Impressions Artist Residency

The Conseil des arts de Montréal supports the Empreintes residency to encourage Montreal artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to access exceptional research environments and meaningful professional development opportunities.

Organized in partnership with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), this residency offers a visual artist the opportunity to conduct a research project at the heart of one of the country’s most comprehensive collections, in an environment conducive to exploration, learning, and the enrichment of their practice.

Who is eligible to apply?

This residency is open to individual artists with an immigrant background who are members of a cultural community or a visible minority and who live in the Montreal area.

What are the program objectives?

This program aims to:  

• encourage research to foster new perspectives on the Museum’s collection
• enable artists to draw inspiration from the collection to enrich their practice and reflections
• promote professional development by enhancing skills related to showcasing the artistic process
• offer emerging artists greater visibility within the Montreal arts community

What type of assistance is provided?

The selected artist will receive: 

• a grant of $9,000, broken down as follows: a fee of $6,000 and a stipend of $3,000 ($375 per week for 8 weeks)
• eight (8) hours of mentorship from a museum curator to guide the artist’s creative process or artistic reflection
• access to the Museum’s archives and personalized support with research methodologies
• unrestricted access to the exhibition halls during the MMFA’s hours of operation
  invitations to Museum events, providing opportunities for networking, meetings, and exchanges

What is the duration of the support?

The support is offered on a one-time and non-renewable basis. 

What are the general eligibility criteria?

• Be a professional visual artist (painting, sculpture, video, installation, performance, photography, etc.) who works independently, has received basic training, and possesses expertise recognized by peers. The professional artist creates, performs, or publishes works that are exhibited or distributed, devotes most of their time to their artistic practice, and receives compensation for their work
• Be an artist with an immigrant background and a member of a cultural community or a visible minority
• Have less than seven years of professional experience in Quebec
• Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
• Have resided on the island of Montreal for at least one year

What kinds of projects are eligible?

Research projects focused on the MMFA’s collection.

What are the specific requirements for eligibility?

• Have familiarized yourself with the Museum’s collection to ensure the feasibility of the research project
• Be available on the predetermined dates
• Agree to undergo a background check
• Write a one-page report on your experience during the residency
• Present the results of the work completed during the residency in the form of a public lecture to the public and partners

Note: it is possible to present a research project that is the subject of a future artistic project. However, the completion of an artistic project in parallel or after the residency is not an eligibility criterion. 

Who is ineligible to apply?

Applicants

• Artists who do not meet the general and specific eligibility requirements 
• MMFA or Conseil employees (or any close family members)
• Artists whose works are already part of the MMFA’s collection

Projects

• Research projects that require on-site creation or production 
• Incomplete applications 
• Applications received after the deadline 

Ineligible applications will not be evaluated by the evaluation committee. 

When must the project be carried out?

The Impressions residency will take place at the MMFA from March 22 to May 14, 2027. Dates are subject to change but must be mutually agreed upon by both parties. The Museum reserves the right to change any date that does not fit within its schedule of activities.

How many applications will be accepted?

Only one application will be accepted every year.

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

How can I submit an application?

Visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts website to learn more and apply.

How are applications evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated by a jury of peers from the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the MMFA.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The selection criteria are as follows:

• originality of the approach and the research project
• relevant connection between the research project and the Museum’s collection
• ability to adapt and work independently
• knowledge of the artistic and historical context of the MMFA’s collection
• positive impact of the project on the artist’s career, the development of diverse audiences, and the Museum’s collection

How will the grant be paid?

The grant offered by the Conseil will be paid through the MMFA.

Accepting payment of the grant constitutes, for the artist, an undertaking to complete the activities covered by the grant and to comply with the accompanying conditions, which will be communicated upon selection of the application.

Artists agree to:

• carry out the proposed project as planned
• notify the Conseil as soon as possible if unable to carry out the project in the fiscal year for which the grant was awarded. Depending on the situation, a full or partial refund may be requested
• if requested, submit activity reports and financial statements at the required times
• if applicable, include in the report photographs, videos or any other relevant, royalty-free visuals that the Conseil may use for promotional or archival purposes

In addition, organizations, collectives, artists and their representatives agree at all times not to communicate with members of the evaluation committees or members of the Council’s Board of Directors in any matter relating to the management, evaluation or decisions related to their application.  

The Conseil des arts de Montréal staff are available to answer questions about the application evaluation process and decisions.