ARTS Southeast, an artist residency nonprofit based in Savannah, Georgia, will launch a new residency program on Ossabaw Island, the state's third-largest barrier island.
The Ossabaw Island Residency will host two week-long sessions, one in fall 2026 and one in spring 2027, with six artists for each session. The fellows will receive a stipend for their participation, as well as have their travel and accommodations to Savannah and to Ossabaw covered. Because of the length of the residency, there is no expectation for production of any kind of work while in residence, with the purpose being on exploring the various parts of the island, which comprises 26,000 acres, nearly 9,000 of which are high ground, and convening for meals and conversation each evening.
The first cohort, running October 24-31, includes Jessica Rankin (New York), Le'Andra LeSeur (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Michi Meko (Atlanta), Blanche Nettles Powers (Savannah), Dana W. Richardson (Savannah), and Claire Sherman (New York). The second cohort, who will head to Ossabaw Island from April 27 to May 4, includes Shanequa Gay (Atlanta), Marsalis Eason (Savannah), Sonya Yong James (Atlanta), Dionne Lee (Columbus, Ohio), Beili Liu (Austin, Texas), and Jerome Meadows (Savannah).
The selected artists were invited to apply to the residency program from a pool of around 70 applicants nominated by the residency's advisory committee. A smaller selection committee also chose the winning fellows, with a focus on assembling a multidisciplinary cohort.
