CCP’s 2025-2026 Artist in Residence: Mikel Patrick Avery

The Community College of Philadelphia and Spring Garden Records 2025–2026 Artist in Residence is Mikel Patrick Avery, a percussionist, composer/improvisor, filmmaker, photographer, and designer of modern pedal and electronic instruments. Avery doesn’t limit himself to the confines of what music and art traditionally are, but instead explores outside all artistic boxes, encouraging his collaborators to do the same. This year, his collaborators are CCP Music students, who have been very receptive to Avery’s creative process.

“I'm a full immersionist, I love diving into and obsessing about topics,” Avery said. “And when it comes to where that topic lives, I'll pick anything from film to music to dance. Whatever allows the idea to be best expressed.” Avery explains that his creative process really stems from a love of exploring something completely unknown and leaning on his creative mind to lead it somewhere. When he first began playing and making music at the age of 11, Avery was entirely self-taught, and he continues to lean on those self-teaching skills now.

“Working with CCP, it's been a joy,” Avery said. “I don't see myself as a musician only, so I talk about a lot of different forms of making. And hopefully, talking about the different types of making, the students can relate to it and apply it to their own process or their own journey.” Avery hopes to instill some of his out-of-the-box thinking in the students he’s working with this year, and so far, he feels he’s been successful. “All the students have been responding to it,” he said. "I like the openness of the students to kind of just run with me and trust that it's worth engaging with.”

The College is grateful to work with Avery this year and is excited to experience his final project, to be released this summer, the culminating activity of the residency. You can learn more about Avery’s work on his website.