The program has adapted to address challenges facing artists, including the rising cost of studio space and materials and instability in the gig economy
Six Los Angeles County-based artists have been selected for the 2025–26 Camera Obscura Art Lab artist residency program, the city of Santa Monica announced this week.
The selected artists will complete a 14-week residency in one of two studio spaces at the Camera Obscura building overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Palisades Park. The artists were chosen by a panel of peers and will lead free, public workshops as part of the program.
Residents receive a $2,500 honorarium and a $500 materials budget for their workshops. One will host a hands-on natural materials workshop during *Vamos al Parque!* on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Palisades Park, part of Hispanic Heritage Month and the city’s 150th anniversary celebration. Another will lead a painting workshop during *Gather and Grow with Vinyl Vibes* on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Reed Park, coinciding with LGBTQ History Month. Future workshops will be listed on the city’s events calendar at santamonica.gov/events.
City officials said the program has adapted in recent years to address challenges facing artists, including the rising cost of studio space and materials and instability in the gig economy. Updates include expanded outreach, larger stipends, and a focus on artists affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
The residency program, managed by Santa Monica’s Cultural Affairs Division, is part of a broader network of artist opportunities that has supported more than 200 artists across multiple disciplines.
Green is a visual artist exploring nostalgia and identity through painting informed by her Tongva and Chumash heritage. Harris is a Black queer muralist and community organizer known for using public art as a form of collective healing. Young’s multimedia installations blend photography, textile sculpture and digital collage, often inspired by memory and the Japanese concept of *Mono No Aware.*
James, a ceramic artist from Chicago, reimagines sneaker culture through sculptural ceramics that address representation and community. Boghosian, an Armenian-American artist, creates assemblages from reclaimed materials that explore resilience and belonging. Hassan Khani, an Iranian-born artist based in Long Beach, uses drawing and printmaking to examine memory, displacement and fragile architectural spaces.
