Joan Mitchell Foundation Names 31 Artists for Residency in New Orleans

The New York-based Joan Mitchell Foundation has nominated 31 artists for its 2026 residency program.

This year, residents will participate in six- or 14-week residencies across three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, with no more than nine residents participating at a time. The first residents will arrive on February 2.

The foundation’s residency program is unique in that it not only brings artists from across the United States to one location, but also attracts many local artists. Of the 2026 artists, 17 are based in New Orleans, with the remainder coming from cities such as New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. Recipients ranged in age from 27 to 75.

“The 2026 Joan Mitchell Center Artists in Residence reflect the rich diversity of creative practices across the United States and in New Orleans’ vibrant arts scene,” Christa Blatchford, the foundation’s executive director, said in a statement. “We are proud to provide each of these artists with the time and space to pursue specific projects or develop new ideas, continuing the generosity Joan Mitchell showed to other artists who came to live and work in her French home.”

She continued, “The Foundation’s continued support of artists is particularly meaningful and important during this challenging time of diminished opportunities, and we remain committed to our values ​​and ensuring the Joan Mitchell Center remains a safe and inclusive space for creative work and exchange.”

Selected artists include Fred H.C. Liang, Trish Tillman, Nadria Njoku and Edela Soto, who also received American Artist Fellowships this week. The group also includes Kelly Pearson Boles (Grand Kelly Queen) and Ephraim Z. Boles (Big Chief Zebo), two leaders of New Orleans’ famed Black Masked Indian tradition, who will participate in separate seasonal cycles. Other local artists include Parisian Vee Adams and Ana María Agüero Jahannes.

The 2026 residents are selected by a five-person jury that includes artists Hannah Chalew and Dewey Tafoya, independent curator Rian Crane, Louisiana State University art history professor Allison K. Young and Ama Rogan, managing director of A Studio in the Woods at Tulane University.

“Every residency season, we see the transformative impact residency has on an artist’s practice—whether through uninterrupted time focused on their work, making connections through studio visits and public events, connecting with other residents, or immersing themselves in New Orleans’ unique culture,” Veronique LeMelle, senior director of the Joan Mitchell Center, said in a statement.