Residency — Aquarium Gallery & Studios

Residency app is OPEN~!

deadline September 1st!

more info below

ARTIST RESIDENCY

The Artist Residency at the Aquarium Gallery & Studios is a FREE creative opportunity for visual artists to make new work in a new space for a month in New Orleans (or 2 week minimum).
Artists of any medium or career level with proposals for new projects are encouraged to apply.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY SPACE

The live/work space is a studio apartment with a private bathroom and lofted bed. The studio is adjacent to a communal kitchen for all studio artists, which is fully equipped with pots, pans, a large refrigerator, a stove/oven, and staples like oils and spices. The residency studio has an overhead ceiling fan, a window AC/ space heater, and plenty of shelves, tables and empty walls for working. There are 3 large windows throughout the space that provide excellent natural light. There is a swimming pool, backyard/garden, and fire pit on site which you will have full access to.

The building is six stairs up from street level. There are a few steps up and down on the first-floor porch leading to the residency entrance, which can be bypassed by walking through the interior of the building. The lofted bed is up a small flight of stairs inside the residency studio. Please email us with any accessibility questions.

The studio is outfitted with:

- large computer monitor with HDMI cable

- sewing machine (please check with us if you intend to use it, so we can make sure it's working when you arrive!)

- dresser, work table, desk chair, shelving, and couch

- many leftover and donated art supplies and materials

Available tools/ equipment on site, shared with other artists:
- color printer/ scanner
- 6' and 8’ ladders
- drills and assorted hand tools
- circular saw
- hammers, pliers, level, straightedge, measuring tape

About the Residency

Images and video courtesy of Ashly Griffith, 2025 Summer BIPOC resident

The Aquarium Gallery & Studios hosts a public gallery, 10 private artists' studios, 2 long-term residences and one artist-in-residence live/work studio. Located in the historic Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, the building is within walking distance of groceries, art stores, bars and restaurants.

If you're selected for our residency, you will be awarded a live/work studio free of charge. The length of the residency will be determined based on our pool of applications and project proposals, but is usually one month (with a minimum of 2 weeks). Regardless of length, artists are encouraged to give a public presentation of their work and actively engage with the Aquarium collective and surrounding art community.

Our gallery is operated collectively by the artists and tenants, with a new show presented each month, opening on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Open hours vary based on the artists being shown. Shows remain up until the 1st Sunday of the following month, usually with a closing event. Artists in residence are encouraged to attend openings, closings, and other events on site. We occasionally hold "open studios" events during gallery openings or closings, and we invite the artist-in-residence to participate by opening their studio and showing their works in progress. You can also plan your own in the space, to hold your own showing, performance, or open-studio event.
Eligibility: all applicants must be 21 years or older
Eligibility for our BIPOC summer residency: Black / indigenous / people of color who are based in New Orleans.
In addition to the standard residencies, we offer a 2-month Summer residency for New Orleans-based BIPOC artists. This residency will include a gallery show for the month after your residency is complete. If you'd like to be considered for this opportunity, please indicate in the application, and please specify which 2 months you'd like (including May, June, July, August, and September).
The residency is free!
We award a small stipend to all artists in residence, exact amount to be determined after our October 2025 fundraiser.

Accepted artists are asked for a $50 cleaning deposit upon arrival, to be refunded in full when you leave the space, with your artwork deinstalled and the room cleaned and tidied.
The Aquarium Gallery & Studios is located in the Bywater, close to St. Claude Avenue and within walking distance of the Marigny and French Quarter neighborhoods. There are numerous restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and cafes within 10 minutes' walk, with a food co-op 10 minutes' walk away and a larger grocery story 15 mins away. We are also located one block from the #8 bus and three blocks from the #80 bus.

We have a bicycle available for the artist-in-residence to use, with a U-lock and key. We require a $50 deposit for use of the bike, refunded in full when your residency concludes. There is also a public e-bike rental program called Blue Bikes Nola.

Some artists-in-residence may choose to bring a car. If you're driving in, there is plenty of on-street parking, but be sure to leave nothing of value visible in your car. Our neighborhood is relatively safe but there is occasional theft from cars.