The LAB at ArtYard

The LAB at ArtYard is a new social practice residency that brings together artists from different disciplines to create new work. The residency is a partnership of Frenchtown-based ArtYard and New Brunswick-based coLAB Arts. Selected artists will learn and experiment with ways to integrate social practice work with new art forms.

In 2023, the residency will center on veterans and veteran issues. Invited artists will learn how to conduct and document oral histories and will be paired with local veterans who will share their story. The artists will work with researchers and experts to look into overlapping themes from the stories, providing insight into how personal experiences tie into larger structural or policy challenges facing community members.

The artists will then come together for a weeklong residency in Frenchtown to turn the stories into Crankies, an old storytelling artform that holds its own particular place alongside the technology and media of the 21st century. The residency culminates in a live performance at ArtYard’s McDonnell Theater.

ArtYard’s partner in the residency is coLAB Arts, an arts organization which engages artists, social advocates, and communities to create transformative new work. coLAB Arts facilitates creative conversation through innovative programs and artist infrastructure, connects artists with community partners and mentors, and executes productions that challenge perceptions and inspire action.