ACA Residency #195 (Oct. 5–25, 2025)
The Mentoring Artist Residency was the core program at our founding, and it has served over 3,500 emerging and mid-career artists from many disciplines. The residency is unique in that it is a mentoring program that couples prominent Mentoring Artists with selected Associate Artists for three-week periods. Since residencies are process-based, and not product-driven, time can be spent on previously existing projects, on new experiments, or on collaborations. The residency is also unique in that it focuses on creating conversations and the sharing of ideas between three disciplines per program, which can include visual artists, writers, dancers, and musicians as well as many other types of art. ACA believes that the spirit and challenges of being an artist are shared by all disciplines and that we can learn much from coming together, sharing our work and ideas, and collaborating on projects.
The three mentoring artists for this residency are:
• Fatimah Asghar- poet, screenwriter, educator, and performer, they were a recipient of the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, and listed on Forbes’s 30 under 30 list.
• Molissa Fenley- choreographer/dancer, she is of the most influential artists of postmodern dance.
• Jeremy Kittel- Grammy-nominated violinist, fiddler, and composer.
1414 Art Center Ave
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32168
United States
Residency Program Information
Residency Program Summary
Application Information
Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and speak English.
The residency fee covers room and board for the artist for all three weeks. Travel, transportation, and artist materials are the responsibility of the artist.
Generous scholarships are available that will drastically reduce the residency fee.
Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
Accessibility
Of the 28 rooms, four are designed to be handicap accessible suites with required accessibility features as well as an extra bed for a caretaker. Please notify an ACA staff member if you require the use of one of these units during a program, or if you have further questions about housing.
Housing & Accomodation
Studio & Facilities
The Doris Leeper Studio Complex include the following:
Joan James Harris Theater: The 2,500 square feet black box theater acts as a functional work and performance space for artists-in-residence. The design concept is to provide a space that can be manipulated to fit the changing needs of each residency. Events and performances are held in the round, as well as in a traditional theater-style seating arrangement. The theater is equipped with a professional lighting grid that can also be customized for each residency and performance.
Charlotte Battle Everbach Painting Studio: The 1,885-square foot Painting Studio is fitted with large northern exposure windows and light monitors that can be opened to provide natural ventilation and light. Replaceable homosote panels let artists attach or mount many materials to the walls. Work tables and portable walls make the space extremely versatile and accommodating. Typically the painting studio is organized into a collegiate style arrangement of 6-8 cubicles with multiple clamp lights for each space.
Jim and Alexis Pugh Sculpture Studio: The 1,233 square foot Sculpture Studio gives artists-in-residence the space and equipment required to undertake ambitious projects. The space is the only concrete studio in the complex, which is symbolic of the enduring materials used by sculptors. The roof is designed with a long overhang that shelters an outdoor work patio. With its three roll-up doors opened, the space flows easily from interior to exterior. Large glass windows and louvers maximize working light, while wind scoops provide ventilation for an active studio. There are many tools in this studio for working with wood, metal, and many other materials. Other specialized tools can also be requested during ACA Residencies.
Helene B. Roberson Dance Studio: The 2,609 square foot dance studio is outfitted with a sprung wood floor and an expansive, wall-length mirror. The space also features magnificent sliding glass doors, which offer a great view to the lush landscape, access to a semi-private deck, and options for controlling the climate of the studio. The sides of the studio adjacent to more public areas are built with sand-blasted windows to provide privacy and diffuse lighting for dancers and choreographers.
Ruth Scorgie Hubbard Music Studio: The 1,000 square-foot Music Studio was designed to be both insular and uplifting. The tall, vertical space is outfitted with a large skylight that connects the musician to the Florida sky. Permanent and mobile sound panels are installed to reduce reverberation and to allow musicians to control the aural qualities of the room. Another smaller, isolated recording room allows multiple musicians to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
The Music Studio is equipped with a Steinway Model B Grand Piano and a wide range of recording equipment for musicians and multimedia artists. For a complete list of audio equipment, please contact Residency & Program Manager ren morrison rmorrison@atlanticcenterforthearts.org.
Jean and Fredrick Raffa Writing Studio: The Jean and Fredrick Raffa Writing Studio was named in honor of longtime ACA friends, members, and supporters Jeanie and Fredrick Raffa in 2013. The studio was remodeled and includes all the amenities needed for writers of all disciplines. The 540 sq ft room features a 12 foot tall window overlooking the nature of ACA, a coffee bar, reading loft, conference table with seating for 10 and equipment for research and printing materials.
Wilkinson Resource Library: Overlooking Turnbull Bay, the 876-square foot library, provides a large reading room surrounded by shelves of books, periodicals, scores, CD’s, and videos. A spiral staircase leads to a loft that provides comfortable seating and a view of the tranquil bay. The library also contains a computer and wireless internet for online research, as well as a video viewing station. The library’s collection is continually growing through generous donations from artists in residence and members of the ACA community.
Thompson Field House Media Lounge: The Field House is one of the original working and living spaces of artists in residence. After the construction of the Leeper Studio Complex, the Field House has evolved into a media lounge that offers a 50” HDTV connected to popular streaming services allowing artists to share their multimedia projects and favorite films in a comfortable setting.