Carnival as Folklore

A five-day, in-person collage artist residency at Kolaj Institute in New Orleans

Virtual Sessions: Wednesday, 14 January 2025, 7-9PM EDT & Wednesday, 21 January 2026, 7-9PM EDT

In Person: 4PM on Sunday, 25 January to 3PM on Friday, 30 January 2026

Early Deadline to Apply: 14 December 2025. The Final Deadline (if space is available) is 28 December 2025. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until space is filled. Artists are encouraged to apply well before the deadline.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

Carnival is a season of celebration and symbolic renewal that takes place each year, according to the Christian liturgical calendar, between Epiphany and Mardi Gras, ending on Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, a period of solemn reflection and religious piety. During Carnival, social roles are reversed and norms are suspended; the jester becomes the king. Festivities are wide ranging and can include parades, street parties, formal balls, and cakes eaten only during that time of year. Carnival's traditions are rooted in ancient European festivals. Its 19th-century revival in the Americas parallels a time when people were rediscovering and reveling in Greek and Roman Mythology. As such, carnival is dripping with folklore. No place does Carnival like New Orleans, where the city comes alive in a mass display of collective effervescence.

During this in-person Artist Residency, collage artists will be invited to spend a week in New Orleans investigating Carnival as folklore and making art about it. Taking a broad view of collage and rooted in an understanding of Artist Practice, artists will hear a working theory of folklore; what it is; how it functions in communities; and the role artists can play in activating, transmitting, and celebrating folklore in communities as a form of cultural expression and a strategy for community resilience. Artists will learn how to identify and document folklore; make art in response to that folklore; build a context for the folklore; and develop strategies for getting that artwork to communities and into the larger ecosystem of Art. 

The artwork made during the residency will be considered for publication in Kolaj Institute's Folklore Collage Society, a printed journal dedicated to artwork and artists who activate, transmit, and celebrate folklore as a form of cultural expression and a strategy for community resilience. In its pages, stories, statements, essays, field notes, poetry, and song lyrics mingle with collage art that shows how collage artists are thinking about the folklore. Artwork will also be considered for an exhibition at Kolaj Institute Gallery in New Orleans that will take place 31 January to 11 April 2026. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

Folklore & Collage Residency: Carnival as Folklore is an in-person residency at Kolaj Institute in New Orleans that's centered on collage artists who want to develop their artist practice. Residencies are intended for self-motivated artists, regardless of the stage in their career, who want to develop their practice by exploring a topic or working method and collaborating with others to produce a final product and who want to develop a practice of working with folklore to create and present art that embeds itself in non-traditional spaces and speaks to a general community about contemporary issues.

Residencies are open to any artist over the age of 21 from anywhere in the world. We look for artists who have a developed sense of practice (even if it is an emerging one) and those who have a strong connection to a community. People of color, indigenous people, and members of queer communities are encouraged to apply.

COST

The cost of the residency is $750 USD. Kolaj Institute has a limited number of grants of up to $250 available to offset the cost of the workshop for those in demonstrated need. These grants are possible through the generous support of our donors. Travel to and from New Orleans, accommodations in New Orleans, and all meals are the responsibility of the artist. Grant requests made to specifically offset these costs will not be considered.

RESIDENCY LOGISTICS

Folklore & Collage: Carnival as Folklore Artist Residency will have two Virtual Sessions (DATES).

In-person activities take place at Kolaj Institute, 2374 Saint Claude Avenue, Suite 230, starting at 4PM, Sunday, 25 January 2026. Residents and faculty will come together as a group for approximately two hours each day for presentations and discussion. Participating artists will have 24-hour access to the space from 10AM, Monday, 26 January to 3PM, Friday, 30 January 2026

Kolaj Institute stocks general collage-making materials such as cutting mats, scissors, a variety of glues, substrates, and books and magazines. If an artist wishes to use specific materials they may be shipped in advance to the Kolaj Institute Studio & Gallery. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

The submission process asks applicants for:
   • Contact information
   • Artist or Writer Bio (50-250 words)
   • Statement of Artist or Writer Practice (50-300 words)
   • 5-7 images of artwork or samples of writing
   • What you hope to gain from the experience
   • Asks questions about your work and needs

QUESTIONS

If you have questions, send an email.

READ THE FULL CALL TO ARTISTS