Muses & Music
January 2026 | Charleston, SC
A fine-art residency in partnership with
Charleston's galleries
Step inside Charleston’s first couture-grade residency where muses come to life. Five days of immersive creation, culminating in a gallery exhibition that carries your work into legacy.
The Experience
For centuries, muses have sparked the masterpieces that shaped culture and history. Today, too many artists are left chasing inspiration through flat screens and fleeting images.
Muses & Music reimagines the muse for our time. Over five days, a select group of painters and sketch artists are invited into cinematic sets where light, sound, and scent shape the atmosphere. Each session brings a muse to life, offering you uninterrupted time to create in a setting designed to move your work further than you imagined.
Beyond the studio, inspiration deepens through sound baths, ballet, gallery tours, and shared meals with cultural leaders. Every step is documented with intention, transforming your process into a living story. Two weeks later, your work is revealed in a curated exhibition at one of Charleston’s most respected fine-art institutions.
You'll walk away with:
- Immersive sets with live muses, couture staging, and cinematic design
- Real cultural experiences: ballet, sound bath, and private gallery tours
- Shared tables and conversations with curators, patrons, and peers
- High-quality film and photography of your process and final works
- A curated gallery exhibition
BY INVITATION ONLY
The Exhibition
Two weeks after the residency’s close, an intimate evening unfolds in Charleston’s historic gallery district.
From the first aperitif to the final toast, the night is carefully staged as both living salon and gallery. Framed works and cinematic reels transform the space into a breathing exhibition, with music, film, and conversation turning process into performance. Guests don’t just see the work—they step inside its story.
Sample Schedule
FIVE DAYS. ONE STORY. FULLY YOURS.
Artists gather for an intimate welcome with champagne and introductions, followed by the first immersive session. The live Muse of Atronomy appears beneath a canopy of constellations while music and scent set the atmosphere.
Day 1: Arrival & Opening Salon
Morning opens at a historic theatre with the Muse of Dance brought to life by a ballerina suspended in motion. In the afternoon, the Muse of Love is reimagined through candlelight, blossoms, and harp, inviting artists to paint devotion itself.
Day 2: DANCE & Devotion
The morning begins in quiet reverence as suspended pages and candlelight embody the Muse of Poetry. After a private gallery tour and shared lunch, artists encounter a Muse of Music, surrounded by harp, violin, and voice.
Day 3: Poetry & Music
A restorative sound bath prepares artists for the Muse of History, imagined among marble busts and opera. In the afternoon, the Muse of Comedy transforms the space with jazz, citrus, and light, reminding us of joy as art.
Day 4: History & Comedy
The residency culminates with the Muse of Tragedy, veiled in shadow and violin, followed by the Muse of Epic, raising her chalice at a banquet of abundance. A celebratory dinner closes the week with artists, curators, and patrons.
Day 5: Tragedy & Epic
The muses
set the stage.
You decide what
happens next.
This imagery shows you the
types of live sets you’ll
encounter during the event.
Each couture vignette is simply
a source of inspiration. How
you interpret it is entirely your
vision, your response, and your
story.
FAQs
No. The residency is funded by sponsors and donors and is free for invited artists. You are expected to bring your own supplies, easel, and clip light.
Yes. Shared meals are part of the experience, from intimate lunches to celebratory dinners, giving you time to connect with curators, patrons, and peers.
Participation is by invitation only. Artists are chosen in collaboration with gallery partners based on excellence and alignment with the residency’s vision.
The bodies of work created here will debut at the exhibition event (two weeks later), where works will be available for sale. Pieces still available after the event will be represented online through CINÉ’s digital gallery.
Ready to create your most iconic work?
BY INVITATION ONLY
