In the jungle coast of Santa Teresa, House of SOMOS offers a place where creative minds can unwind and find new inspiration among the natural world. To share this gift with our community, Madre Mezcal has partnered with SOMOS to offer a two-week artist residency for a visual artist to explore new ideas while enveloped in the land. This residency includes lodging, studio access, meals, and an end-of-stay exhibition at House of SOMOS, plus an artist feature and limited merch run with Madre Mezcal upon return. 

To enter, submit a piece inspired by the worlds of Madre and SOMOS—and let your work speak for itself. Open to visual artists in the following fields: painting, drawing, graphics, illustration, printmaking, paper art, photography, sculpture, ceramics, textile art.

HOW TO ENTER:

1.  Fill out application HERE (Deadline is 8/19/25 at 11:59pm PT)

2. Submit a piece inspired by the worlds of Madre Mezcal and House of SOMOS.

3. Follow @MadreMezcal and @HouseofSOMOS on Instagram for finalist announcement the week of August 25, 2025.

HOW TO WIN:

+ Madre Mezcal and House of SOMOS will choose and post the top three finalists on their Instagram profiles the week of August 25, 2025.

+ Artist and piece with most engagements (likes, shares, comments, saves) after 7 days will win the residency.

+ Winner will be announced on Madre and House of SOMOS' socials within 24 hours of the contest ending.

WINNINGS INCLUDE:

+ Airfare to/from Costa Rica, provided by Madre Mezcal.

+ 2-week long Artist Residency at House of SOMOS with:
      Lodging

      Food & Beverage

      Access to a work studio and materials

      End of stay exhibition/party

+ Artist feature on the Madre Journal.

+ Limited edition merch run with Madre Mezcal.

Click below to see Colin Holloway's Artist Residency experience at House of SOMOS earlier this year.

RULES & FAQS:

DO YOU HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN AGE TO APPLY?

Yes, the residency is only open to folks ages 21+. Must be at least 21 years of age at time of applying.

WHAT KIND OF ARTISTS CAN APPLY?

The residency is open to visual artists (ages 21+) in the following fields: painting, drawing, graphics, illustration, printmaking, paper art, photography, sculpture, ceramics, textile art. 

WHEN IS THE RESIDENCY?

The dates of the residency depend on the availability of the winning artist. Residency must take place in the 2025 calendar year.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY APPLICATION?

Applicants will be reviewed by the teams at House of SOMOS and Madre Mezcal. Three finalists will be chosen and announced with their submitted pieces on House of SOMOS and Madre Mezcal's Instagrams. Finalists will have 7 days to aggregate as many likes, comments, shares, and saves on their submitted piece. Artist and piece with the most amount of post engagements at the end of the 7 days will win the residency. Engagement includes likes, comments, saves, and shares.

WILL YOU PAY FOR ALL MY EXPENSES?

Airfare is limited to a maximum of $1,500 (and no greater than premium economy) for one person. Any costs associated with airfare over this amount must be paid by the winner. Winner is responsible for all expenses and gratuities not expressly included in the prize. Selection of the airline, departure, and arrival airports are solely within Madre's discretion. SOMOS will provide one (1) room for a two (2) week stay. A daily food and beverage stipend is limited to an amount stated by SOMOS upon arrival. Any extra costs associated with extra rooms or night stays, food and beverage, plus gratuities, must be paid by the winner. (More details below). 

WILL THE WINNING ARTIST BE ABLE TO SELL THE PIECES MADE DURING THEIR RESIDENCY?

Yes! The winning artist will have the opportunity to sell their pieces at their end-of-stay gallery showing. SOMOS will continue to show and sell the work after you leave. SOMOS is entitled to 30% of earnings.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE RESIDENCY?

Upon returning from your residency, the Madre team will work with you on a personal artist feature in the Madre Journal, plus producing a limited edition merch item, all inspired by your time at House of SOMOS.

THE FINE PRINT

2025 Madre Mezcal x House of Somos Unknown Roads

Artist Residency Contest Official Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

Sweepstakes sponsored by:
Madre Mezcal ("Sponsor")
16550 Akron St.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

This summer, Madre Mezcal and House of SOMOS are holding a contest to win an all-inclusive artist residency in Costa Rica!

Eligibility: The Madre Mezcal x House of SOMOS Uknown Roads Artist Residency Contest is open to all persons aged 21 or older. Participants must have a valid state-issued ID and email address. Any eligible individual participating in Madre Mezcal x House of SOMOS Unknown Roads Artist Residency Contest will be identified as a "Participant" in these rules. 

Contest Application Rules and Announcement Dates:

Application Opens: 7/22/25 at 12:00am PT

Application Closes: 8/19/25 at 11:59pm PT

Finalists Announced: Week of 7/25/25

Winner Chosen: Seven (7) days after finalists announced.

All times are Pacific Time. Sponsor's computer is the official time-keeping device for the contest.

To Enter: No purchase is necessary to enter. To enter, Participants may complete the application form online (participants will be allowed one (1) entry). Each person who submits an application agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and accepts the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Incomplete applications are not eligible. Applications must be received by 11:59PM PT on the Application Close date. No photocopies, mechanically, or electronically reproduced applications accepted. Any attempt by any person found to enter or in any way attempt to obtain more than the authorized number of applications will be found to be ineligible, and the applications will be disqualified. Participation must be by the Participant. Participants are required to provide truthful information, and Sponsor will reject any application that it discovers to be false or fraudulent. Sponsor will disqualify any application from individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements. 

Finalists Chosen: Sponsors will decide on and announce three finalists by the date identified above. There will be three (3) finalists, and all finalists will be notified and announced on the Sponsors' Instagram pages the week of July 25, 2025. All finalists are subject to eligibility verification by Sponsor, whose decisions are final and binding. A Participant is not a finalist, even if notified of being a finalist, unless and until the Participant's eligibility has been verified. 

Winner Chosen: Upon Sponsor announcing and posting the three (3) finalists on their Instagram page, each finalist will have seven (7) days to aggregate as many Instagram engagements (including likes, comments, shares, and saves) as they can. Each finalist has until 11:59PM PT on the seventh day to aggregate as many engagements as possible. Engagements count as likes, comments, shares, and saves. Each finalist's total engagements will be calculated by Sponsor at 12:00AM PT on the seventh day. Finalist with the most engagements at time of Sponsor's calculation, will be named the winner of the prize.

Prize: Winnings include airfare for one (1) person to/from Costa Rica*, lodging, food & beverage, and art studio access and materials for two (2) weeks at House of SOMOS**, end-of-residency gallery show at House of SOMOS, artist feature on the Madre Journal, and a limited edition merchandise run in partnership with Madre Mezcal. Winner of prize is responsible for any costs in excess of the applicable prize such as transportation to and from the airport, extra meals, upgrades, excursions, gratuities and other charges. Sponsor is responsible for booking all travel. Travel must be booked and completed within twelve (12) months. No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfers of prize permitted. Dates of travel are based on availability at time of booking, and travel restrictions may apply. Seats on any desired flight are not guaranteed. Winner is responsible for obtaining all required travel documents.

*Airfare is limited to a maximum of $1,500 for one person (and no greater than premium economy) to be paid by Madre Mezcal. Any costs associated with airfare over this amount must be paid by the winner. Winner can choose whether to fly into SJO or LIR airports and will take a domestic connection flight to ACO airport. Madre will cover transportation to and from ACO airport and House of SOMOS. Any extra transportation to and from home airports, extra meals, upgrades, and other charges are the sole responsibility of the winner.

** Food and beverage daily stipend limited to amount stated by SOMOS upon arrival. Any extra costs associated with extra rooms or night stays, food and beverage, plus gratuities, must be paid by the winner. 

To Claim Prize: Winners will be notified via email and/or Instagram Direct Message and must claim the prize within 7 days of notification. The potential winner will be disqualified and the runner up will be selected in the following circumstances: the potential winner cannot be contacted using the information provided or fails to respond to Sponsor's attempt to notify them of selection within seven (7) days; any notification is returned as undeliverable or yields an error of undeliverable type or "bounce back" email (regardless of whether the message is ultimately delivered to the recipient); Sponsor is unable to verify potential winner's eligibility; potential winner is unable or unwilling to accept the prize as stated; or the potential winner cannot be verified as eligible for any other reason. If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the next eligible finalist that is fully compliant with these Official Rules shall be deemed the winner, until the prize is awarded or until three (3) attempts have been made to award the prize and each attempt failed. Sponsor will identify each potential winner and verify the potential winner's eligibility after the applicable Choosing date.

Conditions: By participating in a contest, winners agree to have their name, voice, likeness, photograph, statements, opinions, biographical information and/or application entry used in any advertising or broadcasting materials, whether relating to this contest or otherwise, in any media, now known or hereinafter developed, in perpetuity, without additional notice, payment or other compensation unless prohibited by law. Sponsor is not responsible for misdelivered, incomplete or late entries, internet service outages, delays, equipment malfunctions, or any other technological difficulties that may prevent an individual from entering or claiming a prize. Sponsor, in it's sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the application process, the operation of Sponsor's website, or otherwise in violation of the Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate, or modify the Contest if it is not capable of completion as planned for any reason outside Sponsor's control, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, change in law, or technical failures of any sort. In such event, Sponsors reserve thbe right, but not the obligation, to award any applicable prize from the applications submitted before the cancellation, suspension, or modification of the contest. 

Any attempt to undermine the operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and should such attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Failure to comply with the Official Rules may result in Participants' disqualification solely at the discretion of the Sponsors. The Sponsors are not responsible for typographical or other errors in the printing, the offering or the administration of the Contest, or in the announcement of a prize. Only the prizes set forth in these Official Rules will be awarded. If, through printing or production edor, or for any other reason whatsoever, more prizes are claimed than intended and/or set forth in these Official Rules, Sponsors reserves the right to award only the stated prize from all legitimate, unawarded, eligible prize claims.

Indemnification; Limitation of Liability: Neither sponsor nor its affiliates is responsible for printing or typographical errors in any contest-related materials or transactions that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. The contest is being made exclusively by the sponsor. sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware, software, internet, or telephone failure of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or fraud, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmission whether caused by sponsor, applicant, user, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the contest, or by any technical or human error which may occur in the process of submissions which may limit an applicant’s ability to participate in the contest. Neither sponsor nor its affiliates is responsible for any damages or injury incurred by the winner and guests as a result of winning or arising out of the winner or guest’s use or dissatisfaction with a prize. by entering, applicants agree to release hold harmless, defend and indemnify sponsor and its affiliates, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, and any and all other companies associated with the contest (collectively, the “released parties”) against any and all liability, damages, or causes or action (however named or described), related to or arising out of (i) a contest, (ii) applicant’s participation in a contest, and (iii) the receipt or use or misuse of a prizes awarded. possible claims or causes of action include, but are not limited to, infringement of any right of publicity or intellectual property; threatened or actual injury, loss, or damage to any person, including death and disability; defamation or portrayal in a false light (intentional and unintentional); and damage to or loss of property, arising out of applicant’s or a guest’s participation in a contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize. In no event will the released parties be responsible for or liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising out of the contest. If for any reason an Applicant's entry is confirmed to have been voided or corrupted by any grossly negligent or willful act of the Sponsor, Applicant’s sole remedy is another entry in the contest, subject to availability and provided that contest has not then expired.

Construction and Disputes: Applicants waive any right to claim ambiguity in these Official Rules. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. The Contest is subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and are governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these Official Rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein. Any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including those associated with entering the contest, but in no event attorneys’ fees. Sponsor reserves the right to correct clerical or typographical errors in the contest materials or these Official Rules. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. The exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute shall be in the Federal or State Courts located in Los Angeles, California.

Use of Information and Communication with Participants: Information supplied on entry forms may be included in Sponsor’s promotional mailing and email lists. Participants who do not wish to receive promotional material from the Sponsor may check the box on the entry form or write to the Sponsor at the address given above. Sponsors will not sell participant information to any third parties. Opting out of receiving promotional material does not affect the chances of winning a prize. Even if a Participant indicates a desire not to receive promotional material, the Sponsor may still contact the Participant via mail or email with information about the contest or these Official Rules.

For any other questions, please email info@madremezcal.com.