armstrong now 2026

Armstrong Now is the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s flagship contemporary residency program.

Each year, selected artists engage the Armstrong Archives — including journals, recordings, scrapbooks, and personal artifacts — to create original work in dialogue with Louis Armstrong’s life, artistry, and global impact.

For 2026, Armstrong Now centers on: Armstrong & Ghana

Exploring Armstrong’s historic 1956 visit to the Gold Coast just months before Ghana’s independence — and the cultural meaning of that moment across diaspora, diplomacy, and sound.

We are selecting two Artists-In-Residence to:

• Conduct archival research at the Louis Armstrong House Museum

• Develop new creative work inspired by Armstrong’s legacy

• Contribute to community engagement programming

• Premiere their work in Fall 2026 alongside the Armstrong in Ghana exhibition

Armstrong Now positions Armstrong not as a fixed historical figure — but as a living influence.