ARTIST RESIDENCY
CARAVAN works to facilitate exchanges between artists of diverse backgrounds (cultures, ethnicities and spiritual traditions) with the purpose of furthering understanding and building relationships. We serve as a catalyst for CARAVAN’s participating artists to open doors into artist residency programs around the world.
Additionally, CARAVAN hosts its own annual residency program in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa.
ANNUAL ARTIST RESIDENCY - SENEGAL, WEST AFRICA
As part of our mission of employing the arts to build bridges, CARAVAN holds an annual cross-cultural artist residency program in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa, in partnership with DakartNews and Hotel Le Djoloff, a boutique arts hotel.
The annual residency initiative consists of a noted contemporary artist of Native American, African American or Middle Eastern heritage invited by CARAVAN to collaborate with a Senegalese artist invited by DakartNews over the course of three weeks during the month of November. The visiting CARAVAN artist resides at Hotel Le Djoloff, and creates work both there and together with the Senegalese artist in their studio.
Our Senegal art residency facilitates a unique artistic encounter between artists of different cultures and spiritual traditions, enabling an unprecedented creative dialogue. The collaboration seeks to reveal the richness of each other’s diverse cultures, as well as their shared visions and values.
The residency immerses the visiting CARAVAN artist in Senegalese culture, forging ties between the two artistic traditions. The residency includes cultural immersion experiences, opportunities for collaboration with local artists, and tailored activities to help them draw inspiration from the local surroundings.
CULMINATING EXHIBITION
The residency culminates in a joint-exhibition featuring the visiting CARAVAN artist and local Senegalese artist held at Hotel Le Djoloff. The opening event is held during the celebrated annual Partcours arts initiative in Dakar. The exhibition is co-curated by Paul G. Chandler, president of CARAVAN, and Rémy Mallet, founder of DakartNews, and runs through the end of February of the following year.
The exhibition is a catalyst for other events and programs to be held that stimulate interaction, dialogue and education around the exhibition’s theme. These may include artist talks, lectures, forums, workshops, dance and performance art, educational activities, etc. As Senegal is renowned for its musical scene, a musical event is held around the exhibition at Hotel Le Djoloff to enhance the cultural engagement with the larger community.
Exhibition Platform
Partcours is an annual artistic event held in Dakar, Senegal, typically in November, that highlights the richness of the Senegalese art scene and provides both local and international artists with a showcase for their work. Partcours brings together various artistic spaces such as galleries, museums, cultural centers, hotels and foundations, offering the public a unique opportunity to explore a variety of exhibitions and artistic events throughout the city. This initiative aims to promote contemporary art and strengthen the local art scene by facilitating access to art for a wide audience. For more information: https://partcours.art
Artists
2025
The visiting CARAVAN artist selected for the 2025 artist residency during November is Jim Yellowhawk from the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe (Itazipco Band). The local Senegalese artist invited for this artistic collaboration is Baye Ndiaga Diouf.
TITLE (artist residency's culminating exhibition):
HEALING: Connecting Threads of Indigenous Wisdom
Nov 25, 2025 - Feb 25, 2026
DakartNews exists to promote contemporary African art by showcasing contemporary African artists from Senegal and West Africa. DakartNews firmly believes in the ability of art to unite people and act as a powerful catalyst for intercultural dialogue, bridging diverse cultures and fostering cross-cultural understanding on an international scale. DakartNews operates in English to reach a global audience. For more information: www.dakartnews.com
CARAVAN’s Residency Partners
Hotel Le Djoloff is considered one of the most ascetically unique boutique hotels in Dakar, Senegal. It is truly an architectural pearl combining tradition with modernity, with its West African-inspired design, and artwork and furniture created by noted Senegalese artists. This unique place, with its terrace overlooking Dakar’s Soumbédioune Bay, offers an experience that combines elegance and comfort with an ethical and ecological approach, including buildings made of compressed earth bricks and an environmentally-friendly air conditioning system. In addition to the visual arts, it has become known for its musical reputation due to its soulful jazz club. As a result, Le Djoloff hosts a vibrant mix of artistically oriented travelers and renowned artists, offering a welcoming ambiance that is intimate and creative. With this artistic foundation, Le Djoloff is recognized as a primary “arts hotel” within Dakar. For more information: www.hoteldjoloff.fr
