Pihatto Artist Residency (PAR)
is located in Lappeenranta, eastern Finland, on the grounds of the old vicarage, in a former animal shelter. The studio apartment is located on the upper floor of the building, while the lower floor serves as a gallery space. The residency is surrounded by an arboretum of hundreds of different woody plants and a courtyard inhabited by blackbirds, squirrels, foxes and hares.
The residence opens to the north with Lake Saimaa,
the lights of the Kaukas mill to the east,
the city center to the west,
and the eastern border to the south.
The residency welcomes professional artists with an emphasis on visual arts, but is also open to multi- and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Residency in Instagram.
The residence
The 30-square-meter open plan apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, sleeping alcove, bathroom, living room area and office corner with an adjustable desk. The bed is suitable for two people and there is also a sofa bed for one person. The apartment is ideal for tidy working and the space can be adapted to suit your own use. The yard area in front of the apartment can also be used for working. A separate studio is located a couple of kilometers away in the city center. Guests also have the opportunity to use the printmaking workshop, which is located in the historic Fortress area.
The apartment is located on the upper floor of an old barn building and is accessed by stairs with about twenty steps. Animal companions are also welcome. Therefore, the apartment is not an allergy-free area.
Downstairs of the residency you can find Gallery Pihatto which is owned by the city of Lappeenranta.
Also a short walk away is the Art Centre Itä, run by the South Karelian Artists’ Association and the Finnish Jewellery Art Association, where you can meet local artists at exhibition openings and various events. The proximity of Lake Saimaa makes it possible to explore the nearby islands on foot in winter when the ice is frozen, or by water during summer.
During 2026-28, The Experimental Art Lab operates in Lappeenranta, offering artists collective working spaces and workshops, and serving as a platform for open discussion about the possibilities and significance of art in public space. The workspaces are located in the city center and can be modified to a variety of needs. The Art Lab enables working with, for example, recycled materials, ceramics, welding space, techniques requiring a darkroom, and larger pieces. The Art Lab supports the artist's own work, experimental approach and opens up discussion to local and ecological perspectives. The Art Lab is maintained and coordinated by the South Karelian Artists' Association. The project is supported by the Kone Foundation and the Karelian Culture Promotion Foundation.
The Linnoitus Printmaking Workshop is a versatile center for printmaking run by the South Karelian Artists' Association in the Fortress district of Lappeenranta. Founded in 1993, the workshop is located by Katariinantori in the historic 19th-century barracks building. The facility currently has 100 square meters of various types of workspaces, which enable working with almost all the different techniques of graphic arts. The workshop is maintained by the printmakers of the association and is open to all members of the association, welcoming also non-members. The workshop is available to residency artists at a membership price. More information about the Linnoitus Printmaking Workshop and its possibilities here.
OPEN CALL!
Pihatto Artist Residency serves as a refuge for creating one’s own art and provides space for new ways of thinking and working. Housed in a 19th-century barn, the residency reaches into the past, while also offering the opportunity to envision different futures through the medium of art. Here, art can enable a new perspective on the region's distinctive characteristics, such as its geographical location, multicultural history and current regional development challenges.
The residency can also be linked to the artist association's other facilities and ongoing projects, which are presented at the surroundings section. If your work is linked to these themes or ways of doing things, please mention this in your application. However, please note that the residency is open to all kinds of art-making.
We wish that you are open to engaging with the local community during your stay in a form of artist talk for example.
Application deadline:25.09.2026 23:59 EEST(UTC+3)
Duration:1 to 3 months between November 2026 and April 2027
Who can apply:Professional artists with an emphasis on visual arts, but the residency also welcomes multi- and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Questions?All questions can be sent to pihattoresidency@gmail.com. Please notice that we do not have regular staff, so it may take some days for us to reply.
Fee:The residency is free of charge.
How to apply? Please send your application (in english or finnish) including
- motivation letter (max. A4)
- portfolio or a link to digital portfolio/website
- CV
- preferred time of your stay
combined as a single pdf (max. 10 mb) to pihattoresidency@gmail.com. Title your email: OPEN CALL 2026
Name your portfolio as follows:
LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_PAR.pdf
Only the applications that meet these criteria and are delivered on time can be considered.
Residency selections are made during September by a group consisting of members from the South Karelian Artists´ Association.
We are hoping to hear from you soon!