Frequently asked
questions.

The annual residency open call is for artists. Applications reopen in December every year; dates, guidelines and the application form are published on this website.

Curators based in any country or territory can apply for a three-day, two-night stay through BCR — Biolumina Curatorial Research. The program offers meetings with Vieques artists whom the curator can propose in the application according to their research interests. Biolumina covers accommodation and the round-trip ferry between Ceiba and Vieques.

The jury that reviews applications has a selection role separate from these visits.

How to apply as an artist. · Apply for a curatorial visit.

Applications reopen in December every year. The application round for the 2027 cohort is closed, and the artists have been selected.

We will publish the dates, guidelines and application form on this website and through our official channels.

When an open call is announced, read its guidelines and complete the official application form by the stated deadline. Each call will specify the required materials, participation terms and selection process.

Applications reopen in December every year. Return to this website in December for the dates, guidelines and application form for the new round.

Yes. You can reapply every three years.

Yes. Biolumina welcomes applications from national and international artists, including adult artists based in the UK. Call-specific requirements are published in each round’s guidelines.

Applications are reviewed by an independent jury, with interviews where appropriate. Selection considers artistic practice and a commitment to public exchange and the context of Vieques.

Meet the 2027 jury.

The jury for the 2028 cohort will be announced after the selected artists have been published. This measure aims to prevent applicants from contacting jury members before the application deadline.

BCR welcomes independent and institution-affiliated curators based in any country or territory. It has its own process, separate from the annual artist residency open call.

Biolumina provides two nights of free accommodation and covers the round-trip ferry ticket between Ceiba and Vieques for the selected curator. Participants or their institutions cover flights to and from Puerto Rico, meals and ground transportation. The stay lasts three days and two nights.

Yes. Each curator can propose artists to visit according to their research interests. The application includes an artist guide with links to their work and checkboxes for your preferences. You can also propose other names or request suggestions. Biolumina will coordinate visits according to each artist’s availability and agreement.

The BCR form is open for applications from curators based in any country or territory. Include your curatorial practice, the local artists you would like to visit and your possible dates. Applications are reviewed according to the proposal’s relevance and the availability of accommodation and artists; submitting does not confirm a stay.

Complete the application.

Yes. Once your selection is confirmed, you can list your participation as a BCR Visiting Curator in BCR — Biolumina Curatorial Research, Vieques, Puerto Rico, with the relevant dates. Biolumina issues a selection letter and, on completion of the visit, an institutional confirmation of participation.

CV reference and recognition.

Yes. Adult artists based in the UK can apply to Biolumina’s international open calls, subject to each call’s guidelines. The 2027 round is closed. Applications reopen in December every year; the dates, guidelines and application form will be published on this website.

There are no application or programme fees. The residency includes accommodation, private studio space, Wi-Fi, local orientation and arrival guidance. Artists only need to cover their transportation and meals.

We are applying for grants so we can offer selected artists a stipend. We have not yet secured this funding, so no stipends or fully funded awards covering all costs are currently available.

If you need the total cost covered, you would need additional financial support beyond what the residency currently provides. Review the support and costs in each call’s guidelines before applying.

Participation in the program is free and includes accommodation, private studio space, Wi-Fi, local orientation and arrival guidance. Specific arrangements are discussed with each artist before the stay is confirmed.

Artists only need to cover their transportation and meals. There are no application or programme fees. No stipend is currently available.

Applying and taking part in the program are free. Artists only need to cover their transportation and meals.

We are applying for grants so we can offer selected artists a stipend. We have not yet secured this funding, so no stipends are currently available.

Biolumina is in Villa Borinquen, Vieques, an island municipality of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. It is an independent artist residency and a nonprofit program of Fundación Casa Mi Rey.

Yes. Vieques is a small island separate from the main island of Puerto Rico. If you search for an itinerary with Vieques as your final destination, the price may include a connecting flight to the island.

An economical option is to fly to San Juan (SJU), take a taxi or ground transfer to the Ceiba ferry terminal, then take the ferry to Vieques.

The published ferry fare for adults aged 13–59 is US$2 each way: US$4 round trip, checked on October 18, 2026. The taxi or ground transfer is paid separately, and additional baggage may cost extra. Compare the total cost of both routes.

Before booking flights, check the current fares and Ceiba–Vieques schedules and tickets on Puerto Rico Ferry.

The 2027 cycle provides for stays of one to two weeks, with one residency at a time. Dates and project needs are agreed with the selected artists.

Biolumina welcomes visual art, performance, video, sound, textile and other practices that can develop in conversation with Vieques. We value research, experimentation and exchange with the local context.

The experience is simple and immersive, in a tropical setting. Each resident has a private space to live and work. Specific living conditions and project needs are discussed before the stay is confirmed.

Studio equipment includes a large-format loom, a large-format tufting frame and a tufting gun, two sewing machines, a laser printer, a photo printer, a laser cutter, a ceramic kiln, three projectors, a laptop, a camera for photography and video, photography and video lights, a tripod for a camera or phone, an iPad and a VR headset.

Please check availability and compatibility with your project. Work is independent, with no on-site technicians.

Activities are developed in conversation with the artist and a school, cultural organization or collaborating space in Vieques. The location, format and participants are specific to each proposal. Activities may take the form of a workshop, conversation, studio visit or presentation of work in progress.

Explore the public programs.

Biolumina brings together work from each cohort in an annual residents’ exhibition. Each artist in residence is required to donate one artwork for the exhibition; the work becomes part of Fundación Casa Mi Rey’s collection. The exhibition and the residents’ contributions are brought together in a book publication.

Yes. The natural terrain includes uneven surfaces and areas that may present mobility challenges. Please contact us before applying or confirming a stay so we can discuss current conditions and your needs.