Overview

Located in the heart of historic New Orleans, The New Quorum Artist Residency program provides emerging and established musicians, composers and writers with a focused period of time to pursue artistic development, exchange ideas, and engage with the larger New Orleans arts community. Residents can expand their artistic potential through interaction with peer artists in an atmosphere that encourages new work free from the restrictions of the marketplace and academia.

Our Artist Residency program is designed to immerse talented professional musicians and writers from across the world in the culture of New Orleans, providing these artists with life-changing experiences and converting them into global ambassadors for New Orleans music and culture. The New Quorum seeks to distinguish itself from other local and national artist residency organizations with a special emphasis on bringing accomplished international artists to New Orleans, facilitating cultural exchange between visiting artists and those who live and work in New Orleans, and by shaping all its activities for maximum benefit to local musicians, writers, and the community at large.

The New Quorum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in New Orleans, LA.

INFORMATION AND FAQS

What does the program offer?
A major key to the success of the residency program is the level of engagement on the part of the musicians/writers and the larger cultural community. In contrast to residencies that encourage residents to work in isolation, The New Quorum offers immersion in the rhythm of our city’s unique culture. We believe this to be the most powerful benefit of our program. In addition to having the freedom to structure their time around the needs of their projects, participants will receive artistic inspiration and career advice from well-established local and visiting artists who will be in residence at intervals throughout the program.  

A hand-picked group of talented and accomplished musicians is available throughout the residency for collaboration and help with access to local resources. In addition to one-on-one opportunities, musicians are encouraged to sit in on performances with The New Quorum-affiliated musicians and, in some cases, book their own gigs. Participants should be comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment to benefit most from the program.

All residents have their own private bedroom with shared bathroom. The program offers daily breakfast and five nightly meals during the week. Residents are on their own for lunch and Friday/Saturday night dinners.  In homage to the traditions of old New Orleans, Sunday suppers will be a weekly celebration and will be an opportunity to relax, enjoy, and linger over a table of local culinary favorites.

Who should apply?
This program is ideal for individual musicians and composers seeking focused time for working on a specific project; creating new works; or exploring and researching innovative ideas through New Orleans’ cultural lens.

Artists age 21 and older from anywhere in the world and not currently enrolled in an academic program may apply.

Residency Length
Residency length can vary within the prescribed program dates but participants must commit to a minimum of one week.  Each residency period begins with a Welcome Dinner and ends with a So Long event that provides an opportunity for each artist to share a performance, reading, or talk on their work/project.

The New Quorum cannot support musicians who require a traditional studio or specialized equipment. On- site facilities include a piano, printer, and Wi-Fi.

Cost
There is no fee for the residency. A non-refundable processing fee of $50.00 (U.S. currency) is requested with each application. The New Quorum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Application fees collected help fund our programming. While there is no additional cost to you, you will still need money for outside meals/snacks, incidentals, materials, and transportation to and from the residency. Also consider indirect costs including time away from your job and paying bills at home while you are in residence.

The New Orleans Community/Neighborhood
Built in 1911, the property was part of the Dunbar Plantation on Esplanade Avenue in the area known as Esplanade Ridge, between the Treme and Bayou St. John neighborhoods. Once the grand avenue for wealthy French in the 18th and 19th centuries, Esplanade Avenue is one of the most scenic and historic major thoroughfares in New Orleans. The immediate neighborhood includes the Musicians' Union, the Free People of Color Museum, and the Degas House, once owned by the artist Edgar Degas’ extended family. New neighbors include Esplanade Studios — a new premiere recording facility where Eric Clapton and John Legend recently recorded — and visual arts institution the Joan Mitchell Center, which recently completed a $20 million renovation and recently launched an Artist-in-Residence program supporting artists in the visual arts.

Public transportation is easily accessible from the property and can take residents directly to the French Quarter and beyond. The French Quarter is a 15-minute walk, 10-minute bike ride, or 5-minute cab ride. There are a number of restaurants, coffee shops, and wine stores, etc., within walking distance including Whole Foods, neighborhood establishments Cafe Degas, Swirl Wine Shop, and Fairgrinds Coffee Shop. Across the street from the property is the very popular Pagoda Café, which serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee.

New Orleans is a biking city. The New Quorum provides bikes for all residents. Please remember to bring your own lock.

Daily Life/Living Environment
The New Quorum is a two-story mansion on historic Esplanade Avenue that embodies elegant New Orleans architecture with high ceilings, pocket doors, and a beautiful porch view of Esplanade Avenue. The property features five charming guest rooms and 3-1/2 bathrooms — two bathtubs/showers and one walk-in shower. The front porch is an ideal location for morning coffee or afternoon cocktails. The huge backyard with garden and porch features various seating for outdoor lounging. Unfortunately is not accessible by wheelchair.

"A meal, according to my understanding anyhow, is a communal event, bringing together family members, neighbors, even strangers. At its most ordinary, it involves hospitality, giving, receiving and gratitude."
—Wendell Berry

At The New Quorum, we love good food and take seriously the responsibility of preserving and protecting the local identity of New Orleans food culture and traditions while exploring international influences. We believe “we are what we eat” and are dedicated to the pleasures of good, well-prepared, and well-presented food. We support local farmers, fishermen and purveyors. We believe that having delicious and informative food is at the core of the joy and appreciation of New Orleans culture.

We stock the kitchen with coffee/tea and snacks, but you are on your own for meal preparation for lunch and Friday/Saturday dinner, so it helps if you have a little cooking skill.

A tenth-generation New Orleanian, Founder Gianna Chachere is passionate about food and passing on her skills to home cooks. A private chef and caterer, she has also created two cooking programs for children — Sprout and Skillet in Los Angeles and WingSpan Arts in New York City. She was a Master’s-degree student in Food Studies at NYU and attended classes at the Peter Kump Cooking School and Gourmandise Cooking Program.  

Smoking is not permitted on the property. No exceptions to these rules, sorry!

Musicians, there is not a recording or formal studio at The New Quorum, and the residency is not designed to support recording an album. Residents are provided studio space at various locations, please inquire. Thus, the residency is limited to those who can bring their own equipment and materials.

Writers, a printer and paper are available for you, but you will need to bring your own computer.

Guests/Pets
Guests are allowed only on Sunday at weekly “Sunday Suppers.” No overnight guests are allowed at The New Quorum. If you would like a guest to attend a Sunday Supper during your stay, please inform staff 24 hours in advance. Guests are welcome at the So Long party near the end of your residency. Pets are not allowed on The New Quorum premises.

Work Samples
Your work samples are by far the most important part of your application. Only submit your best work, in the highest quality format you have. Links to websites, YouTube/Vimeo, Bandcamp, etc. are not supported. All documents and files must be uploaded.

Music — three to five tracks (a maximum of 15 minutes total). Audio format: mp3. Video format: mp4, WAV or MOV.

Artist Statement

Your artist statement should be coherent and brief. It is a way to communicate your creative practice and your artistic approach. It should also attempt to answer the following questions:  

• How do you share your discipline with/in community?

• How do you define success as an artist?

• What are your expectations of yourself as an artist?

• What are your expectations (if any) of The New Quorum artist residency?

References
Please provide three references, including name, phone number and email, as well as their relationship to you. Do not provide letters of reference; contact information only. We are interested in learning more about your dedication as an artist to a creative practice.

Selection Criteria
Your application will be juried through a careful jury process by a rotating panel of local musicians, writers, academics, and critics. Residency awards are merit-driven, based primarily on the quality of your existing work, using the following criteria, in order of priority:

1. Creativity and integrity of the work.

2. Strength of artist’s statement and perceived fit with The New Quorum residency.

3. Availability of the artist.

Notification of Results
The Selection Committee’s decisions are final. We regret we are unable to provide critiques of and/or comments on applicants’ work.

Deferrals
If you are awarded a residency but are unable to accept your invitation, you will need to reapply. Residencies may not be deferred beyond the residency period for which you applied.

We are happy to help you with the application process! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us