Sister Cities Artist Exchange Program
Mount Dora Center for the Arts in collaboration with the Mount Dora Sister Cities Association is seeking artists from the Forres, Scotland area to engage American artists and Arts professionals in a cultural art exchange program.
Together, both organizations look to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration, and to demonstrate universally shared values and aspirations.
In May 2025, a chosen Art professional from Scotland will be flown to Mount Dora, Florida to engage in our community and connect with other artists. The artist can choose either Oct/Nov 2025 OR Jan/Feb 2026 to visit. Actual dates TBD.
Both performing as well as visual artists are encouraged to apply.
Applications can be emailed to Janet at [email protected]
Mount Dora, Florida, USA and Forres, Moray in the Scottish Highlands became Sister Cities in 1990
Forres, Scotland
See a video about Forres, Scotland produced by Go Mount Dora during their visit.
Eligibility and Application Overview
Program Overview
After the May 10, 2025 deadline to apply, an artist from the Morayshire, Scotland area will be selected to travel to Mount Dora, FL where they will immerse in American art, culture and local experiences.
All air travel and lodging to and from the airport will be covered, as will most meals and some scheduled entertainment. Participants should bring cash for personal use and incidentals.
The selected artist will be provided with a fully furnished home with kitchen and wifi, just blocks away from the downtown Mount Dora walking district of shops and restaurants.
Artists can choose one of two available time periods:
10 days +/- over the weekend of Oct 25 & 26, 2025 (Mount Dora Craft Fair) OR over the weekend of Jan 31 & Feb 1, 2026 (Mount Dora Arts Festival). Exact travel dates TBD.
Artists must be 18yrs or older and have a valid passport at time of travel.
The program is designed for single individuals, not for families
Artists will be required to teach at least one workshop or class to local artists in the Mount Dora area during their stay.
The program is open to Visual and Performing artists of all nationalities, living in, or connected to work or school in the Morayshire, Scotland area.
Application deadline is May 10, 2025.
Participants should meet the following qualifications:
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be an experienced professional in a Visual or Performance Arts field.
• Have the ability to teach or demonstrate your art technique(s) in a workshop during your stay.
• Be available to travel for 10 days +/- over the weekend of Oct 25 & 26, 2025 (Mount Dora Craft Fair) OR over the weekend of Jan 31 & Feb 1, 2026 (Mount Dora Arts Festival). Exact travel dates TBD.
ARTIST EXCHANGE APPLICATION INFO:
You can fill out the APPLICATION and email it back to [email protected]. or
Send a letter of interest and include the following to Janet Gamache at [email protected]:
• Your contact information (phone, website etc.)
• 4-8 images of your work, labeled
• A short bio
• Letter of interest for the program, detailing briefly what Art workshop you would like to present.
• Length of workshop… 2, 4, 6 hours?
• Intended Audience… kids, teens, adults or all ages?
• Images of completed workshop examples
Feel free to send more than one workshop
