5 Worcester Artists Selected For Holy Cross Summer Residencies

WORCESTER, MA — Five Worcester artists have been selected for summer creative residencies at The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition announced Wednesday that Ava D'Eon, Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire with JSSDance, Cesar Rodrigues, Samuel Sjostedt and Isiah Tucker with Inner Voice Outer Change will take part in the program through Holy Cross' Scholarship in Action initiative.

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The residency is part of a three-year partnership between Holy Cross, the city of Worcester's Cultural Development Division and the Worcester Cultural Coalition. In its third summer, the program is expanding to five artists and will include dance and visual art for the first time.

D'Eon's project, "I Could Be Your Muse If You Let Me," is a contemporary dance work based on personal research and journaling. The project examines how people construct, internalize and perform the role of the "muse."

"The work engages deeply with themes of identity, particularly in how women are shaped by systems of desire, visibility, and validation," D'Eon said. "By interrogating the figure of the muse, the work critiques historical and cultural frameworks that position certain bodies as objects of inspiration."

Duvilaire's project, "Exploring My Afrobeats," will use Afrobeats to examine identity, migration and cultural memory through the experience of an East African artist and dancer based in Worcester.

Rodrigues' documentary film project, "Abstract Beast: Creative Freedom Through Assistive Technology," will explore his work as an artist and inventor with a physical disability. The film will trace his early work in realism, his shift toward abstract art and the development of his assistive painting system.

"As an artist with a physical disability, my work is rooted in adapting to limitations while continuing to create," Rodrigues said. "I aim to document the relationship between intention, communication and execution, highlighting how artistic control can exist beyond physical limitations."

Sjostedt's project, "Memoryscape: Homage to the Armenians of Worcester," will focus on composing a multi-movement musical work for oud, a Middle Eastern lute, and mixed chamber ensemble. The work will honor Worcester's Armenian Diaspora community.

Inner Voice Outer Change's project, "Music Is The Medicine," will use composition, communal songwriting and professional recording to create a mixtape about summertime in Worcester. The project will explore mental health, culture, identity and aspirations for the city.

"The mixtape's participants will explore what it means to belong in Worcester, how identity is shaped by neighborhood and culture and where inequities impact daily life," Tucker said. "By elevating authentic stories through music, the project fosters dialogue, shared understanding, and a deeper sense of collective belonging within the city."

The residency, called "HCxWCC: Creative Residencies for Worcester Artists at The Prior," is funded by Holy Cross' Scholarship in Action initiative. The program supports research and community projects focused on equity, antiracism and shared knowledge production.

The residency began in 2024 and has hosted five former residents: luthier Jesse Kenas Collins, playwright Diana Khong, composer Daniel Gay and filmmakers Angelique B. Webster and Cyrille Vincent.

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