How do you sell a residency?
In the Spring of 2022, after running the 360 Xochi Quetzal Artist & Writers Residency (360 XQMX) for 10 years, and as my art career began to take off, I realized that it was time to sell the residency.
Being an international artist requires a massive amount of logistics and administrative work, and I needed to divert my residency responsibilities to someone else in order to make more time for my own increasing workload.
How, you may ask, can you sell a residency program since it’s not a physical object? What I had to sell are all the facets that make up a residency, and if you wanted to start from scratch, it would take at least a year and a lot of money to create the administrative foundation for a new program. What I had to offer was a turn-key operation that included the following components:
• A well-established international residency
• A comprehensive website and identifiable logo
• Four social media platforms with active followers
• A proven marketing plan that included a 10,000+ name mailing list that was developed over many years, integration between the website/newsletter/database, one hundred listing websites (and a team member who knows how to post them!) and memberships in high profile residency organizations
• An international reputation and repeat business
Introducing Bethany Anne Putnam, the new Owner and Director
Sometimes in life, the answer to a complex question is right in front of you. In my case, the new Director, Bethany Anne Putnam, was already a friend and colleague. Bethany has a background in artist & musician management and an extensive career in the hospitality industry.
Upon moving to Ajijic in 2018, she was the director of an immersive art installation, founded the Lakeside Shutterbugs photography group, wrote arts-focused articles for the Guadalajara Reporter and was elected President of the Ajijic Society of the Arts. To say it was a match made in heaven is an understatement.
Handing Over the Reins with a new name and branding ...
It’s never easy to hand over a project that you have started and grown from scratch. However, I have complete faith in Bethany to take the residency to the next level. She has already instituted a new program called Artistas Juntos ~ Artists Together. This monthly gathering gives visiting resident artists and writers the opportunity to talk about their work to an appreciative audience of other area creatives and the general public.
Bethany has the administrative chops, the drive, the work ethic and the vision to bring new opportunities to the residency. I look forward to seeing how she brings more visibility to the program in Mexico and beyond. She has already added many new programming options and envisions an increasingly diverse population of residents. She has changed the name, from the 360 Xochi Quetzal Artist & Writers Residency to 360 XQMX ~ Residency for Creatives, in an effort to be more inclusive of a wide range of art forms. Historically the residency has welcomed painters, authors, fiber artists, musicians, photographers, ceramicists, sketch artists and poets. The new tagline is more representative of our diverse and inspiring residents.
Many creatives have told me that they were on the 360 XQMX mailing list for years and suddenly, everything conspired for making it the right time to attend. If that happens to describe you, I hope you are enjoying this new and improved website! Read all about the lovely options for live/work spaces and hopefully find the right fit for your residency, Bethany is ready to give you an amazing residency experience!
-Deborah “Cobra” Kruger
PS – I am not going anywhere. I will remain available to Bethany to answer questions and be a sounding board for her ideas. My production studio in Chapala runs studio tours 1 – 2 times a month. I look forward to meeting you during your residency.