Back Door Residency - Delaney Smith-Vaughn

Back Door Residency was founded in January 2026 by Paper Chair Studios andis located at Greater Denton Arts Council. The residency provides emerging artists in North Texas with time and space to create their work.

Applications will open in late 2026, and four artists will each complete a three month residency in 2027. Paper Chair’s board will help establish the program as the first year’s residents in 2026.

Delaney Smith-Vaughn, co-founder of Paper Chair, is the second resident at Back Door. Delaney is an artist and community builder based in Denton, TX. She uses fiber processes such as paper making, weaving, and dyeing to create sculptures and interactive books. Outside of her day job as a career coach for art and design students, she teaches workshops at community centers and institutions such as Penland School of Craft and The University of Pennsylvania. Locally, she leads Sew Gold, a skill-share monthly meetup for creatives. She co-founded Speedbump lil d with Anna Galluzzi in 2022 as a way to give a platform for local artists and advocate for their support.