Olive Ayhens, Parallel Strata, 2009, Oil on linen, 45 x 57 inches. (BP#OA-8304)
The gallery is pleased to announce that the Joan Mitchell Foundation has named Olive Ayhens a 2020 Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence.
The artists were selected through a multi-tiered process that includes a review by a five-person panel of established artists, curators, and arts professionals. Participants are chosen with an eye toward: the potential career impact of a residency, as indicated by each artist; a demonstrated commitment to studio practice; and a cohesive body of work that speaks to creative vision and innovation.
“The 2020 artists’ work represents an incredible spectrum of formal and conceptual approaches, and an engagement with place, culture, identity, and the importance of the creative process in ways that feel timely and deeply meaningful,” said Toccarra A. H. Thomas, Director of the Joan Mitchell Center. “The residency program provides a platform for participants to continue to develop their work, share ideas and innovations, and to be inspired in new ways through dialogue with other artists, arts professionals, and the local community as well as by the unique history and culture of New Orleans. I look forward to welcoming the 2020 artists to the Center and to the energy and passion that we know they will bring to the experience.”
About the Residency Program
The Foundation’s Artist-in-Residence program offers a wide range of resources, guided by Joan Mitchell’s vision to provide artists with the necessities of time and space to create their work. New Orleans-based artists receive studio space on the Center’s two-acre campus in the Seventh Ward for a period of up to five months. Artists participating from outside New Orleans are provided with studio space and lodging on the campus for a period of up to three months as well as financial support for travel to and from New Orleans and for the shipment of materials. All of the artists receive a monthly $600 stipend for the duration of their residencies and opportunities to participate in a breadth of programs, including open studios, artist talks, and networking events.
“The Artist-in-Residence program connects directly with Joan Mitchell’s vision of supporting future generations of artists. With the residency, we are committed to offering a combination of resources that speak to the different and layered needs of today’s artists, from financial support to physical space to access to networking and community connections. We are always excited by the work and ideas that emerge from the artists during residency, and are delighted to welcome our 2020 class,” said Christa Blatchford, Chief Executive Officer of the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
About the Joan Mitchell Foundation
The Joan Mitchell Foundation celebrates the life of abstract artist Joan Mitchell by expanding awareness of her pioneering work and fulfilling her wish to support and provide opportunities for visual artists. Through grants, residencies, and related initiatives, the Foundation advances the work of today’s artists and amplifies their essential contributions to communities around the world. Learn more at joanmitchellfoundation.org.