Mentoring Artist-in-Residence Schedule
Residency #198 — October 4 to 24, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, August 5, 2026
Limited partial scholarships are available for this residency.
Will Cotton
Will Cotton was born in Melrose, Massachusetts and raised in New Paltz, New York. He has a BFA from Cooper Union in New York City, and also studied at the Beaux Arts in Rouen, France and the New York Academy of Art. Cotton is represented by Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris, New York, and Brussels; Baldwin Gallery, Aspen; and Ronchini Gallery, London. His paintings have been shown at San Francisco Museum of Art (2000); Seattle Art Museum (2002); Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany (2004); Hudson River Museum, New York (2007); Triennale di Milano, Italy (2007); Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, France (2008); Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba (2009); Albright-Knox Art Gallery, New York (2009); Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2013); Virginia MOCA (2013); Orlando Museum of Art (2017); Louvre Lens, France (2023), among others.
In 2010, he served as the artistic director for the California Gurls music video for pop singer Katy Perry. His work is in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; Seattle Art Museum, Princeton University Art Museum, Washington; Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio; and Orlando Museum of Art, Florida, as well as many prominent private collections. Cotton lives and works in New York.
Residency Statement
Application Requirements
- Artists working in the mediums of painting and drawing
- A brief personal bio, no. more than 300 words
- CV
- 10 Images of your work
- Website or Instagram Link
Website
https://willcotton.com/
Hannah Drake
Hannah Drake is a blogger, podcast host, activist, public speaker, poet, and author of 11 books. She serves as the co-executive director of IDEAS xLab and co-founder of the (Un)Known Project, which aims to uncover the hidden names and stories of Black people enslaved in Kentucky and beyond. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race, and her work has been featured online at Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, The Lily, and Harper’s Bazaar. Today’s Woman Magazine named her the Most Admired Woman in the Arts, she is a Daughter of Greatness, and she was honored as a Kentucky Colonel. Hannah was selected as a Soros Fellow by the Open Society Foundation, which seeks to support individuals believed to become long-term, innovative leaders shaping racial justice.
In 2023, Hannah was inducted into the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit, a permanent display in the State Capitol highlighting outstanding women who have made significant contributions to Kentucky’s history. In 2025, Hannah proudly received the Living the Vision Award, recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions to their communities in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. One of Hannah’s proudest achievements is earning an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Simmons College of Kentucky. Hannah’s message is thought-provoking and sometimes challenging; however, she believes that change occurs in uncomfortable spaces. “My sole purpose in writing and speaking is not to entertain you. I am trying to shake a nation.”
The mentorship of Hannah L. Drake is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
Residency Statement
The theme for my portion of the residency is Bearing Witness – a residency for Bold Artists
Step into a powerful creative lab where history, art, and truth collide. In this residency, artists will join Hannah Drake to dig deep into the urgent issues facing our nation today. Together, we will explore ways to create poetry and performance that speak truth, spark conversation, and push back against silence and erasure.
Drawing from historical narratives, poetry, dance, monologues, and personal storytelling, participants will shape new work that challenges injustice, honors our past, and imagines a more equitable future. This is a space for artists who are ready to create with courage, intention, and heart. Whether you are a writer, dancer, spoken word artist, actor, or storyteller, you will leave with new tools, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of how art can shift culture.
If you are ready to create work that meets this moment, lifts voices, and refuses to be quiet, this residency is for you.
Application Requirements
- Submit three to five creative work samples:
Poetry, spoken word, monologues, dance excerpts, short performance clips, or narrative writing that reflect your artistic voice. These can be submitted written or via video. - Provide a brief artist statement:
Share who you are as an artist, the themes you explore, and why you want to participate in Bearing Witness. - Write a short reflection:
Describe one current national issue you feel compelled to explore and how you hope to engage it through your art. - History has informed much of my work. How do you utilize history in your artistic practice?Share how historical narratives shape your creative approach, inspire your work, or influence the stories you feel called to tell.
- Confirm your commitment to collaboration:
Agree to work collaboratively with artists across disciplines including poetry, movement, and performance.
Website
http://www.hannahldrake.com/
All Mentor/Master Artists are vetted and nominated by the National Council; we do not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for consideration. Visit the National Council Advisory for more information.
To apply as an Associate Artist to our Mentoring Artist-in- Residence program, visit Submittable for open applications.
Residency Contact: rmorrison@atlanticcenterforthearts.org