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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 →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.
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.
Calls for proposals for artist residencies will be issued in the autumn of each year.
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.
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.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.