Residency at the Museum
2026 Residency Applications
Open February 1, 2026 – February 28, 2026.
There is an application fee of $25.00 to be paid at the time of submission. Applications will not be accepted without payment.
Review the details below about accommodation and expectations before applying.
About the Residency at the Museum (RATM) Program
Launched in 2023 by the Imperial Calcasieu Museum (ICM), Residency at the Museum (RATM) is a seven-month artist residency program designed to serve as a creative incubator for regional artists. The program provides funded studio space and financial support to help artists develop new work while fostering a collaborative and supportive creative environment. In return, participating artists engage with the public through community programming, workshops, and educational outreach, helping make art and creative practice more accessible to the community.
RATM offers resident artists opportunities to connect with arts professionals, partner organizations, and cultural institutions throughout Lake Charles. The residency is housed at Central School Arts & Humanities Center, a historic 1912 campus designed by Favrot & Livaudais and located within the Charpentier Historic District. This shared cultural hub is home to several regional arts organizations, providing artists with meaningful opportunities for collaboration and public engagement.
Throughout the residency, artists are highlighted through targeted marketing and promotional efforts. Following the program, artists participate in multiple exhibition opportunities.
Eligibility is currently open to applicants based in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
Residency Outline
Program Information and Timeline:
- Applications Open: February 1, 2026 – February 28, 2026
- Application window closes on February 28 at midnight.
- Applications reviewed: March 3 – 14, 2026.
- Notifications sent out: March 18, 2026.
- Interviews: March 20-21, 2026.
- Notifications sent out: March 24, 2026.
- Public Announcement: March 28, 20206.
- Residency Months: April 1, 2026 – October 31, 2026
- Studio Location: 809 Kirby St. Room 207, Lake Charles, LA 70601
- Compensation: Resident Artists are granted a stipend of $500 per month.
Qualifications
Applicants must identify as a visual artist and showcase a portfolio of work that illustrate a serious commitment to artistic practice and live in the Southwest Louisiana or Southeast Texas area as their primary residence. Applicants must be able to pass a background check before being admitted into the program.
Applicants must be 21 years or older.
Selection Process
Artists are selected to attend the residency by the RATM Selection Committee. The committee reviews all applications submitted to the program. Initial selection is based on the merit of the artist’s portfolio, proposal, and other application questions. After the Initial Selection is complete, qualifying artists will be invited to conduct on-site interviews with the Selection Committee. Final selection is based on a holistic review of each candidate.
Studios and Accommodations
- RATM provides studio space. The three artists will share a collective studio space in which to work for the length of the residency. Studios will be very lightly furnished, so artists are expected to bring their own equipment into the spaces. There are bathrooms available in the building, but they are disconnected from the studio space themselves.
- No living accommodations are available at this time, so it is vital that artists have living arrangements in place prior to acceptance into the program.
Residency Terms and Expectations
- Artists must provide their own transportation. Artists selected must be able to attend the entire seven-month program. Exceptions will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but these are generally reserved for emergency only situations. Artists are welcome to have visitors during the residency. Visitors are not permitted to spend the night in studio spaces. We cannot accommodate family members, partners, or pets.
- Artists will be involved with multiple avenues of community engagement over the course of their seven months in the program. No less than seven Art in the Park events will be administered by RATM residents. Workshops, lectures, studio visits, and formal critiques are all potential events that will be provided by our residents, and these will be arranged on a case-by-case basis and discussed thoroughly during the assessment and selection process.
- Residents will be expected to make themselves available for members of the community seeking to hold appointments.
- Residents will be expected to attend at least half of opening receptions/cultural events that take place at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum over the course of their time in the program.
Program Requirements
As part of the RATM program, artists are expected to meet the following requirements:
Studio Hours: Commit to 20 studio hours per month, during which artists will be available for public interaction.
Public Workshops: Each resident artist is required to develop and lead three public, hands-on community workshops during the residency period. Artists will collaborate with Imperial Calcasieu Museum staff on planning and implementation, and ICM will assist with providing materials and logistical support. Workshops should focus on active art-making and skill-sharing, allowing participants to create original artwork while learning techniques related to the artist’s practice.
Participation in Specific Programming:
- Culinary Canvas (May 28, 2026): Resident artists will collaborate with culinary chefs to design visual elements that reflect the featured dishes of the evening.
- Lighting of the Oak (November 13, 2026): Attend as guest luminaries at the Museum’s premier fundraiser.
- Art in the Parks: Participate in community-centered art initiatives. Resident Artists can choose 4 out of 7 Art in the Park programs to participate in.
Conduct Clause: The Resident Artists agree to uphold the conduct standards of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, including:
- Avoiding actions that could bring disrepute, scandal, or negative publicity to the Artist or ICM.
- Abiding by all Federal, State, and Local laws.
- If the Artist violates this provision, ICM reserves the right to terminate the residency immediately, without notice or payment of the remaining stipend.
Copyright and Promotion: Resident Artists will retain all copyrights to their work. The artists grant ICM permission to photograph and promote their work for non-commercial purposes, including marketing and documentation. The artists will be credited as the creator and copyright owner of all works in any promotional materials.
Trimester Reviews: Artists will share their works-in-progress with the RATM committee members during review sessions at approximately three and six months into the program. These will serve as opportunities to discuss progress or issues with completing projects. Exhibition Opportunities:
The Residency at the Museum (RATM) program offers three exhibition opportunities for the Cohort Four artists during the 2027 year.
- Following the completion of the residency, all participating artists will be featured in a group exhibition at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. This culminating exhibition will celebrate the work developed throughout the residency and is scheduled to open in January 2027.
- In addition, one artist from Cohort Four will be selected by the City of Lake Charles staff to present a solo or featured exhibition at the gallery space inside Historic City Hall in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This exhibition will take place in 2027, with specific dates to be announced.
- The third exhibition will be held at Central School Arts & Humanities Center and will highlight the residency’s community engagement focus. This exhibition will showcase artwork created by Cohort Four artists alongside selected works produced by participants in their community workshops and educational programs, emphasizing the collaborative and outreach-driven impact of the residency.
Testimonies from previous RATM Artists
Camille Vizena, 2023 Resident Artist
As an emerging artist who recently graduated with their bachelors, the opportunity the Residency at the Museum provided was highly influential. The residency provided me with a local studio space, a monthly stipend, and a creative environment that allowed me to push my work in new and exciting directions. This all motivated me to establish a hard-working creative practice and to reach for new prospects even after the residency concluded.
I was able to expand the scale and complexity of my printmaking work, creating 2 ft x 3 ft reduction woodcuts, which I would not have been able to do without the ample space provided. The community connections I made during the residency were also invaluable, meeting a wide variety of people not only through the research for my body of work but also with the exposure during and after. The exhibition space provided for showing the Cohort One work at the completion of the residency was a truly exciting and unique experience for an emerging artist, and I hope that many other younger artists just starting out are also selected for this opportunity.
Bit Thompson, 2024 Resident Artist
The Residency at the Museum was everything I needed as an artist. Having a space to create and share with other artists and a stipend to help offset costs sparked so much joy and freedom to experiment and explore. It allowed us to work within the community and create some great connections. I experienced so much growth as an artist in the last nine months, and I’m excited to continue to build on everything this residency gave me.
Lyd Walls, 2024 Resident Artist
As my residency comes to a close, it has me thinking about how much has shifted these past nine months. This time has been full of growth- not just as an artist but as a person.
I’ve learned to express myself with more honesty and courage, to trust my creative instincts and to allow myself to take risks in my work and in how I show up in the world. I’ve pushed myself to step outside of my comfort zone, and in doing so, I’ve found new ways to express myself through art.
This experience helped me reconnect with my spirit on a deep level and that connection has given me more strength, courage and a deeper sense of being grounded in who I am- in art and in life. The time spent with Robbie Ausin and Bit Thompson has been truly special. The connections we’ve made, the support we’ve shared and the inspiration we’ve given each other will have a permanent place in my heart. I’m walking away transformed and excited for what’s next.