2026 North Louisiana Arts Interchange

The North Louisiana Arts Interchange is open to visual artists in the United States with preference given to artists based in Louisiana and surrounding states. Each year’s cohort is made up of a unique mix of artists who are lead through various exercises and conversations that lead them to a summer of collaboration, ultimately ending in an exhibit in Ruston, LA.

The Arts Interchange program originated during the COVID-19 pandemic when the arts community in Ruston, Louisiana, came together to keep artists connected despite physical isolation. In 2022, the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation launched the North Louisiana Arts Interchange project in partnership with the North Central Louisiana Arts Council, supported by a Project Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts. The inaugural year of Arts Interchange was a bold experiment that challenged artists from Louisiana and neighboring states, resulting in numerous inspiring works of art and fostering strong relationships among the participants. In 2021, RLCF affirmed its dedication to the initiative by establishing Arts Interchange as an annual program offering.

In its current form, Arts Interchange is described as a “baby residency,” allowing artists to step out of their regular practices and explore new experiences without significantly disrupting their daily lives. The program accommodates practicing artists, educators, students, and aspiring full-time artists, enabling them to fit the activities into their weekly schedules while maintaining their other commitments. For emerging and younger artists, Arts Interchange offers an opportunity to expand their practices and build valuable connections with fellow artists. For more seasoned participants, the program provides a refreshing break, allowing them to explore new ideas and collaborations that can reinvigorate their creative practices. 

The program has a cost to artists of $75 ($25 application fee and $50 program fee). These fees directly fund a portion of the program's stipends, activity costs, and speaker honorariums with RLCF's operating budget and sponsors making the difference and covering other expenses like staff pay and admin expenses. Scholarship funding is available for artists who are not able to pay more than the application fee. There will be an option to request support once accepted. 

At its core, Arts Interchange brings together eight artists to talk, play, and collaborate, fostering a deeper understanding of one another and themselves. Through this experience, the program aims to leave participants with new friendships, innovative ideas, and a renewed relationship with their art.

Timeline Quick Look

March 1st Application Deadline
March 7th Notification of Decision to all Applicants
March 21th Arts Interchange Launch @ Gilbert Center in Ruston, LA
March 16th - May 4th Weekly Meetings via Zoom & assigned collaborative 
mini projects (first 8 weeks specifically)
May 11th Participants are paired with partners & begin work on project
June 1nd Weekly meetings end - pairs continue work on projects
June 29th Monthly Check-in
July 25th Community dinner for artist (past and present) @ Gilbert Center
July 20th - July 25th Installation Week
July 27th - September 11th North Louisiana Arts Interchange Exhibit
August 20th Public Reception for Exhibit

Program Overview:

Beginning and End Dates: March 16 – September 11, 2026

In Person Meetup Event:
When: March 21, 2026
Where: Gilbert Center, Ruston, Louisiana
Purpose: Participants meet each other, explore the gallery space, and engage in a discussion about the program.

Weekly Online Meetings:

Duration: March 16 – June 1, 2026 (11 weeks)

Frequency: Mondays at 6:00 PM (Central Time)

Weeks 1–7: Participants meet weekly on Zoom to:

Engage in collaborative activities, discussions, and hear from guest speakers. 
Complete weekly exercises with rotating partners to foster creativity and dialog. These exercises are fun activities designed from past year collaborations that involve sharing aspects of inspiration, process, and creativity with your partner and responding with creation, discussion, and reflection. Activities include sharing audio playlist, daily check-in, making response artworks, and more. 

Week 8: Participants vote in ranked choice order for who they would like to pair up with for the remainder of the program. Results and identification of the pairs are handled internally by RLCF staff.

Week 9: Pairs are assigned for final projects based on input they each provide in a closed survey.

Each pair receives a $200 stipend to develop their artwork.

Weeks 9–10: Continue group meetings to share progress, receive feedback, and refine projects.

Project Development:

Weeks 11–18:

Artists focus on their final projects independently with their assigned partners.

Deadline for Installation: July 25, 2026

Exhibition:

Dates: July 27th – September 11, 2026

Venue: Gilbert Center Gallery, Ruston, Louisiana

Public Reception: August 20, 2026, during the Ruston Art Ramble

Your application will include:

• A head shot/portrait
• Your resume/CV
• Your artist statement
• A statement (max 2 pages) about your desire to participate in the North Louisiana Arts Interchange
  • In your statement, please explain what you hope to gain or learn in this experience and what your hope to share with the other participants
• Submit images/videos/audio of 5-20 examples of your artwork, file names should include title and creation date for each work submitted
• Payment of the application fee, $25 (which will be applied toward the program fee of $75 if accepted).
  • Scholarship funding is available for artists who are not able to pay more than the application fee. There will be an option to request support within the application form.

The North Louisiana Arts Interchange is open to all U.S. based visual artists. Special emphasis is being given to North Louisiana artists and those from surrounding areas (East Texas, South Arkansas, Central Mississippi, and South Louisiana). While the bulk of the program is virtual through Zoom, there are multiple in-person meetups that are important that every participant is present for. The events are in Ruston, Louisiana or within a day trip of Ruston (other locations depend on each year's participants locations to best accommodate travel times).

Applicants must also be 18 years or older, proficient in English, and have access to reliable internet.