Stories

Creatives need not look any further than Crowsnest Pass for the perfect career-boosting opportunity: a residency in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. For centuries, The Pass has played host to creatives looking to be awe-inspired and productive – and has a roster of success stories to prove it.

One of the most notable artists, Canadian photographer Thomas Gushul (1891-1962), created his own studio in 1902 in Blairmore where he and his wife, Lena, would live and work.

The building, now known as The Gushul Studio and Cottage , was restored and registered as a historic resource by the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation in the early 80s. A significant contribution to eh arts community, the reimagined Studio first opened its doors in 1988 to artists and writers to live and create.

Today, the Studio and Cottage are owned by the University of Lethbridge and managed through the Gushul Studio Residency Program Committee, Faculty of Fine Arts. There are two types of residency programs offered at the property: The Southern Alberta Art Gallery Gushul Studio Residency through the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and The Gushul Studio Residency Program through the University.

The Gushul Studio Residency Program

More than 200 artists, scholars, and other professionals have completed residencies at Gushul, including Claudio Moser (photography), Joan Cardinal-Schubert (painting), Scott Rogers (sculpture) and Jeffrey Spalding (artist, writer, curator).

The University conducts a very competitive selection process for artist and writer residencies through the Gushul Residency Program, and the successful candidates not only find a place to create, but also a beautiful backdrop for work and study in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

The Cottage offers comfortable and private studio and living spaces in either the Artist’s Studio or the nearby Writer’s Cottage. Artists who are being hosted by the studio’s residency program are able to perfect their craft while being surrounded by living history.

The program has been so successful that it’s even spawned collaborative exchanges with other artist’s residency programs from around the world, even reaching as far as Australia with the Australia Indigenous Arts Residency Exchange.

There is a perpetual open call for Gushul Residencies, which are available to both Canadian and Non-Canadian Artists and Writers. Creatives interested in applying is encouraged to visit the University of Lethbridge site to learn more.