NOMA’s 2026–27 Creative Assembly Cohort. Top (left to right): Kelly Love Jones, Compton III, Kelsey Scult. Bottom (left to right): Ben Hamburger, Tiffany Smith, Donney Rose. Photo by Ashley Lorraine.
NEW ORLEANS – This year’s cohort of Creative Assembly residents at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) includes six artists working in painting, music, poetry, film, and other disciplines.
Launched in 2021, NOMA’s Creative Assembly program cultivates community engagement through a year-long residency in the museum’s department of learning and engagement. Artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from public programs, the museum collection, exhibitions, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
“This year’s cohort of New Orleans–based artists represents a breadth of artistic perspectives,” said Dr. Redell Hearn, Chief Educator at NOMA. “We are thrilled for NOMA to be a place of discovery and innovation for working artists who are helping define our current moment.”
Members of the 2026–27 Creative Assembly Cohort are:
Artist, designer, and storyteller Compton III
Painter and art educator Ben Hamburger
Musician and composer Kelly Love Jones
Performance poet, advocacy journalist, and teaching artist Donney Rose
Multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Kelsey Scult
Interdisciplinary artist and photographer Tiffany Smith
Bios for each cohort member are available below.
The artists kicked off the residency in September with an on-site orientation that offered insight into the museum's history, collection, and programs. During the residency, Creative Assembly Cohort members receive funds and museum support to develop artistic projects and collaborate with the museum’s learning and engagement department to create public offerings.
Kelly Love Jones is this year’s Creative Assembly Artist-in-Residence supported by the Darryl Chappell Foundation, which returns as a supporter of Creative Assembly by funding one Afrodescendant visual artist in the 2026–27 cycle. The Chappell Foundation’s support incorporates the Wilfred Wallace Hammond Jr. Performing Arts Legacy Award.
“We honored NOMA as our Partner of the Year for its Creative Assembly program, now in its second year of support from the foundation,” said Darryl Chappell, Founder and CEO of the Darryl Chappell Foundation. “The New Orleans Museum of Art is an amazing partner that is always finding creative ways to move community-centered programs forward.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ben Hamburger is a painter and art educator based in New Orleans. His painting practice is grounded in observation and explores relationships between people, place, and the natural environment. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across the United States, including at Ferrara Showman Gallery, the San Bernardino County Museum, and the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh. Hamburger has taught and led workshops in schools, universities, art centers, museums, correctional facilities, and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, as well as in Bolivia, Thailand, and India. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor at Western Carolina University and teaches painting at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. Hamburger holds a BA in Visual Arts from Eckerd College and an MFA in Community Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He can often be found painting throughout New Orleans or working from his studio at Mid-City Artist Studios.