Announcing 2021 Joan Mitchell Center Artists-in-Residence

The Joan Mitchell Foundation announced today the 35 artists selected for its 2021 Artist-in-Residence program at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans. The artists, all of whom are based in New Orleans, and two of whom work as a collective, were chosen from among more than 150 applicants by a jury of artists and arts professionals from New Orleans and across the country. Residents were chosen with an eye toward: an expressed need for dedicated studio space to further develop their practices; the potential career impact of a residency; a demonstrated commitment to studio practice; and the presentation of a cohesive body of work that speaks to creative vision and innovation. Additionally, two artists selected for the program in 2020 will complete their residencies as part of this year’s class, bringing the total number of participants to 37. The group represents a wide range of professional backgrounds, demographics, career stages, and artistic media and approaches.

The program is divided into Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter sessions with the first cohort of residents arriving on campus on March 15, 2021. Every artist will receive private studio space at the Center for five months, a $600 monthly stipend, boxed lunches, and the opportunity to engage in virtual professional development workshops and studio visits with artists and art professionals from across the country and abroad. Professional and public programming to help artists connect with each other, build networks of support, and gain knowledge critical to advancing their careers is an essential aspect of the residency and the Center has worked to maintain this component in the ongoing pandemic through virtual meetings and events. The shift to virtual programming has allowed residents to meet not only with peers and leaders across the country but abroad, expanding opportunities for connection in hugely beneficial ways. The Center plans to maintain certain virtual events even as in-person experiences resume.

The artists participating in the Spring/Summer Artist-in-Residence program (March 15 - July 30, 2021) include:
Langston Allston
Mary Grace (MG) Bernard
Elenora Rukiya Brown
Jessica Lynne Brown
Dawn DeDeaux
Natan Diacon-Furtado
Pippin Frisbie-Calder
a.r. havel
Blas Isasi
Milagros Collective (Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre)
Miss Pussycat (Panacea Theriac)
Malcolm Peacock
Marta Rodriguez Maleck
Joel Scilley
Kenneth Scott, Jr.
Meg Turner
Tom Walton
Erica Westenberger

The artists participating in the Fall/Winter Artist-in-Residence program (September 13, 2021 - February 11, 2022) include:
Amber Adams
Ann Marie Auricchio
Nic Brierre Aziz
Manon Bellet
NH DePass
Theodora Eliezer
Abdi Farah
Emma Fick
Sally Heller
Pat Lee
Camille Lenain
Sara Madandar
Cristina Molina
Britt Ransom
Nik Richard
Loren Schwerd
jackie sumell
Jenna Turner

“Throughout the ongoing pandemic, as we have been so keenly aware of both the solace art can provide and the critical dialogues artists bring forward, the Foundation’s mission of supporting creative voices feels more crucial than ever,” said Christa Blatchford, Executive Director of the Joan Mitchell Foundation. “We are delighted to be able to offer a meaningful residency experience to so many New Orleans-based artists this year, to a group that offers an incredible spectrum of visions and artistic approaches. Their voices, passions, and perspectives tell a dynamic story of this culturally rich city and its importance to the wider creative fabric of our country.”

The Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence program was created to provide artists with the essentials needed to advance their careers: space, time, financial support, and access to professional development resources. For participating artists, the residency often serves as a critical juncture in their career trajectories and provides opportunities to engage with peers, leaders in the field, and the public. While residencies have historically been available to both New Orleans-based artists and the Foundation’s grant recipients from across the U.S., in August 2020, in response to the ongoing pandemic, the Foundation announced that it was shifting the program to focus exclusively on local artists for the remainder of 2020 and through 2021. The Foundation currently plans to host both New Orleans-based and national Artists-in-Residence for the 2022 sessions of the program.

“I am excited to welcome our newest group of residents to the Center’s campus in just a few weeks,” said Toccarra A. H. Thomas, Director of the Joan Mitchell Center. “We know that artists have been deeply affected during this challenging time, so it was important to us to find an approach that would make the residency available as a critical support. We are thrilled that so many New Orleans-based artists responded to the open call for applications, and that our program can continue to provide the core services essential to nurturing artistic practice.”

“I believe any artist balances productive self-isolation with engagement with peers and within the community. While this has always been difficult, the pandemic has made things even more one-sided,” said NH DePass, one of the 2021 Artists-in-Residence. “As a New Orleans native who recently returned to base my practice here, I find myself particularly missing the other half of this equation. Alongside having a dedicated space to create and the time and commitment to do so, the ability to exchange ideas and support a community of fellow artists is really important to me and my work. I want to involve myself in the community, both for what it gives to me and what I may offer as well.”

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