Celebrating Five Years of Partnership with Tetouan
In 2018, Green Olive Arts celebrated five years as an art residency in Tetouan, Morocco. We are amazed as we look back and see how this story has unfolded … and we want to share it with you!
When Rachel Pearsey and I (Jeff McRobbie) began to brainstorm about an art studio space that would fit our own needs for art making and perhaps allow other artists to work there too, we had no idea what lay around the corner. It was clear though that if this growing idea to create an artist run art residency in Tetouan, Morocco was to succeed, we were going to need a LOT of help.
“A space in Morocco for artists to flourish in community”
With pencils in hand, we sketched out the “dream” on a piece of notebook paper. We outlined studio criteria, hopes for sunlight and spacious rooms, furniture needs, potential staffing and job description ideas, possible revenue streams, and hospitality logistics. What became immediately apparent was that we would not be able to pull off such a project unless the people of Tetouan helped us do it. Soon we were joined by Peter Herron, whose interest in eco-tourism and gifting in problem solving strengthened our team to move forward.
As we began to register our project and set up shop, we were humbled to find that the people of Tetouan were more than ready to help these three Americans realize a dream. The Zian family allowed us to rent their beautiful (then empty) home for our studio facilities, our local accountants/legal advisors went to bat for us in many city offices, hotel owners offered us reduced rates for artists, and local craftsmen helped us to fit out the studios with custom furniture and fixtures. In March 2013, we put up a website and application form, officially opened our doors and waited to see what would happen. Artists began to apply! We had done our research, but were brand new to running an artist residency back then, so it was a good thing that Tetouan stepped up to help us!
In September 2018 we had a big party, celebrating five years of hosting 148 artists from more than 27 different countries. We hand delivered almost 260 invitations to the shop owners, street vendors, volunteers, drivers, artists, waiters, host families, artisans, faculty, city officials and friends who have in some way had an impact on the experiences of these artists. It was a wonderful evening of live music by Anouar El Ayat & band, catered treats by the Restaurant Granada team, and a video (below) by our own Rachel Pearsey highlighting the comments of artists in residence about how much the people of Tetouan made their stay awesome.
We also heard 3 lovely testimonies by Galerie El Fenn director and dear friend Miriam Afailal, university student & volunteer Kaoutar Sbai, as well as Green Olive Arts alumnus artist in residence Kian Blethyn (Convergence 2016), who happened to be visiting Tetouan again.