The Main Museum in Downtown Los Angeles an-
nounced today that it would open five new studio spac-
es in January 2018 for its artist-in-residence program.
With studios located onsite at the museum and monthly
honoraria offered to participating artists, the museum’s
expanded interdisciplinary residency program, which
formalizes facets of the current program, furthers The
Main’s central mission of supporting practicing Los An-
geles–based artists.
Applications are currently being accepted through
October 2, 2017, for residencies beginning in January
2018.
When The Main opened its preliminary space, Beta
Main, in October 2016 for public exhibitions and pro-
grams, the museum also opened two residency stu-
dios. The spaces have since been used by artists An-
drea Bowers, Sid Dueñas, Lauren Halsey, and Suzanne
Lacy.
The studios are currently being occupied by photogra-
pher Star Montana, whose work is now on view in Beta
Main’s exhibition Star Montana: I Dream of Los Ange-
les, and Carolina Caycedo, who is producing new work
for the fall show A Universal History of Infamy at the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), part of the
Getty’s Pacific Standard Time, PST: LA/LA initiative.
True to the nature of Beta Main—a physical and con-
ceptual space for experimentation in anticipation of the
fully-realized and currently under-construction muse-
um—this new iteration of the residency program was in-
formed by lessons from Beta Main’s inaugural year with
artists-in-residence. The observations tell The Main’s
current efforts to formalize areas of the program that
were already in place, as well as extending the muse-
um’s commitment to support more artists with expand-
ed studio spaces.
“Supporting emerging L.A. artists through our art-
ist-in-residence program is at the core of everything
we do at The Main,” said Allison Agsten, director of
The Main. “We developed this residency almost be-
fore we developed plans for the museum. Through this
residency, we aim to help artists advance their practic-
es in an environment that cultivates expansive thinking
and working. We also support artists by addressing the
need for studio space—something both critical to art-
ists and the cultural vibrancy of our city.”
The residency program—a platform for experimentation
and the development of ideas on contemporary artistic
creation in L.A.—offers artists a free private studio and
an honorarium of $1,000 per month. A variety of disci-
plines are accepted including, but not limited to, visual
arts, media/new genre, performance, film/video, mu-
sic/sound, choreography, and writing. Artists are invit-
ed to use the space as they wish, with no expectation of
producing new work, although some residencies may
result in exhibitions or public programs.
Residencies can last anywhere from three to nine
months, depending on the needs of each artist. This
opportunity for extensive time in the residency pro-
gram allows for artists-in-residence to develop strong
connections with the museum, other artists working in
the space, and the surrounding community.
In addition to the physical studio space and financial re-
sources of the residency, distinguishing features of the
program include access to The Main Museum staff and
relevant artists, curators, critics, and educators.
With residency studios connected to staff offices, The
Main’s team members work in close collaboration with
artists-in-residence to arrange individual studio visits,
facilitate research, liaise with media, develop connec-
tions and programs with the surrounding community,
and provide a supportive and collaborative environ-
ment.
Applications for residencies beginning in January 2018
are currently being accepted. Application materials
must be received by Monday, October 2, 2017. Appli-
cations will be reviewed by Allison Agsten, director of
The Main, and Monica Rodriguez, curatorial associate.
All finalists will be contacted via email to make interview
arrangements by Monday, October 16. Learn more
about how to apply at themainmuseum.org/all-resi-
dents
MAIN
MUSEUM
114 W 4th St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 986 8500
www.themainmuseum.org/all-residents