Our mission is to create spaces where artists and humanists from around the world can develop their work in dialogue with the immensity of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. We serve as a bridge for cultural exchange, facilitating connection with this mega-diverse environment and the ancestral practices of our indigenous cultures to foster collaboration with our local community.
Since 2016, our Artist Residency has welcomed projects that inspire shared platforms and networks across different regions. In 2025, we will open the doors to our Casa de Creación, an Art Space designed by the biodynamic design team at Nido Arquitectura. This space will not only host future residents but also become a gathering place for community engagement centered around creativity and nature.
La Sierra Artist Residency supports initiatives that foster the revitalization of life in all its forms, along with the preservation of the ancestral cultures and traditions deeply rooted in this territory.
Nuestro compromiso está en generar espacios donde artistas y humanistas de todo el mundo desarrollen su obra en diálogo, contacto y vínculo con la inmensidad de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Generamos puentes para el diálogo, facilitamos el contacto con un entorno mega diverso y el vínculo con los oficios y saberes indígenas para la colaboración con las comunidades locales.
Nuestra Residencia Artística corre desde el año 2016. En 2025 estaremos abriendo las puertas de nuestra ‘Casa de Creación’, un Espacio de Arte construido por el proyecto espacial biodinámico Nido Arquitectura cuyo propósito es recibir a futuros artistas residentes y ser lugar de acogida para el encuentro comunitario en torno a la creatividad y la naturaleza.
La Sierra Artist Residency recibe proyectos que propongan plataformas comunes y trabajo en red con otras latitudes; que aporten a la revitalización, reverdecer y cuidado de los seres humanos y no-humanos y a las memorias ancestrales que habitan este territorio.
At La Sierra Artist Residency, we believe art is a bridge capable of transforming lives and weaving deep connections with the land. Our work is guided by three core principles:
En La Sierra Artist Residency creemos en el arte como un puente capaz de transformar vidas y tejer conexiones profundas con el territorio.
Trabajamos bajo tres enfoques principales:
Creating
cultural exchange through artist residencies.
Crear intercambios culturales a través de residencias artísticas
Preserving
and sharing ancestral wisdom through culture and art.
Preservar y compartir la sabiduría ancestral a través del arte y la cultura.
Teaching
environmental stewardship through creative resources.
Enseñar el cuidado del medio ambiente a través de recursos creativos.
Here, the mountains tell stories, animals trace paths of wisdom, and rivers weave all life together.
The foundation was born, rooted, and continues to grow in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, beside the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. This is the world’s highest coastal mountain range, where snow-capped peaks rise to 5,700 meters above sea level, just 42 kilometers from the beach. Connecting all the Earth’s ecosystems, this unique place—called the Heart of the World by indigenous communities—embraces páramos, cloud forests, rainforests, dry forests, mangroves, and beaches, offering unparalleled natural and cultural diversity.
Aquí las montañas cuentan historias, los animales trazan caminos de sabiduría y los ríos entrelazan todo lo vivo.
La fundación nace, se enraiza y se expande en La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta junto al mar Caribe, en el norte de Colombia. Aquí se encuentra el sistema costero montañoso más alto del mundo de donde la fundación toma su nombre y su propósito. Entre los picos nevados de hasta 5.700 msnm y los 42 km que hay hasta la playa, se conectan todos los ecosistemas de la Tierra. En este lugar único, al que los pueblos indígenas llaman el Corazón del Mundo, confluyen páramos, bosques de niebla, bosques húmedos y secos, manglares y playas, es hogar de infinita diversidad natural y cultural.
The Sierra has been home to one of the most ancient pre-Colombian civilizations, the Tairona, and remains the cradle of four indigenous groups: the Kogi, Wiwa, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo. Known as the Elder Brothers, these communities have lived in harmony with these mountains for millennia. They see the Sierra as the Heart of the World, a sacred center where life, spirituality, and the planet’s balance are maintained.
According to their worldview, the forces of nature, the universe, and humanity are intricately intertwined, and whatever happens in these mountains can be felt across the Earth. Every river, mountain, plant, and animal is sacred, playing a vital role in maintaining harmony.
For this reason, indigenous communities consider themselves guardians of the land, viewing nature as a teacher to be protected and respected. They practice sustainable agriculture, safeguard water, forests, and biodiversity, and co-create with the materials Earth provides. From molding clay ocarinas and weaving maguey and cotton bags to building with bamboo and braiding fique and palm, their living traditions inspire us to rediscover natural materials and their creative potential.
