WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR HERMITAGE
RESIDENCY
Congratulations on your upcoming Hermitage Residency. You are in for a very
special experience. Often described by artists as “magical”, the Hermitage
provides a quiet, contemplative environment for you to make art.
As you contemplate your time at The Hermitage, we're sure you have many
questions. Here are some answers to the most common questions.
How long is the Residency?
Your residency is a total of six weeks. You may take two, three, four or six weeks
at a time. You have two years to finish your residency.
What are check-in and checkout times?
Residencies start on Mondays and end on Sundays. If Monday is a holiday, then
start your residency on Tuesday and stay until Monday morning.
We request that you not check in on the following holidays: Presidents Day,
Memorial Day, Labor Day.
Please arrive early enough on Monday to get settled and oriented, prior to a
welcome dinner provided by the Hermitage. Keep in mind that the airport is at
least an hour away. Please don’t arrive on a weekend when there is nobody there
to check you in.
You can check out on any day of the week during your residency as long as your
flight is after 10:00 am. Rooms are cleaned and prepared for the next resident on
Sundays, so just make way for the cleaner on Sunday morning.
Is there airport and local transportation?
The Hermitage provides free rides to and from the airport if you fly into Ft.
Myers (90 minute drive) or Sarasota (60 minute drive). Our drivers are
volunteers, reimbursed for gas money.
Our volunteers don’t drive at night, or in the wee hours of morning. And they
don’t drive to the Tampa airport. If you choose to arrive in Tampa, or late, or
early, then be aware that your cost for ground transportation can be $75 to $100
each way.
You can drive the Hermitage car for local trips. Our car insurance covers guest
artists staying two weeks or less. If your residency is longer than two weeks,
then fill out a simple four-question form and give us a copy of your license so we
can add you to our insurance.
What does The Hermitage supply?
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The Hermitage provides linens, towels, a laundry, and recreational and
beach accessories.
There is a full kitchen in the Hermitage house for your use. Refrigerators,
microwaves, toasters and coffeepots are provided in each of the other
cottages.
We offer keyboards, speakers, studio monitors, and headphones.
Every cottage has ergonomic chairs.
There are video monitors and a white board.
What should I expect to supply?
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Clothes, flip-flops, swimsuit and toiletries. You can also get these
at nearby stores.
Art-making Supplies: You will need to ship or bring your own artmaking supplies, or buy them here. Our local art store is www.in2art.com.
Sun Block: Our sub-tropical sun is especially intense and you will burn
before you know it. Hats are also good protection from our sun. Believe
us on this one.
Food: At the moment, artists are responsible for their own meals except
for welcome dinners and occasional celebrations. We like to celebrate.
Are pets allowed?
Sorry, as much as we love dogs and cats and goldfish, we ask that you leave them
home.
May I bring my husband/wife/lover?
We love them too, but please leave them home to take care of the dogs, cats, and
goldfish.
What kind of weather should I expect?
The Hermitage, on Manasota Key, is in a sub-tropical climate zone. This means
that from May through mid-October you can expect it to be hot and humid. From
mid-October through April the weather is normally glorious (70s and 80s in the
day and low 60s at night) with occasional cold fronts blowing through bringing
highs in the 50s-60s and lows in the high-30s to low 40s. Our living areas and
most studios are air-conditioned.
What kind of clothes should I bring?
Everyday wear is very casual. It’s the beach. Men will want to bring a blazer or
jacket and women will want a “dressy” outfit for parties or events, which will be
optional. Bring something for your outreach program because going into a school
in your swimsuit might not be appropriate. If you will be here December March, bring along warm clothes for those few cold days. Sweaters and
sweatshirts are frequently used – even in the summer.
What's this community outreach?
Each artist is asked to present two programs for the community. Most often they
will be informal readings on the beach and open studios/demonstrations. We
often hold readings in bookstores and have performance/demonstrations in the
Historic Asolo Theater in the Ringling Museum of Art. These programs may also
be class work in a school, master classes, lectures, exhibits, or anything else you
would like to do. We will work together with you to make it something that won’t
steal too much time or energy from your artistic work.
Social Encounters
Your stay at the Hermitage has been made possible by the generosity of people
who donate funds. While we will never disturb you if you are working in your
studio, small fund-raising events may be held at The Hermitage House during
your stay. You will know about these events well ahead of time so you may plan
for them. You are welcome to join in, or remain undisturbed.
Also, while the beach fronting The Hermitage is seemingly endless, it is,
nonetheless, public. You will see and hear people along the beach during your
stay. Because the Hermitage is a treasured community asset loved by many,
there are sometime tours or volunteers working on site. It’s not as remote as
some artist retreats, though we strive to preserve your solitude.
Hermitage Mailing Address
Your mailing address while you are in residence is:
C/O The Hermitage Artist Retreat
6660 Manasota Key Rd.
Englewood, FL 34223
Who to call for assistance
Our co-founder, Patricia Caswell delights in the care of artists. Call her anytime on her
cell: 941-374-4107. The Hermitage office number is 941-475-2098.
Everything Else
Everything else you may want to know is in a document called “Useful Stuff to Know”
which will be emailed to you. It’s good to read it before you come. It tells about
recreation, grocery shopping, etc.