Dresden Residency Exchange

In 2024, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking began a partnership with the City of Dresden, Germany, to participate in an annual artist residency exchange with Grafikwerkstatt Dresden, a print studio in Dresden.

For this Residency Exchange, Grafikwerkstatt Dresden selects an artist from their membership to come to CCP for a month, and CCP sends an artist from our membership to go there for a month. The City of Dresden has a longstanding exchange program, and artists from other countries will also participate in this communal, cultural exchange residency.

TIMELINE

The residency is a month long and takes place in the Fall, usually late-September through late-October.
CCP begins accepting applications in early January. The application deadline has been extended to March 30, 2026.

ELIGIBILITY

The Residency Exchange is only open to current CCP Members. Become a member or renew your membership here.
Artists must be established and experienced printmakers (not beginners or students). They must be able to work independently on their Residency Project without the help of print staff. This residency is not intended as a time to learn new skills.
The Residency Project must be in one of the following Traditional Printmaking processes: Intaglio, Relief, or Lithography.

COSTS

Currently, CCP cannot offer any funding to our selected artist. However, certain expenses are included as part of the residency:

Included in the Residency: Lodging (see details below), All Studio Equipment, Staff Print Assistance, 50 EUR materials stipend.
Not Included: Travel Expenses, Meals, Materials.

DRESDEN RESIDENCY FAQs

What is Grafikwerkstatt Dresden?

The Grafikwerkstatt Dresden was founded in 1958 by a group of Dresden artists, and is now a professional fine art printmaking shop, a meeting place for contemporary artists, and a space to foster artistic collaboration. Their studio can accommodate relief, intaglio, and lithography. Like CCP, artists need to be self sufficient while printing in the Grafikwerkstatt studios, but they do have trained and experienced printers on staff (who speak English).

What are the lodging accommidations?

Artists stay at the Raskolnikoff Guest House, a quaint pension located in central Dresden. All rooms have an en-suite bathroom. There is a communal kitchenette and an on-site restaurant.

The print studio is located in a more commercial neighborhood in the city, about a 30 minute journey by tram from the Guest House.

May I bring my spouse/partner, children, or pet?

No, artists are expected to participate by themselves.

What are the residency dates?

CCP’s artist will travel to Dresden in the Fall. The exact dates are determined by the City of Dresden each year, and will be included in the application information.

In 2025, the dates were September 25 – October 25.

Are meals included?

Meals are not included. There is no funding support for meals. The Raskolnikoff Guest House has a kitchenette where residents can prepare their own meals. Residents must purchase their own groceries. There is also an on-site restaurant and cafe.

Are there any materials restrictions? Which printmaking processes are supported?

Grafikwerkstatt Dresden only supports the following three traditional printmaking processes: Intaglio, Relief, or Lithography. CCP’s exchange artist must work in one of those disciplines.

Will there be other artists-in-residence?

Yes, this is a communal residency with the goal of cultural and artistic interaction. CCP’s exchange artist will be surrounded by other exchange artists from a variety of countries. Recent participants have come from Greece, Sweden, Poland, and France. Artists will lodge together in Raskolnikoff Guest House, but each artist will have their own room with en-suite bathroom.

How many applicants are chosen each year? May I apply more than once?

CCP only chooses one artist per year for the Dresden Exchange. It is a very competitive program. We encourage artists who have applied in the past and not been chosen to apply again another year. The application pool changes every year, so a qualified artist who was not chosen the first time they applied may be chosen in the future.

What are the next steps after I submit my application?

Once we have received your completed application and application fee, we will follow up with an email acknowledging receipt.

All applications are reviewed together after the deadline. If you apply before the deadline, we will hold your application until the Review Committee meets. The Committee usually meets 3-4 weeks after the deadline, and artists are notified of their decisions about 4-6 weeks after the deadline has passed.

If you are granted the residency, we will contact you with the good news and connect you with our counterparts in Dresden. They will help you coordinate the details of your residency.

Upon your return, CCP will contact you to arrange an artist talk (or similar program) for you to share your residency experience with the CCP community.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please read carefully through the following Application Guidelines, and when you have gathered all the required materials, click the APPLY NOW button below.

For questions regarding Residencies or the application process, please email air@contemprints.org

Application Period

CCP begins accepting applications in early January for that year’s Fall Exchange. You may not apply before the application window opens. The application deadline is February 28.

Application Materials

Prepare the following materials ahead-of-time for submission via an online form:

A detailed Project Proposal. Please be as specific as possible (500 word maximum). We want to know what you want to accomplish during your residency and how this exchange opportunity can benefit your project development and uniquely help grow your printmaking practice. Be forthright and clear about what you want to do and how you plan to implement your project at a practical level.
CV (2 page maximum) and Artist Bio (250 words)
Seven-ten images of recent work related to your proposal (jpgs, 5MB max each), with an accompanying image checklist specifying Title, Date, Medium, Dimensions, and Edition
Two professional references who can speak about your work, provide name, contact information, and relationship/association to you
An application fee of $30 (payment link will be provided)

Residency Costs

Currently, CCP cannot offer any funding to our selected artist. However, certain expenses are included as part of the residency:

Included in the Residency: Lodging (see details above), All Studio Equipment, Staff Print Assistance, 50 EUR materials stipend.
Not Included: Travel Expenses, Meals, Materials.

Have you read all of the details above?

If not, go back and read them now. Applications that do not comply with the guidelines risk being rejected by the Review Committee.

APPLY NOW