FAQs

In general, there are six to eight artists in residence in the main residency house at any given time, as well as two to three full-time staff members and several volunteers. Very often, there are eight to twelve people around the dinner table!

While there are buses from Bogotá to the nearby town, during this time of Covid we recommend you taking a car from the airport to ArteSumapaz. We can arrange the driver to meet you at the airport. The cost is about $75-80 US. We can pay the driver and you can reimburse us via Paypal if needed.

Also, we’ve been successful hailing an UBER from Bogotá. If you do so, you’ll want to take an Uber Comfort, as smaller cars can have a tough time on some of the roads.

Bus info, and how to get here from San Bernardo is all here

Art supplies of decent quality are difficult to purchase here – in general, we advise bringing as much as you think you’ll need. There are some shops in Bogotá, but anything of decent quality has been imported, and is thus priced more to cover shipping and taxes. Seriously, bring art supplies.

For the time being, US Amazon has been offering free delivery and without duty on some items. We have an address in Bogotá to which you can safely have things shipped, and then someone can bring it up from the city.

Some of the better shops in Bogotá:

• Fabriano – located in the Santa Barbara mall in Usaquen
• Belle Chantraine
• Panamericana – multiple locations in Bogotá

For paintings, artists generally work on temporary stretchers, and then roll the paintings. Silicone release paper can be handy for lining the paintings.

• Shoes or boots for hiking
• A good hat for the sun
• Sunscreen
• Audiophones: we work really hard to keep all spaces peaceful and quiet so folks can work.
• Mosquito net for hat – some people have found these handy while hiking
• Rechargeable lantern can come in handy for the occasional power outage.
• Any sorts of creams or lotions that you really like – these things can be difficult to get here

Carnivores: You can purchase sandwich meats and keep them in the refrigerator, or take a tuk-tuk into town and partake in one of the famous grilled meat plates of Colombia.

Vegans: The majority of our plates are vegan, although occasionally we do add some egg or dairy. Eggs are frequently the mainstay of breakfasts here, although we usually have granola and fruits available too.  If you’re vegan, you might need to step in and help with your meals. 

Three dogs and two cats!

The dogs and cats here are all rescues: Guaricha, Jolene, and Chimba. The cats: Yuca and Cookie.

Very! We endeavor to avoid or recycle plastics, and ask residents to help out in that effort. We also ask that people turn off lights when not in use, and to use soaps that are not harmful to the environment.

Oh, yes. We’re in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, and that includes all sorts of wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, and land crabs, and more. You need to exercise reasonable caution when hiking in the region, and wear long hiking pants and even boots. If you have a known allergy to stings (bees, wasps, etc) physicians recommend that you always travel with a dose of epinephrine.

Interestingly, one of the most dangerous critters to come into contact with here is a type of caterpillar (Lonomia).

The weather at ArteSumapaz tends to be temperate all year round, with rainy and dry seasons. It’s rather difficult to say whether we’ll be in our rainy time or dry time (pretty much the two seasons we tend to have), as for whether global warming or the “el niño/la niña” (https://www.climate.gov/enso .)  weather patterns are having play, But what I can say is that our most rainy season, whenever that might be, tends to be pleasant. We’ll get gray days, and precipitation for an hour or so, but never so cool as to merit a sweater after the early morning. But it really has been off from those official charts of what we should be expecting.

WEATHER BY MONTH // WEATHER AVERAGES FUSAGASUGÁ

The difference in precipitation between the driest month and the wettest month is 192 mm | 8 inch. The variation in temperatures throughout the year is 0.8 °C | 1.4 °F.

The month with the highest relative humidity is November (85.60 %). The month with the lowest relative humidity is September (74.39 %).

The month with the highest number of rainy days is April (23.10 days). The month with the lowest number of rainy days is January (17.07 days).

Fusagasugá are in the middle and the summers are that easy to define.

It isn’t a simple matter to speak of the weather at ArteSumapaz. Basically, there are supposedly three seasons; rainy and dry and in-between. When it’s rainy, it tends to be more overcast, with about an hour of precipitation every day or night. For the most part, the center being at an elevation of 1,400 meters above sea level, is considered temperate. You might need a sweater or hoodie in the first couple hours of the morning, but by late morning, you might be down to a t shirt.

There are official charts of what to expect in Colombia, but they tend to be inaccurate perhaps because of global warming or the “el niño/la niña” (https://www.climate.gov/enso .)  weather patterns. But what I can say is that our most rainy season, whenever that might be, tends to be pleasant. 

The staff at ArteSumapaz is bilingual. Sometimes, residents really want to improve their Spanish, so we tend to focus on speaking spanish at the table or in other settings. At other times, the consensus leans towards English, and the native Colombians get to improve their English. And sometimes it just all devolves into a good old-fashioned “spanglish,” as we all discover new ways to express ourselves. So, it’s up to each individual; if you want to improve or learn spanish, we can make that happen.

Depends on the day! Sometimes, it’s perfectly fine enough to make Zoom calls. On other days, it can be awful, and subject to disruptions of service in the region. IF you have work that depends on a good internet connection, you should be prepared for having to go into town. We have some friends in the nearby village that rent out a space with internet for a modest fee.

IF you look about the house, or with friends, and see any books or DVDs you´re no longer using and would like to find a home for; we are always seeking donations of those things. The same for old electronics – as people here in Colombia can always use those things, as they can be terribly expensive for them to purchase. 

Each room has at least one three-pronged outlet (updated in 2022, we have at least two outlets in each room). The electrical system is the same as that of the US. If you’re coming from a country that has another system, you’ll want to bring a converter.

While there are buses from Bogotá to the nearby town, during this time of Covid we recommend you taking a car from the airport to ArteSumapaz. We can arrange the driver to meet you at the airport. The cost is about $75-80 US. We can pay the driver and you can reimburse us via Paypal if needed.

Also, we’ve been successful hailing an UBER from Bogotá. If you do so, you’ll want to take an Uber Comfort, as smaller cars can have a tough time on some of the roads.

Bus info, and how to get here from San Bernardo is all here

Art supplies of decent quality are difficult to purchase here – in general, we advise bringing as much as you think you’ll need. There are some shops in Bogotá, but anything of decent quality has been imported, and is thus priced more to cover shipping and taxes. Seriously, bring art supplies.

For the time being, US Amazon has been offering free delivery and without duty on some items. We have an address in Bogotá to which you can safely have things shipped, and then someone can bring it up from the city.

Some of the better shops in Bogotá:

• Fabriano – located in the Santa Barbara mall in Usaquen
• Belle Chantraine
• Panamericana – multiple locations in Bogotá

For paintings, artists generally work on temporary stretchers, and then roll the paintings. Silicone release paper can be handy for lining the paintings.

• Shoes or boots for hiking
• A good hat for the sun
• Sunscreen
• Audiophones: we work really hard to keep all spaces peaceful and quiet so folks can work.
• Mosquito net for hat – some people have found these handy while hiking
• Rechargeable lantern can come in handy for the occasional power outage.
• Any sorts of creams or lotions that you really like – these things can be difficult to get here

You will be given a 3-month tourist visa upon entering Colombia. You can extend it for another 90 days in the calendar year.

Carnivores: You can purchase sandwich meats and keep them in the refrigerator, or take a tuk-tuk into town and partake in one of the famous grilled meat plates of Colombia.

Vegans: The majority of our plates are vegan, although occasionally we do add some egg or dairy. Eggs are frequently the mainstay of breakfasts here, although we usually have granola and fruits available too.  If you’re vegan, you might need to step in and help with your meals. 

Sometimes there might be someone at the airline, or even at immigration control in Colombia that might insist. Many travelers purchase a refundable return ticket before heading to the airport.

Fairly easy. Most people have been able to extend it online at best, and at worst, have had to make a run into the city to visit migraciones.

While there are buses from Bogotá to the nearby town, during this time of Covid we recommend you taking a car from the airport to ArteSumapaz. We can arrange the driver to meet you at the airport. The cost is about $75-80 US. We can pay the driver and you can reimburse us via Paypal if needed.

Also, we’ve been successful hailing an UBER from Bogotá. If you do so, you’ll want to take an Uber Comfort, as smaller cars can have a tough time on some of the roads.

Bus info, and how to get here from San Bernardo is all here

You will be given a 3-month tourist visa upon entering Colombia. You can extend it for another 90 days in the calendar year.

Sometimes there might be someone at the airline, or even at immigration control in Colombia that might insist. Many travelers purchase a refundable return ticket before heading to the airport.