The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:
The Mosesian Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the selected artists for its 2026 Artist-in-Residence Program, including the inaugural Ignite Fellow and the newly created Emerging Artist at Mosesian Arts award. This cohort of artists will be in residence during the Winter and Spring 2026 sessions, bringing a wide range of creative practices to MCA’s studios and engaging the community through public programs and events.
The inaugural residency supports emerging and mid-career artists by providing dedicated time and studio space to develop new work in a vibrant, multidisciplinary arts environment. The Winter and Spring 2026 sessions will support five artists working across visual art, illustration, literature, spoken word, while conducting interdisciplinary research in public art, fashion and design, material experimentation, and socially engaged creative practice. Residencies are three months in length and provide 24-hour access to shared or individual studio space, professional development opportunities, and public-facing engagement with the community.
The Winter 2026 inaugural Artist-in-Residence cohort includes Alik Arzoumanian, a children’s book author, illustrator, and educator whose work centers Western Armenian language and cultural preservation; SaRa Kim, a transdisciplinary artist and creative researcher working at the intersection of art, science, poetry, and material experimentation; and Shmontray Jaquett, a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose practice bridges visual art, fashion, and community-centered design.
The Spring 2026 residency supports Julia Csekö, named the Emerging Artist at Mosesian Arts, an interdisciplinary visual artist and arts advocate whose practice bridges public art, social engagement, and cultural policy. The Ignite Fellowship, which provides free studio space and a project stipend to an emerging artist from the global majority or historically marginalized communities, will be awarded to Lyrical Faith, the inaugural Ignite Fellow for the 2026 cycle. Lyrical Faith is an award-winning spoken word poet and educator whose work centers activism, Black literacies, and collective liberation.
Artists were selected through a competitive, juried process led by Mosesian Arts staff in collaboration with two distinguished guest jurors: Layla Bermeo, Kristin and Roger Servison Curator of Paintings, Art of the Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Archy LaSalle, an artist, educator, and advocate whose work is held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
In addition to studio practice, resident artists will share their work and creative process through at least one public-facing program, such as open studios, artist talks, workshops, performances, or community-based collaborations.
The public is invited to meet the inaugural cohort at a Welcome Reception on January 8, 2026 at
5:30 p.m., held at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition to studio practice, resident artists will share their work and creative process through at least one public-facing program, such as open studios, artist talks, workshops, performances, or community-based collaborations. Additional projects, collaborations, exhibitions, performances, and educational programs with Artists-in-Residence will be woven throughout MCA’s 2026 programming, reinforcing the organization’s vision of a vibrant, inclusive creative ecosystem.
To learn more about upcoming interactive opportunities, follow @mosesianarts on Facebook or
Instagram, visit mosesianarts.org or contact air@mosesianarts.org.
About the Artist-in-Residence Program at Mosesian Arts
The Artist-in-Residence Program at the Mosesian Center for the Arts supports emerging and mid-career artists by providing dedicated studio space, professional resources, and opportunities for public engagement. Rooted in equity and access, the program is designed to foster artistic growth while strengthening connections between artists and the communities they serve.
About the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts
Located in a renovated former U.S. Army arsenal six miles from downtown Boston, the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts is a 30,000-square-foot multidisciplinary arts center featuring two theaters, art galleries, visual arts classrooms, artist studios, and rehearsal studios. MCA’s mission is to enrich the lives of diverse audiences and participants by providing exceptional artistic experiences. Programs span professional theater and music, exhibitions, literary programming, and arts education for all ages. mosesianarts.org
Congratulations on starting up this program and bringing interesting and diverse artists to Watertown!