New Orleans Museum of Art Selects Six 2026-27 Artists

The New Orleans Museum of Art has named six artists for its one-year Creative Assembly residency program.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Fine Art

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a painter's palette and brush inside a museum archway, representing arts residency programs. — The New Orleans Museum of Art has named six artists for its 2026-27 Creative Assembly residency program, supporting local creative development. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The New Orleans Museum of Art selected six artists for the 2026-27 Creative Assembly residency program, which began in September 2026. The artists represent various disciplines including painting, music, and poetry.

Why it matters

The program provides funding and institutional support for artists to develop projects that connect the museum with the local community. It serves as a bridge between the institution's historical collections and contemporary creative practices.

The New Orleans Museum of Art houses nearly 50,000 works in its collection and maintains the 12-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which contains nearly 100 sculptures. The Creative Assembly program has operated since its 2021 launch.

The players

New Orleans Museum of Art

This major cultural institution located in New Orleans City Park holds a vast collection of fine art and manages the adjacent sculpture garden.

Darryl Chappell Foundation

This organization provides philanthropic funding to support artists, including specific legacies for performing arts.

Kelly Love Jones

One of the six selected residents, Jones is receiving additional backing through the Darryl Chappell Foundation.

The details

Participants collaborate with the museum's learning and engagement department to create public programming after receiving an orientation on the institution's history and collections. Kelly Love Jones is receiving support through the Darryl Chappell Foundation and its Wilfred Wallace Hammond Jr. Performing Arts Legacy Award.

The Creative Assembly program launched in 2021.
The 2026-27 residency program began in September 2026.

Industry Dynamics

The residency reflects a broader trend among regional museums to integrate local creative practice directly into their institutional operations. This approach positions cultural venues as active hubs for community dialogue rather than just static repositories for historical collections.

Local residents can expect new public programming and events produced by the artists throughout the remainder of the one-year term. These collaborations will take place at the museum and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

The takeaway

This residency provides a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with live artistic development within the museum setting. Attendees should look for upcoming event schedules as these residents begin their year-long public programming projects.