year educational programs in glass art, and members of the local community by giving lectures on their work and demonstrations of their techniques, and mounting a solo exhibition at the end of the residency.
Application materials and guidelines for submission, as well as lodging information and a list of available facilities and equipment can be found online at http://toyamaglass.ac.jp/info/index-en.php#entry-825. The deadline to apply is July 1.