Lyd Walls says her time as a part of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum Residency at the Museum program was a period of growth in the creative, artistic and personal sectors of her life.

Over the past nine months, Walls was a member of RATM’s second cohort alongside two other local artists. RATM was created to annually support the Southwest Louisiana art community. Three artists are selected to create a collection to be displayed in ICM. The artists are given a workspace and a monthly stipend for the process.

Walls says she’s been an artist since birth.

“I’ve been a highly creative being,” she recalled. “I was really struggling in my marriage and decided to pick up a paintbrush as a way to cope and process and just never stopped.”

Despite her artistic lifestyle, she was hesitant to apply to the RATM.

“I originally was not going to apply because I felt I already had a couple of things that I was focusing my energy on,” she said, “but I was encouraged by several people to apply and I had promised myself at the beginning of 2024 that I was no longer saying ‘No’ to things that scared me.”

She doesn’t regret the decision. It was an opportunity to push her creatively.

“If you’re looking to challenge yourself, explore and grow, the residency is the perfect opportunity to do that,” she said.

Her work is abstract, exploring shape, lines and color with several mediums.

For 20 years she has been a painter. But in the past few, she began incorporating new mediums, such as charcoal and pastels. Just before being accepted into the residency, she began experimenting with textiles. It was decided that would be the focus of her work in a moment of serendipity.

The pieces exhibited at the RATM installation feature a mix of materials. With acrylic, canvas, thread and cloth, Walls created an intricate, dimensional collection of textile pieces.

Her work is defined by vulnerability, authenticity and growth, she said. In that vein, she said she believes that art is at the essence of being a human.

“It is everything,” Walls said. “It brings people together and fosters a sense of connection. It promotes growth and expansion. It celebrates creativity and diversity,” she explained. “It has the ability to inspire and broaden perspectives. It provides moments of self-reflection and the ability to have empathy for our fellow humans. I think we need that most of all.”

The artists participate in community events during their residency to connect with Southwest Louisiana. A self-proclaimed “hardcore introvert,” Walls saw this as another opportunity to challenge herself.

“Knowing that I would have to interact with the community through the program was definitely something I was not looking forward to but I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and become more engaged with our residents,” she said. “Being involved and connecting with people was a deeply enriching experience.”

The exhibition “Residency at the Museum: Cohort Two” will be open at ICM, 204 W. Sallier St., until March 8.

The application period for Cohort 3 is open until Feb. 28.