Open call for artists from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

International Artist Residency | Kansas (USA)

Are you a creative person looking for new inspiration, dreaming of a space for free expression, and living in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship? Do you want to immerse yourself in the extraordinary landscape of the American prairie and infuse your project with a whole new energy?

If so, this program is just for you!

Project Concept

The Provincial Center for Cultural Promotion in Toruń, in collaboration with the Kansas Arts Commission and the Marshal’s Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Province, is launching an international artist exchange program. An artist from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Province now has the opportunity to participate in a creative residency in the heart of the United States—in the picturesque town of Matfield Green, Kansas, located within the Tallgrass Prairie National Reserve (one of the last remaining tallgrass prairie ecosystems in the world).

The program is based on the idea of engaging in dialogue with local communities, seeking inspiration in a unique natural environment, and building lasting international cultural bridges. In turn, as part of a return visit, a guest from the U.S. will visit the smallest town in our region—Górzno.

Project Partners

The project partners are: the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province Government (Poland) and the Kansas Department of Commerce / Kansas Arts Commission (U.S.).

The Tallgrass Artist Residency is a program run by the Kansas Arts Commission, integrated into the community of Matfield Green, Kansas, located near the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The organizers collaborate with local entities to provide housing for artists and organize events, as well as with partners throughout the Flint Hills region.

Project Objective

The goal of the project is to enable a person from the province to work in the unique natural and social environment of the American prairie. The project emphasizes an original creative process that draws on interactions with the local community and the natural heritage of Kansas, as well as the exchange of experiences and the blending of cultural perspectives from Poland and the United States.

Who is it for?

We invite people who are involved in the arts on a non-professional basis (that is, who do not earn a living from their own artistic work) and who reside in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship to participate in the project.

• Art Forms: This is an open call—we welcome submissions from all art forms (including, but not limited to, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, new media, literature, music, and the performing arts).
• Clarification of the term “non-professional artist”: It is permissible to have a degree in the relevant field (for example, a degree from an art college) and to engage in teaching, educational, or research work (working at a school or college, or leading workshops). It is essential that the applicant not earn a commercial living from their original creative work.
• Formal requirements: A valid Category B driver’s license (due to logistics in Kansas), English proficiency at a minimum B2 level, a valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from the planned return date), and availability to travel for 16–21 days between April and June 2027 (the specific date will be selected in consultation with the chosen candidate).

Benefits for participants in the project

• Fee: 7,000 PLN gross for the residency.
• Travel and Visa: Coverage of airfare, visa fee (MRV), and full organizational and substantive support in the process of applying for a B-1 business visa.
• Insurance: Full insurance coverage for the duration of the stay in the U.S.
• On-site benefits (provided by the Kansas Arts Commission): Accommodations, meals, a space for creative work, and a rental car on site.
• Post-residency event: Organization of a wrap-up event at the WOAK headquarters in Toruń.

Requirements for the Selected Artist

• Carry out an original artistic project in relation to the local community or the natural environment of the Kansas prairie during a 14–16-day stay in Matfield Green (this period does not include travel time).
• Organize an open closing event for the local community in Kansas (sharing the creative process—we do not require a finished, commercial work).
• Leaving the community in Matfield Green a tangible memento of your stay.
• Providing WOAK with photographic documentation of the residency.
• Holding a public artist talk at WOAK’s headquarters in Toruń upon your return from the U.S.

Recruitment Stages

Applicants go through a two-step recruitment process:

1. STAGE I (WOAK Preselection): Selection of up to 5 people by the WOAK Committee (Katarzyna Pągowska, Łukasz Wudarski, Dawid Lewandowski) based on submitted forms, portfolios, and video materials.
2. STAGE II (Interview with a U.S. Partner): An online interview in English between the selected finalists and representatives of the Kansas Arts Commission.
3. Recruitment Results: The final results will be announced by November 11, 2026.

How to Apply

Fill out the application form available [HERE].

Application deadline: by 11:59 p.m. on October 11, 2026 (Sunday).

Selection Criteria

• Fulfillment of formal requirements (Category B driver’s license, minimum B2 level of English, status as a non-professional artist, residence in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, and other requirements specified in the regulations);
• Originality and potential of the residency proposal;
• the approach to engaging the local community;
• creative exploration of the relationship between Polish and American cultures or between the natural heritage of Kansas and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Contact

Do you have any questions? Please contact us:

• Email: katarzyna.pagowska@woak.pl
• Phone: +48 695 385 110

The project partners are the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Arts Commission.

The project was co-financed from the budget of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province Local Government.