Visit the Atlantic Center for the Arts on any day, and one might wander between studios to see dancers expressing themselves through motion, musicians conjuring soul-stirring melodies and painters manifesting their visions onto canvas. But rather than working in silos, a unique “cross-pollination” of artists is encouraged on the thoughtfully-designed 69-acre campus in New Smyrna Beach, where the natural design of architecture helps foster an environment of creativity. The legacy of hosting artists-in-residence has been going on since the 1980s , starting in alignment with the vision of ACA founder Doris “Doc” Leeper, the Florida renowned artist and environmentalist.
During the 194th residency , now underway with 21 participants, mentoring artist and painter Angela Dufrense painted a portrait of saxophonist Ziaire Trinidad Sherman , who worked to craft a flute out of bamboo that same day. Meanwhile, multimedia artists worked together to produce a stop-motion film, and dancers worked to connect through the expression of movement. In an unexpected turn, musician and poet Adebola Oyekanmi learned from another artist how to use a sewing machine.
“The organic way that people are allowed to interact across disciplines is great,” Dufrense said. “I knew ACA had a national and international reputation as a great place to develop — but also to expand your practice and experiment with a group of people that you might not necessarily find yourself with.” Several artists .
