Sam Doyle Artists in Residence
Artists are invited to propose year-long residencies that engage with Sea Island communities, Penn Center's archives, or other collections, with outcomes presented as readings, exhibitions, performances, or installations.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- annual cycle, check dates
- Entry fee
- Not listed - check the source
- Award
- Year-long artist residency at Penn Center National Historic Landmark District
- Location
- Penn Center National Historic Landmark District, Sea Islands, South Carolina
About
Overview
Artists in Residence Culture and Community at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District offers artist residencies each year. As of 2026, the residencies are named for Thomas Samuel Doyle (1906-85), a self-taught painter from St. Helena Island. Outcomes—readings, exhibitions, performances or installations—will be mounted at Penn Center or another suitable site, which may be in coordination with the annual Penn Center Heritage Festival.
Eligibility
Projects must engage with, or partner with, one or more of the Sea Island communities. Projects may also build from material or archival holdings in Penn Center, or other relevant museums, archives, or collections.
Application Timeline
Calls for proposals for artist residencies will be issued in the autumn of each year.
2026 Resident
Torreah "Cookie" Washington, a renowned master art quilter and fourth-generation needleworker, has been named the 2026 artist in residence. Washington is an award-winning fiber artist, curator, and educator based in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Her work centers African American textile traditions, ancestral memory, and environmental responsibility through art quilts, Gullah rag rugs, basketry, and sculptural forms. She is the founder of the Beautility movement and a leading practitioner of Gullah Rag Quilting. Washington will engage with participants in the Culture and Community partnership's Student Summer Research Residencies in May 2026, scheduled for May 18-22.
2025 Resident
Grammy-nominated tenor Victor Ryan Robertson served as artist in residence for 2025. Robertson is an American musical artist who performs in genres including classical, contemporary, pop, and Broadway. During his residency, Robertson engaged with Sea Islands communities and visiting learners through programs supported by the Culture and Community partnership.
- Award
- Year-long artist residency at Penn Center National Historic Landmark District
- Theme
- Projects should engage with Sea Island communities, Penn Center's material or archival holdings, or other relevant museums and collections, with a focus on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and its histories, culture, and communities.
- Eligibility
- Projects must engage with or partner with one or more of the Sea Island communities.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.