The purpose of most artist-in-residence programs is to provide artists time and space to work on a particular piece. At the New Quorum, which kicked off its 2016 residency program in January, the goal is a bit more complex.

Its namesake (minus the “New”) was a coffeehouse that served as a hub for integrated gatherings of open-minded musicians, artists, writers and activists who believed, in the midst of a segregated South, in the value of exchanging ideas and experiences and embracing one ...