A groundbreaking new cultural initiative aimed at elevating Dominican visual artists onto the global stage has been jointly launched by the Dominican Republic Embassy in France and Banco de Reservas via its Banreservas Cultural Center. Dubbed the “Dominican Republic x Cité internationale des arts” program, the project will open doors for creators from the Caribbean nation to conduct three-month artistic research residencies in one of the world’s most iconic cultural capitals: Paris.
The residency scheme is developed in close collaboration with Cité internationale des arts, a long-renowned European leader in hosting international artist residency programs that has nurtured creative talent from across the globe for decades. Under the three-year rolling plan running from 2026 through 2028, six Dominican artists will earn spots in the program, with two creators selected annually to take up their residency in Paris.
To remove financial and logistical barriers for participating creators, the program provides comprehensive support for selected artists. This includes fully covered accommodation in the city, a dedicated private studio space to develop new work, access to one-on-one professional mentoring from established arts practitioners, and a monthly stipend that covers everyday living costs and local transportation throughout the residency period.
Eligibility for the program is open to any Dominican visual artist currently based in the Dominican Republic, whose proposed creative project carries conceptual or contextual ties to Paris or France. A wide range of creative disciplines are accepted, covering traditional mediums such as painting, sculpture, and photography, as well as contemporary practices including installation art, digital art, performance art, and interdisciplinary cross-medium work.
The application window for the first round of residencies is open now, and will close on August 30, 2026. Names of the inaugural selected artists will be publicly revealed in October that same year, timed to coincide with the annual Dominican Week in France celebration.
Speaking on the launch of the initiative, Dominican Ambassador to France David Puig emphasized the program’s broader strategic role beyond supporting individual artists. Puig noted that the residency scheme strengthens bilateral cultural diplomacy between the two nations, expands the global footprint of Dominican creative talent, and lays the groundwork for long-term collaborative artistic partnerships between creators and cultural institutions in the Dominican Republic and France.