The Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence program offers space and time for artists to create work in a contemplative environment, focusing on the transformative possibilities of a residency experience. In an expansive space, artists can explore new mediums and ideas over a period of one to five months. While staying in the Center's lodging in the historic Faubourg Tremé neighborhood, artists are ideally situated to access the myriad and unique stimuli of a historically dense city.

The programmatic theme of the 2017-2018 cycle’s is “Legacy.” This theme will inform the public programming at the Center, and will be the lens through which our staff approach their work and outreach. From Joan Mitchell Center’s director Gia M. Hamilton: "In the new millennium, as we approach the tricentennial of the City of New Orleans, we are reminded to think about time as a continuum. Time is cyclical and presents opportunity for reflection, change and the cultivation of a new vision while relying on the knowledge sharing practices and wisdom of the past. This year, the Center will engage in reflecting on our work in New Orleans historically, the challenges and successes as well as the ways that we can better support artists and embody our values with mindfulness, deep insight and the courage to push the agenda of equity forward. We will work to uplift and amplify the legacy of those artists, enthusiasts and administrators who laid the foundation for our current work and acknowledge the new emerging leaders of tomorrow."

In addition to the core AIR residency, the current phase of programming offers two additional optional residency tracks to address the needs of specific career points and practices. The 2017-2018 cycle of the Emerging Artist-in-Residence Program provides six New Orleans-based artists dedicated studios for five months in concert with robust professional development support, and cultivates long-lasting relationships and advocacy for emerging artists. Artists also had the opportunity to apply as a Community Engaged Artist-in-Residence, based on a specific project proposal, and assists artists in developing relationships with a variety of communities and fosters direct, reciprocal relationships between resident artists and local community members and organizations.

For the 2017-2018 cycle, all past Joan Mitchell Foundation grant recipients and Artist-Teachers were eligible to apply for the core residency program and the Community Engaged Residency. Then, a secondary independent jury panel selected the 2017 artists through an anonymous review process. Nominators and jurors included visual artists, curators, and individuals from arts organizations and the academic community. To identify artist nominees for the Emerging Artist-in-Residence Program, the Center engaged nominators locally in New Orleans to recommend artists, who were then invited to apply.

To see the work of these artists, our past artists-in-residence, and learn more about the AIR program, please visit our website here.

ABOUT THE JOAN MITCHELL CENTER AND THE JOAN MITCHELL FOUNDATION

The Joan Mitchell Center is a program of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, which celebrates the legacy of the artist Joan Mitchell and expands her vision to support the aspirations and development of diverse contemporary artists. The Foundation works to broaden the recognition of artists and their essential contributions to communities and society. In turn, the Joan Mitchell Center's mission is to support local, national, and international contemporary visual artists through residencies and professional development. The Center aspires to be a place for creation, innovation and transformation; supporting values of community, diversity and social equity; providing a forum for artists and a welcoming, inclusive gathering place for the arts and the broader community of New Orleans. Historically, the Foundation has been committed to supporting visual artists through grants, resources and opportunities. Starting in 1994 with its first Painters & Sculptors grants, the Foundation has continued to support artists through a range of programing, including the Emerging Artist Grant Pilot Program, the Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) program that supports mature artists in the areas of studio organization, archiving and inventory management, education initiatives for both young and adult artists, as well as grants to artists and arts communities in need of emergency support after a disaster.

For information about the Joan Mitchell Center or the Joan Mitchell Foundation, its programs, or to receive an event schedule, please visit us at www.joanmitchellcenter.org.