SURNADAL BILLAG (The Surnadal Bus Company)

Surnadal Billag is an artist residency and project space in the small town of Surnadal, which is in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway. The former bus station has been converted into studios and project rooms, allowing artists to work flexibly with projects that need a large space. The residency programme was started in 2017, and until now artists from Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Great Britain have participated. In addition to the residencies, Surnadal Billag has hosted individual exhibitions, educational workshops, concerts and performances. The facility is owned and managed by artist Jon Arne Mogstad and engineer Martinus Grimsmo.

In addition to studio spaces, there are a number of facilities including wood-working tools, video projectors and audio equipment. Through collaboration with local companies, SBL can also arrange access to facilities for work with metals and other materials.The programme so far has included residency periods with artists from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia and the USA, as well as a number of projects, concerts and exhibitions.

The facility  includes Strandagården, a nearby house with living accommodation for several guests simultaneously. This is a typical West Norwegian timber house, overlooking the Surna river as it flows into the fjord. Surnadal lies in a region characterised by spectacular landscapes of mountains and fjords - the classic landscape of Western Norway. Visiting artists are encouraged to explore the surrounding region which offers excellent opportunities for mountain hiking, skiing in winter, cycling, fishing and kayaking. 

Surnadal is located two hours south-west of the city of Trondheim, which is the closest transport hub. There is a regular daily bus service between Trondheim and Surnadal. The programme also has a small car which is made available to resident artists.

For artists from the Nordic and Baltic countries, some funding can be available from the Nordic Council and the Norwegian Arts Council. Artists from other countries need to approach their own national funding agencies for support.

For more information and enquiries about residency possibilities, contact artistic director Jon Arne Mogstad: jon.arne (at) jamogstad.com

The renovation of the building has been supported by Norsk kulturråd and Kulturminnefondet. Surnadal billag AS is also supported by Innovasjon Norge, Surnadal kommune, Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune, LL Holding, Amfi, Surnadal sparebank, Gjensidige and Talgø