Program Overview

As a programmatic site of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans hosts artist residencies, providing individual studio spaces on the Center’s two-acre campus for both local and national artists. Located in the 7th Ward, the residency is a retreat for artists in a city rich with creative energy and cultural histories. The Foundation first began hosting artists as part of the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program in temporary French Quarter studios in 2013 and then opened the Joan Mitchell Center in 2015. Since its inception, the AIR Program has provided dedicated time and space for artistic contemplation and experimentation to 345 artists from across the country, including more than 120 artists local to New Orleans. Fifty of those participated in the New Orleans Studio Program, which offered a hybrid virtual and onsite residency to New Orleans-based artists during the COVID-19 pandemic (from September 2020 to the beginning of February 2022).

From April 8–May 31, 2024, the Center will accept applications from eligible visual artists for residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center in 2025.

Selected artists will receive private studio space at the Center for 6 or 14 weeks in either the Spring or Fall 2025 residency session, or for 8 weeks during the Summer session. Artists-in-Residence also receive $150 stipend per week, communal meals on weekdays (excluding holidays), and opportunities to participate in professional development and community events. Additionally, the Center will book all travel within the United States and provide lodging onsite for program participants (please note, we do not house guests or family members).

Residency dates will be confirmed with selected artists based on their stated session preference and studio availability.

Spring session: February 3–May 9, 2025

Summer session: June 9–August 1, 2025

Fall session: September 15–December 19, 2025
 

Applicant Eligibility

In order to meet eligibility for the Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence Program, individuals must be one of the following:

Artists Applying from New Orleans 

Must have lived in New Orleans as your primary residence for the last 5 years (Orleans and Jefferson Parish residents will be considered) OR

• Be a New Orleans native

Artists Applying from Outside of New Orleans

Must be a past recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation artist support programs including: Painters & Sculptors Grants, MFA Grants, Emerging Artist Grants, Emergency Grants, Creating a Living Legacy Awards, Early Art Practitioner Council Members, and Joan Mitchell Foundation Art Education Program Artist Teachers. Joan Mitchell Fellows in the fourth or fifth year of their fellowship may apply; therefore, 2021 Fellows are eligible to apply for 2025 residencies.

In addition, all applicants must meet the following criteria:

Identify as a visual artist and showcase a portfolio of work with a serious commitment to an artistic practice

• Be at a pivotal point in their career and demonstrate how the residency would be a benefit
• Have never previously been an Artist-in-Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center, unless as an Early Art Practitioner (EAP)
• Be 21+ years of age
• Must not be enrolled as a student in any degree-granting art program during the residency period
• Need a professional workspace to support a studio practice
• Be committed to be present and active for the duration of the residency cycle and participate in the professional development and studio visit consultations
• Complete and submit an application

Program Participation & Residency Benefits

All artists-in-residence (AIRs) will receive:

• 24/7 access to their studios
• Weekly stipend of $150
• Support from the on-staff studio assistants
• Prepared meals on-site and available Monday through Friday (except holidays)
• Regularly scheduled professional development and networking programming

Artists traveling from outside of the New Orleans area will also receive:

• Onsite lodging
• Airfare or up to $600 in travel reimbursement
• Up to $200 shipping reimbursement
• Studio Use and Program Engagement
   

Studio use is a primary component of the residency program. Program participants are asked to commit to roughly no less than 30 hours a week of working in their studios. Additionally, artists are expected to be engaged community members within their residency cohort and regularly participate in the roster of professional development programs and networking activities offered.

The Center’s residency programming provides artists-in-residence with opportunities to engage with other artists and arts consultants locally and from across the United States. Please note that the Center may pivot elements of the programming to virtual offerings in response to unforeseen events.

The Center offers five types of programming:
 

• Cohort and Community Building consists of peer-oriented happy hours and open studios for artists-in-residence, JMC staff, and invited Center alumni artists to connect with one another, discuss work, share their creative process, ask for feedback, and anything else that can benefit from communal participation or input. In addition, AIRs will have the opportunity to connect with the New Orleans community through programmed field trips and tours.
   
• Open Studios occur twice during each session, with the exception of the summer session, where there will be only one. These are professional networking gatherings where artists-in-residence present works-in-progress or finished pieces developed during their residency to a group of guests that can include artists, art administrators, curators, collectors, gallerists, alumni, cultural practitioners, and community members.
   
• Professional Consultations are one-on-one consultations and group workshops for artists-in-residence to connect with arts specialists to discuss a variety of topics that can include professional branding and marketing, legal and financial planning, estate planning and career documentation, and other areas that can support career development.
   
• Studio Visits are opportunities for artists-in-residence to connect with invited local and national curators, museum directors, gallerists, and other art professionals in one-on-one conversations to pose questions, exchange insight, and receive feedback, guidance, and support.
   
• Website and Social Media Engagement includes dedicated profile pages for each Artist-in-Residence in the Supported Artists section of the Joan Mitchell Foundation website, along with artist features on the Center’s social media channels (Instagram and Facebook) during the residency period. We encourage artists to share photos or videos during their residency and tag @joanmitchellcenter_nola so that we can repost.

How to Apply 

Artists are asked to provide a headshot, biography, CV/resume, describe their artistic practice, their intention for the residency, why this is a pivotal point in their career to attend a residency, three (3) professional references, and eight (8) work samples (including work sample descriptions). All of these materials will be submitted via the online platform Submittable. 

The Joan Mitchell Center will hold both an onsite info session on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:00am AND a virtual info session on Wednesday, April 24 at 3pm CT. We will also be hosting onsite, 1-on-1 application support sessions the week of May 13th and May 20th. Please contact program associate Trécha Gay Jheneall at tjhenneal@joanmitchellcenter.org if you are interested in signing up for 1-on-1 support sessions. 

Please review the detailed application instructions below before beginning the application. 

The deadline to apply is Friday, May 31 at 5pm (CT). We are unable to accept late submissions. Only complete applications will be submitted for jury consideration. If you need clarification or have specific questions that pertain to your application not addressed below, please email program@joanmitchellcenter.org. 

Application for New Orleans-based Artists > 

The link for former Joan Mitchell Foundation grant recipients to apply was emailed directly to all eligible alumni artists on April 8. Check your email or write to 

program@joanmitchellcenter.org for the link! 

Review Process and Timeline 

The Joan Mitchell Center staff works to thoughtfully assemble a diverse group of jurors with a breadth of knowledge, perspectives, and experience in various areas of the art world. Primarily, the jury assessment will take into consideration the overall body of work and its representation of the artist’s vision, commitment, dedication to a studio practice, and how the residency will advance an artist’s career at a pivotal moment. Please note that not every juror is an expert in every medium, therefore it's important that you provide as much information as possible about individual works and your practice for context. 

The jury will meet in August and we anticipate informing artists of their residency award by early fall 2024. 

Application Instructions 

You will be asked to submit the following in order to complete an application online via Submittable: 

1. Biography: Please provide a short written overview of your artistic and professional background from a third-person perspective, highlighting its connection to your present endeavors. This content will not be disclosed to jurors but will be utilized for promotional purposes if you are chosen as a recipient. 

2. Resume/CV: Please provide a summary of your educational, vocational, and professional qualifications and experience as it relates to the arts as well as your practice. 

3. Process + Practice: Please answer a series of questions regarding your creative practice, past residencies, the relevance or potential impact of the residency from your perspective, as well as future goals. 

4. Professional References: Please provide the name, email, phone number, title, and the nature of your relationship for three (3) separate references. They should serve as references on your behalf who can speak to your readiness for the program, dedication to your career as an artist, and ability to work in communities like residencies. Please DO NOT submit letters of recommendation. 

5. Work Samples: Please submit eight (8) examples of current work that best showcase your artistic vision and practice. We suggest providing the highest resolution images you have to ensure that jurors can zoom in for detail. Work samples will be viewed on computer screens. We recognize that still imagery does not best reflect the artistic work of many installation artists; therefore, we encourage video submissions or a composite image of detailed shots from various angles of a single piece from those artists (do not include composite images of multiple works). Of the eight work samples, up to two short videos, each under one minute in length, can be submitted. While Submittable will allow you to upload video samples that are longer than one minute, the jury will be instructed to only view the first minute.  All files must be labeled with the artist's last name, followed by a first initial and number 1-8 (example: LastName_FirstInitial_Image1). After you upload each work sample, please make sure to include title, date, materials, dimensions, and a short description in the metadata field that is provided. Work samples without metadata may place you at a disadvantage during the review, as the jury may not be able to understand your work clearly. Image submissions can include detailed shots and various angles of a single piece but should not be composite images of multiple works. 

6. Photo: Please upload a high-resolution headshot to be used for promotion of selected artists. 

All necessary materials have to be submitted by the application deadline, otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be eligible for jury review.