A Studio in the Woods, located on the banks of the Mississippi River within the city limits of New Orleans, is situated in 7.66 acres of bottomland hardwood forest that was clear-cut in the late 1700s to make way for a sugar cane plantation. Fallow since the 1920’s, it is now managed by our Environmental Curator and is one of the few remaining tracts of forest in the area. Learn more about the land here.

Currently, the facility can accommodate three resident artists at a time. Living quarters are located in two separate buildings, the Main House and the Writer’s Cabin. 

Each artist is assigned a private bedroom, bathroom and studio space. Residents share a common living space and kitchen where they prepare their own meals.

Buildings are climate controlled with air-conditioning and heat and we run on a septic system.

Wifi is available throughout the compound. Due to our remote area Wifi and power can experience temporary outages.

Unfortunately we can not accommodate anyone under 18 years of age overnight, including children of residents. 

The Main House is a unique building lovingly constructed from salvaged lumber by our founders in the 1970s. The main house has two private bedrooms, one upstairs and another downstairs. Shared spaces include a laundry room, full kitchen and living room. There is filtered drinking water installed on the kitchen tap and on the fridge/ice dispenser.

The Writer’s Cabin was constructed in 2019. It has a kitchenette with filtered drinking water on tap. The studio workspace is located directly adjacent from the living quarters, connected by a covered breezeway. 

The Founders Studio houses the staff office upstairs, shared workshop down stairs and a private studio named The Kiln Room, also downstairs.

Studio Workspaces are minimally furnished with desks and chairs. We have general art and office supplies available, a sewing machine and basic carpentry tools. 

Any additional equipment needed is the sole responsibility of the artist. 

Outdoor Communal Spaces include a screened in porch, meadow, pond, fire pit, levee and woods.

The Stewards Cottage is a private residence, it houses our living on site steward, a hands off staff member whose presence can ease anyone concerned about staying on site alone. Rarely you could be the only artist/scholar overnight on the compound. 

Environmental and seasonal phenomena are important to consider before applying to stay with us. Our facilities and rural location may not be everyone’s forest oasis.

A Studio in the Woods is located in a semi-tropical environment. Early fall tends to be quite hot and humid, up to the 90’s through October. While the winters are fairly mild, temperatures can fluctuate drastically between 30 – 75 degrees every few days. Spring temperatures range from 59 – 89 degrees with humidity levels upwards of 75%. Additionally, each spring Formosan termites swarm in New Orleans, something to be aware of if scheduling a residency for the late spring months.

Weather phenomena may interrupt your visit. We experience a range of weather phenomena including extreme heat, tornados and hurricanes. If a hurricane is approaching during your residency, staff will monitor it closely and keep you updated. In the event that extreme weather is on track to hit New Orleans, you may be required to evacuate for your safety.  

There is no public transportation to A Studio in the Woods. It is strongly suggested that residents have access to a vehicle while in residence as we are nine miles from the nearest grocery/pharmacy. If that is not possible staff is glad to help facilitate a grocery run once a week, but can not guarantee other transportation to and from the city. Ride-sharing services do operate in the area but can get expensive.

We are committed to accessibility and have hosted both program attendees and artist residents with disabilities and have made the necessary modifications to our existing facilities to accommodate them. Please contact us at info@astudiointhewoods.org or 504 392-4460 if you have questions about accessibility.

You can review our FAQ page, detailing important considerations before applying. For pictures and further details about the living experience check out our Forest Campus Living Experience.