Launched in the Winter of 2015, the Aguas Migrantes Art Residency is a two-week immersive program rooted in cultural trueque (exchange) and collective growth. The residency is hosted annually in June/July in the rural community of La Loma, Moroleón, Guanajuato, Mexico in collaboration with Casa-Huate, a creative art space built by Aguas Migrantes members Samu Cortez and Ana Bedolla.
Aguas Migrantes Arts Residency
How We Got Started
Summer 2016
Guanajuato, Mexico
Four artists—Ana Gloria Bedolla, Plinio Hernandez, Alejandra Pérez, and Onyinye Alheri—were selected for the inaugural residency. Participants traveled to Guanajuato to engage with the communities that shaped Sam and Vreni. Each artist offered a skill-based workshop in exchange for the cultural knowledge they received.
Closing Exhibition: El Lechón Ilustrado, Guanajuato, MX
Summer 2017
Guanajuato, Mexico
The second artist residency took place, continuing the model of cultural exchange and community-led art-making. Maggie Lawson, Elissa Callen, Rachel Stallings & Omar Navia- were selected for the residency. Participants traveled to Guanajuato to engage with the communities that shaped Sam and Vreni. Each artist offered a skill-based workshop in exchange for the cultural knowledge they received.
We launched our fellowship program to fully cover the participation costs for a local artist. Omar Navia was the first selected fellow. Following his impactful experience, he became an active member of the collective.
Closing Exhibition: Centro de la Cultura, Guanajuato, MX
Summer 2018
Ciudad Retoño – Mexico City (CDMX)
The third iteration of the residency took place in Mexico City. As part of this residency, Aguas Migrantes collective members collaborated with Ciudad Retoño, a community space in La Paz, State of Mexico, dedicated to promoting social sustainability through inclusive programs that foster participation, peacebuilding, and social cohesion. During our time there, we led workshops on painting and medicinal plants, and contributed by donating herbs and native plants to help grow a community healing garden.
Closing Exhibition: Film Festival: La Loma, Guanajuato MX
Summer 2019
Tenango de Doria & Zacacuautla, Hidalgo, MX
The fourth residency of Aguas Migrantes took place in two locations in Hidalgo, Mexico: Tenango de Doria and Zacacuautla.
In Tenango de Doria, the collective collaborated with Colectivo Jäitsibi (Fernando Ibarra Molina & Maythé Saldaña) to co-create an integrated music and art festival. The event brought together over 20 artists from the Sierra Otomí-Ñuhu region, fostering a powerful Tueque (exchange) rooted in Indigenous knowledge, artistic expression, and collective celebration.
In Zacacuautla, a rural town in the region, Aguas Migrantes offered free community workshops in music, creative writing, and crafts. The collective also supported Filiberta Nevado Templos, a local forest guardian, by assisting with her crops and land stewardship—honoring her role as a protector of the territory.
Closing Exhibition: Public Showing & Film Festival Tenango De Doria, MX
Learn more about the Aguas Migrantes Art Residency, as well as the Casa-Haute Residency and the Ojo de Agua Film Festival.
