The Museo Sant’Orsola, together with the Calliope Arts Foundation and the Levett Collection / FAMM, promotes two residencies dedicated to women artists, with no age limit, aimed at highlighting the contribution of women in contemporary artistic practices. The residencies are conceived as a period of research, experimentation, and development of an original artistic project, with the museum’s technical and curatorial support. The selected artists will be hosted in Florence for a two-month consecutive residency period between October and December 2026.
Sant’Orsola, a former Benedictine women’s monastery later transformed into a tobacco manufactory and subsequently into a reception centre in the post-war period, is a site deeply connected to the histories of generations of women who lived or worked there (nuns, cigar workers, refugees and displaced women). As custodian of this memory, the museum now invites new women artists to develop contemporary practices capable of engaging with the site’s layered history and opening new perspectives on the present
The outcomes of the research will be included in the Museo Sant’Orsola’s 2027 cultural programme and presented to the public during a four-month opening period, contributing to the dissemination and enhancement of the residency projects at both national and international level. During the residency, at least one open studio or public presentation of the work in progress is planned.
The call is open to:
- women artists
- available to stay in Florence for the entire duration of the residency
- with a good knowledge of Italian, English, or French
During the residency, the artists will benefit from:
- a research and production grant of 1,700 EUR net per month (which may also be used, if necessary, to cover part of the travel expenses)
- accommodation and workspace at Villa Il Palmerino, cultural partner of the project
- curatorial and technical support
- financial support for the artistic production of the project
