Artist-in-Residence Program

Freedom to Grow’s Artist in Residence program supports artists rooted in Louisiana and the Gulf South. As part of the residency, we commission new work that reflects local histories, ecological realities, and abolitionist imagination. By investing in regional artists and culture bearers, we strengthen a creative ecosystem grounded in place and lived experience.

We see artists as vital messengers of the abolitionist imagination, whose narratives of justice and care can inspire transformation in those previously unwilling to engage. The Artists in Residence’s works illuminate histories of creativity, resistance, and resilience within Louisiana’s carceral system.

Our inaugural Artists in Residence are Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun. Chandra and Keith are legendary New Orleans artists, and bring with them decades of experience photographing those held within the walls of Angola prison. During this collaboration, they will use the ongoing research collected within the Resurrection Archives as inspiration in creating a unique piece for the Museum for Abolition and Beyond.

The presentation of their new piece will open alongside Crafting Resistance, an exhibition highlighting the unique artistic methods that have emerged from Louisiana’s prison system, and the ways that formerly and currently incarcerated artists have used their practice to resist the criminal punishment system. The exhibition will be on display at the John Thompson Legacy Center through December 2026.