Creative Research Lab
An 8-Week Residency in Creative Inquiry
Creative Research Lab is a space for curious teens who are ready to move beyond assignments and develop their own creative practice.
Each residency begins with a question.
Participants spend eight weeks exploring it through research, experimentation, discussion, reflection, and creative work. Rather than focusing on a specific medium or predetermined outcome, the residency supports learners in developing their own ways of investigating, making, and sharing ideas.
Through mentorship, peer dialogue, studio practice, and documentation, participants cultivate habits of inquiry that can extend into future creative, academic, and personal pursuits.
Why Research?
Research begins with curiosity.
In Creative Research Lab, research is not limited to books or academic study. It is a way of paying attention, asking better questions, experimenting with ideas, and discovering unexpected connections through lived experience.
Every inquiry becomes an opportunity to understand both the world and one's own creative process more deeply.
Inside the Residency
The Creative Research Lab combines independent investigation with collaborative learning.
Throughout the residency, participants:
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Develop a self-directed inquiry
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Explore ideas across disciplines and media
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Engage in discussion and critique
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Experiment, prototype, and revise
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Document their process and discoveries
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Share their work with peers and the community
The goal is not to arrive at the "right answer," but to deepen a question and follow where it leads.
Learning Through Inquiry
Research in the lab may include:
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Reading and investigating
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Experimenting in the studio
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Writing and reflecting
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Conducting interviews and conversations
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Observing people and places
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Participating and collaborating
Residents are encouraged to draw connections between personal interests, community experiences, artistic practice, and broader cultural questions.
Who Is It For?
Creative Research Lab may be a good fit for teens who:
✓ Are deeply curious about a topic, question, or idea
✓ Enjoy independent and self-directed learning
✓ Want to develop a creative practice
✓ Are interested in interdisciplinary thinking
✓ Feel energized by open-ended exploration
✓ Are looking for mentorship and thoughtful feedback
Examples of Inquiry
Past and Possible Questions
Examples only. Participants develop their own questions and directions.
How do public spaces shape human connection?
What can we learn from local ecosystems?
What stories are hidden in everyday objects?
How does technology influence imagination?
How can art invite meaningful conversation?
What happens when strangers collaborate?
What does belonging feel like?
Residency Structure
Investigation,
Not Production
The residency values sustained inquiry over finished outcomes, encouraging participants to follow questions rather than rush toward answers.
Tuesdays
Discussion, critique, inquiry, and mentorship
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Thursdays
Studio time, experimentation, and project development
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Group Size
3–6 participants
Optional additional studio time may be available.
What Residents Receive
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Weekly mentorship
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Dedicated studio time
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Access to shared tools and materials
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Peer dialogue and critique
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Documentation support
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Opportunities to share work publicly
Culminating Share
At the end of the residency, participants share the questions, process, discoveries, and creative work that emerged during the residency through a public sharing, exhibition, presentation, publication, or other format appropriate to their inquiry.
The emphasis is on sharing a journey of exploration rather than presenting a finished product.
Investment
Creative Research Lab Residency: $850
A limited number of sliding-scale spaces are available for families who would benefit from additional support.
Interested in joining?
We encourage prospective residents and families to schedule a studio visit to explore whether the residency is a good fit.