The River Aude Artist Lab

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France
Quillan
The River Aude Artist Lab

The River Aude Artist Lab is a nonprofit residency and gallery in Quillan, France. Created by artists, for artists.

We support creativity, community, and cross-cultural exchange in the heart of the Aude Valley.

24/08/2026

THE REACHING
Oil on canvas
60 × 90 cm
2026

There’s a point where a place becomes something remembered rather than seen.

Available.

20/08/2026

“Wake up, make art, enjoy life.”

That’s how artist and art educator Erica Campbell describes her time at the River Aude Artists Lab this summer.

Erica came to Quillan to make work and spend time working alongside her mentor, artist Gail Borowski Art. She found room to spread out, return to life drawing, experience the rhythm of daily life here, and let her work go somewhere new.

She painted looser. Tried new things. Let some things go.

And maybe that’s the real value of stepping into something different for a while. You give yourself the time and space to see what happens.

As Erica reminds us at the end of the film:

“Just go for it.”

RAAL Artist Residencies 2027
Applications open September 1.

Quillan, France

13/08/2026

Dessin d’après modèle vivant ce soir à Quillan !

Une bonne façon d’échapper à la chaleur et de penser à autre chose qu’à la température pendant quelques heures.

Venez dessiner, boire un verre de vin et profiter d’un moment au frais.

Ce soir · 17h15–19h30
River Aude Artists Lab
6 Rue de la Mairie, Quillan

Tous niveaux bienvenus.

09/08/2026

The River Aude has always been a big fan of artist and printmaker Marie Calmet. She’s wildly inventive, completely original, and always makes us look twice.

Marie is a regular at our figure drawing sessions, but of course she gives it her own twist. Working almost blind, she scratches her figures directly into the silver interior of discarded oat milk cartons, which become her plates.

She takes these little plates home, inks them, and the figure appears.

A discarded carton becomes a printing plate. A fleeting pose becomes a beautiful print.

This is what artists do. They see possibility where the rest of us see something for the tip.

Which is exactly why we love Marie.

06/08/2026

J'espère que vous pourrez vous joindre à nous ce soir (jeudi). Boris sera notre modèle. À très bientôt !

---------------

Hope you can join us tonight (Thursday). Boris will be our model. See you soon!

04/08/2026

There are places you visit.

And then there are places that stay with you.

When Gail Borowski arrived in Quillan, she came to paint. Over the weeks that followed, something else began to happen. The town, its people, and the landscape slowly became part of her creative process.

By the time she left, she wasn't just taking home new paintings. She was taking home new ideas, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of her own work.

Before Gail returned to the United States, I asked if we could sit down and talk about her experience.

As a filmmaker, I couldn't help myself.

What followed was an honest conversation about creativity, community, and the quiet ways a place can shape an artist.

One of my favorite moments is when Gail says,

"The town speaks my language."

I'm grateful to Gail for sharing her journey so openly, and to the people of Quillan for welcoming artists with such warmth and generosity.

I hope you'll enjoy her story as much as I did.

29/07/2026

No Figure Drawing This Thursday. 😕

26/07/2026

It's hard to put last night's exhibition into words.

A couple of years ago, The River Aude Artists Lab was just an idea. Invite artists from around the world to Quillan, give them the time and space to create, and let art become another way people connect with this incredible town.

Over the past three weeks, that idea became real.

When Gail Borowski Art said yes to becoming our very first Artist-in-Residence, she took a chance on something that had never been done before. Erica Campbell followed, leaving behind her family, her students, and everything familiar to come learn, paint, and immerse herself in this place.

That takes courage.

Together they filled the studio with creativity, our streets with sketchbooks, our workshops with laughter, and our gallery with work that could only have been created here.

But what they really created was something much bigger than the art.

They proved this is possible.

Gail and Erica, thank you for believing in RAAL before there was anything to point to. Thank you for your trust, your generosity, and for leaving a part of yourselves here. Every artist who comes after you will benefit from the path you helped create.

And to everyone who came to the exhibition, thank you. Thank you for showing up, for the conversations, the encouragement, and for making two visiting artists feel so welcome. Every person who walked through those doors helped show that Quillan believes in artists and the value they bring.

Last night wasn't just an exhibition. It felt like the beginning of a community.

I'm grateful to every one of you.

Ensemble, nous avons commencé quelque chose de beau. ❤️

Adresse

6 Rue De La Mairie
Quillan
11500

Site Web

https://riveraudeartistslab.com/

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