About

The Open Wabi Artist Residency Program, located in a 100-year-old factory building in rural Ohio, offers emerging and established artists the time, space, and environment to encourage growth and experimentation in their practice. The residency is designed to allow artists to take risks and pursue new projects and ideas. While in residence, artists are encouraged to pursue their own work amidst a group of peers. Open Wabi facilitates this by providing a 20 acre property with large studios, unique spaces for installation, basic living facilities, and the opportunity for collaboration and critique with visiting artists and critics.

Local Information

Located in the heart of rural Ohio, Open Wabi’s location provides freedom from the distractions of everyday life, aiding artists in the production of their work. We are located on 20 acres just inside Fredericktown, Ohio, city limits. The property was home to the Sun Glow Furniture factory until the 1960s. “Sun Glow” is still faintly visible on the original water tower overlooking the property, but Open Wabi has given new life to the structures by reshaping a portion of the factory into artist studio spaces and the train depot into living quarters. Open Wabi recently converted 20,000 square feet of the factory structure into an open courtyard area that remains partially enclosed by the original exterior walls. It is an ideal space for environmental or installation projects, along with the surrounding wooded and grassy areas.

Network Affiliations

• Alliance of Artist Communities