AiR Alpujarra is the artist residency program
of the Art Association Polopos
The Art Association Polopos is a cultural initiative founded by artist and illustrator Thysa Boon and writer/multimedia creator Wijnand Boon. Based in the village of Polopos, we bring art and culture to life through our artist residency program, exhibitions, music festivals, and our own creative work spanning visual arts, children's books, culinary writing, and digital media.
Like many other villages in Spain in the last half century, Polopos saw its school, shops, bars, and restaurants close down. People moved down to the coast or even further away to the city, which provided opportunities like higher education, better jobs, and entertainment. The small number of inhabitants who still live in the village are aging fast. What Polopos has lost – and what it desperately needs in order to survive as a village and as a community, today and in the future – is purpose.
The association is dedicated to transforming Polopos into a vibrant creative community where artists live and work, visitors and citizens of Polopos enjoy exhibitions, workshops and other cultural events and a growing population can thrive thanks to ensuing economic opportunities.
Having moved here from the center of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Thysa and Wijnand know first hand why Polopos and the Alpujarra region provide the perfect environment to retreat away from your familiar surroundings and obligations. The peace and quiet, the stunning landscape of the mountains, a village where time almost seems to stand still, the spectacular views over the Mediterranean, they allow the artist to disengage and focus on creating, experimenting and growing and offer fresh perspectives and uninterrupted creative time.
The Alpujarra Artist Residency accepts applications from artists working in the following disciplines: painting, visual arts, film/video, music composition, interdisciplinary arts, sculpting and literature. Emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply.
We believe that any artist should have access to the benefits of an artist residency with us. In order to be accessible to the broadest possible community of artists, our association offers financial assistance programs. These programs are intended to help with the costs of the accommodation.
Our Values
COMMUNITY
Our association works in service to and together with the community. We aim to strengthen the connections between Spanish natives and foreigners, villagers and visitors and younger and older generations. We actively seek to bring people together through our events and workshops and we encourage everybody to participate and volunteer.
AUTHENTICITY
We are proud ambassadors for Polopos, and we encourage others to join us by sending out positive energy and highlighting what our village has to offer. At the same time, we know and accept the limitations of the village. By communicating truthfully and transparently about them, we gain trust and sympathy. Only through authenticity and honesty do we find and attract the people this village needs to grow and thrive.
RESPECT
We respect and honour the history, beliefs and traditions of the people of Polopos and we will guard the identity of our village. Part of this identity is contained in stone walls, old houses and the remnants of ancient irrigation structures like acequias, albercas and terraces. We believe that it is crucial for the appeal of Polopos to future inhabitants that this heritage is protected and where possible restored.
OPENNESS
To be creative means having an open mind, embracing new ideas, listening to and learning from others and to not be afraid of change. We welcome individuals, companies and organisations who underwrite our goals and values. We encourage newcomers and younger generations to share their ideas, perspectives and wishes and we support them where we can.
CREATIVITY
Besides the fact that we are an arts association, with creative output in any form at the core of our organisation, we also encourage creativity in the ways we can promote our village. With all of the above in mind and the limited means a mountain village has at its disposal, creative ideas can make all the difference in achieving our goals.
About us
Casa 3 Polopos, the Alpujarra Artist Residency and the Art Association Polopos are founded by Thysa and Wijnand Boon. We moved to Spain in 2019 after traveling around Europe in a van for two years, recording cooking video’s writing and making art. We live in Polopos with our gentle giant Mastín Español: Leia.
Thysa has published four children’s books. You can find out more about her and her art here. Wijnand is a writer and multimedia artist. You can find out more about him here. Together we organize art exhibitions, music festivals, give cooking workshops and run the residence, the art association and Casa 3.
