Mississippi Center for Cultural Production has been organized to support groups and individuals creating social, economic, and cultural transformation toward long-term sustainability through the research, creation, and presentation of arts, culture, and agriculture.
The Rural Performance / Production Lab (RPPL) is a creative production process and residency program which supports the development of new art rooted in rural living, history, places, and bodies. Pronounced “ripple”, the intent is for artist voices to act as catalysts for broad community change. RPPL artists receive either direct funding or a configuration of an on-site residency with direct funding, mentorship and support from a dedicated team of advisors through the completion of the artists’ residency time. Awards range from $2500 - $15,000.
This opportunity is for artists living in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Sipp Culture is able to provide housing, planning support, studio space and can participate as a partner and consultant in the realization of bringing new Southern rural stories to the field. Selected artists will receive a residency, which is tailor-made to fit their developmental needs.
Residencies take place at the Sipp Culture Office and White Oak Artist Residency in Utica, Mississippi.
The RPPL program is best positioned to support artists transitioning from one place in their career trajectory into another self-defined place. This “transitional” label is a more apt fit than emerging or established, veteran artists, or the commissioning of new work. We are in a time that calls for change, both structural and intentional. Artists are built to adapt. Our residency program is designed to aid in that transition.
APPLICATION
The RPPL application process consists of two rounds:
- An online application (closes June July 17, 2026) with a panel process to select finalists.
- An interview process for selected finalists.
Finalists' interviews will take place in August 2026. All individual/group applicant requests and personal information will be kept confidential. The cumulative data may be shared anonymously to help us garner more resources for the RPPL program, or as data in advocacy efforts.
Application Process
- Application Opens - June 15, 2026
- Info/Technical Assistant Call - June 29, 2026 at 2pm CST
- Application Closes - July 17, 2026
- Finalists Interviews - August 17 - August 28, 2026
- Final Award Notifications - September 1, 2026
Eligibility
Artist must be:
- 18 years or older
- Resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee
- Able to attend a consecutive three-week residency in Utica, Mississippi
If you have applied to RPPL before, but not selected for a residency, you are eligible to apply again.
Preference will be given to rural artists and artists who have not received a residency with Sipp Culture before. Rural community is defined as 50,000 people or less in your residence municipality.
Open Residency Dates See White Oak Artist Residence Gallery
- Fall 2026 October 5, 2026 - November 22, 2026
- Winter 2026 January 11, 2027 - March 21, 2027
- Spring 2026 April 5, 2027 - May 30, 2027
- Summer Session #1 2026 June 7, 2027 - June 27, 2027
- Summer Session #2 July 6, 2027 - September 5, 2027
- Fall 2026 September 13, 2027 - November 21, 2027
For more information please contact us at programs@sippculture.com
The TBD Fund is a new fund developed by Sipp Culture as part of the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Regional Regranting Program. The TBD Fund will support Mississippi visual artists in the creation of new public facing projects that aspire to expand Mississippi’s collective narrative, build new audiences, and deepen community discourse. The name TBD is representative of the artistic process, as the most exciting art, at its core, is constantly being determined as it is being created. This program will prioritize socially engaged processes and artists that have been historically underrepresented and under-resourced in the visual arts landscape in Mississippi.
Funded activities may include, but are not limited to, new exhibitions, public art, experiences, visual arts publications, online projects, residencies, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, performances and screenings.