Having a few months in 2023 behind me, I am feeling very much in a good groove when it comes to content, partnerships, events, travel and the such. I laughed when I recently took my mom on a press trip with me for the first time (in ten years – and yes, #MamaSue was a hit with my friends in the media) and she got to see how much work goes into what I do on a daily basis.
Not that I need the validation, because it’s become second nature to go at this pace, but it can sometimes take a lot for me to be impressed. I am always inspired, but impressed takes a special kind of topic or experience. I guess that’s why I was so pleasantly surprised during an event in Toronto as Rebecca’s plus one where a brand truly left me impressed with an initiative they have been spearheading in Canada for years.
“Valued at over $24,000, the 18th annual Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program awards one Canadian artist an all-inclusive three-month residency in Dufftown, Scotland that includes income, project materials and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with an international art community.”
It’s by no means a shock to anyone who has read my blog that I am a lover of Whisky, but I had never stopped to realize how much the brand invested in art, and Canadian artists, up until this point whilst at the event in Toronto. And yes, I was absolutely impressed and continue to be. So much so, that it was something I simply had to share with you.
The concept is genius actually – bringing artists from around the world to one of the most beautiful places on the planet and allowing them to just be and create their projects and art. I can only imagine the conversations and memories made by the selected applicants each year and the beauty that has been born from it all over the years.
The 2023 residency marks the 22nd anniversary of the global Glenfiddich Artist in Residence program and the 18th anniversary of the program in Canada. Applications for the 2024 Artists in Residency program will be scheduled to open once again in December 2023.
“Glenfiddich in Canada is proud to support and elevate the Canadian arts community through the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Program,” adds Claire May, National Senior Brand Manager, Glenfiddich. “We are proud to award Derek Liddington with this prestigious award, and look forward to showcasing the work he creates during his time in Dufftown, Scotland.”
As mentioned, this year’s recipient is Derek Liddington.
“My works often start as sketches of my own experience, observation and memory, gathered through active observation of my surroundings and interactions” comments Liddington. “While in Dufftown I intend to spend my days wandering the surrounding landscape, fields, valleys, towns and waterways, sketchbook in hand, searching for giants, monsters, and local folklore. Looking and listening will be used as a means of understanding the landscape and systems of commerce that make this location ideal/idyllic as a place for distilling, as well as myth making.”
During his time residency, Liddington plans to explore regional relationships creating paintings drawing inspiration from the storied history of the Dufftown landscape in relation to Scotland’s rich history of giant folklore.
Recognized and celebrated in global art communities as one of the world’s most prestigious of artist residencies, the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Program receives hundreds of applications annually. The program transports winning artists from across the globe to the Glenfiddich historic setting, deep in the Scottish Highlands, to foster the creation of original work directly influenced by the Glenfiddich Distillery, its processes, and its rich environment. Year over year, the artist pieces created during the residency are of unique tone, ambience and medium, and are displayed at the distillery for ongoing years.
For more information about the Glenfiddich Artist in Residence program, please visit www.glenfiddich.com/ca/artistsinresidence.
For more information regarding Glenfiddich in Canada, please visit glenfiddich.alchemystsinc.com.
To learn more about the world of Glenfiddich globally, please visit www.glenfiddich.com.
To learn more about Derek Liddington and his body of work, please visit derekliddington.com.
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Photos: Best of Toronto, Daniel Reyes Cocka and participating brands
Don’t forget to be kind & laugh a little more this year
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