This year, we find ourselves reflecting not only on the ideals woven through our shared history, but on the unfinished work of building a better future. We inhabit a country composed of many voices, of inherited dreams and emerging truths. Democracy is not static. It is a living, fragile practice, renewed each day by those willing to work toward artful futures.

It is in this spirit that we are honored to welcome Niki Johnson as our 2026–27 Artist in Residence. We were deeply moved by Niki’s vision. Her participatory practice invites us into an honest encounter with democratic ideals, asking us to consider not only the distance between our aspirations and our realities, but also the possibilities that emerge when every voice is recognized as essential to the whole. At a moment when certainty often feels elusive, her work makes space for dialogue, dissent, empathy, and belonging before they are fully realized in the world beyond the studio.

We look forward to the collective imagination this residency will inspire, trusting that, even in uncertain times, the practice of making art together can help us discover new ways of becoming a community.