Apply Now: Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program for Visual and Multidisciplinary Artists 2023
The deadline to apply to this competitive New York City-based program is Friday, October 7, 11:59 PM EDT.
Are you an immigrant artist working in the Visual or Multidisciplinary Arts? Are you within commuting distance of the Tri-State Metropolitan area? If yes, consider joining New York Foundation for the Arts’ (NYFA) growing immigrant artist community and apply to be part of the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program.
This competitive program is open to visual artists from all disciplines (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Video, Film, Photography, New Media, Multidisciplinary, Socially-Engaged Practices, Folk, and Traditional Art) and provided free of charge to accepted participants. The program runs from December 2022 to April 2023, and the application deadline is Friday, October 7, 2022, 11:59 PM EDT.
NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program (IAP) pairs immigrant artists with artist mentors who provide one-on-one support for their mentee, guiding them to achieve specific goals and providing them with broader access to the New York cultural world through an exchange of ideas, resources, and experiences.
Most importantly, the mentoring program fosters a community, providing opportunities to connect with other immigrant artists through group meetings, peer learning, and informal gatherings that include alumni from 2007 to the present. Through access to other artists, arts professionals, and organizations, the program offers immigrant artists the opportunity to focus on their career goals while navigating the shared experiences and challenges of being an immigrant artist.
NYFA’s Cultural Partners supporting this program are: New York Live Arts, Bronx Council on the Arts, Asian American Arts Alliance, Flushing Town Hall, Haiti Cultural Exchange, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
Exhibition Opportunity
All artists of the program will be invited to exhibit their work in In/Between, an annual immigrant artist group exhibition scheduled to take place in spring 2023. In/Between was initiated in 2019 by artists Yanira Castro (Fellow in Choreography ‘16), Martita Abril (IAP Alumni), and Poppy DeltaDawn (IAP Mentor) in partnership with New York Live Arts to support and showcase the work of immigrant artists from the NYFA program via a public presentation, thereby increasing visibility and conversation around their work. The name In/Between reflects on the multiplicity of immigrant artists’ experiences, identities, practices, and politics, while also speaking to the liminal experience of home/residence/community.
Eligibility
- Visual and multidisciplinary artists working in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Video, Film, Photography, New Media, Multidisciplinary, Socially-Engaged Practices, Folk, and Traditional Art
- Live within the New York City Metropolitan area, within commuting distance of New York City
- Were born outside of the United States; those born in United States territories, i.e. Puerto Rico or Guam, The U.S. Virgin Islands, may apply*
- Have been pursuing a career as an artist within the range of 1-10 years in the United States**
- Are NOT currently enrolled in an arts graduate or undergraduate degree program***
*Those born in the U.S. who spent their formative years in a different country may apply.
**This program often benefits those who are at more emerging stages in their careers. If you’ve been pursuing a career as an artist in the U.S. for more than 10 years and feel you would benefit from this program, please reach out to [email protected] with some information on your immigrant experience.
***Students who will graduate before the program starts are welcome to apply.
Guidelines
For the application, we ask you to provide:
- Your long term goals and why you are interested in applying to this program
- Any challenges you are facing in your artistic practice, including your immigrant experience, and how you would like to work with a mentor to seek solutions
- A narrative bio of your professional career
- A link to your website or online presence
- Work samples
Selection Process
The selection process has several phases:
1. With the support of local cultural partners, NYFA will identify established professional artists from a variety of disciplines—whose backgrounds reflect the applicant pool—to serve as mentors.
2. Once selected, mentors will review mentee applications focusing on the applicants’ artistic vision, resources they are looking for, and career goals. The mentors’ ability to offer the necessary resources and information that the applicant is seeking is taken into consideration.
3. Then NYFA will identify the pool of mentees, with the awareness of the cohort makeup as a whole while aligning advantageous pairings of mentors and mentees.
Program Dates
Introduction
Wednesday, December 14, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Meet the Mentors
Wednesday, January 11, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Alumni Mixer
Wednesday, February 8, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Check-In
Wednesday, March 8, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Final Celebration
Wednesday, April 12, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
In/Between Exhibition
Late February – Early May, 2023
The dates listed above are planned for an in-person program, implemented in accordance with local and state health guidelines. Meeting locations may vary, but all are based in New York City. The program will be moved online, if necessary.
Attendance is mandatory for all sessions, so please check your calendar before applying.
Questions? Contact the IAP Team at [email protected].
How to Apply
Application Link: Click here to review the application guidelines and to apply via Submittable. First-time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal.
Application Deadline: Friday, October 7, 11:59 PM EDT
Notifications: By Saturday, November 19
To request an accommodation or assistance in applying, please email [email protected] or contact 212-366-6900 Ext 253. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible or by Wednesday, September 26, to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline.
Questions? Contact the IAP Team at [email protected].
Testimonials
In the IAP Mentoring Program, I met a community of very talented artists from all over the world. For a few months NYFA gave us a sense of belonging that I kept with me afterwards. I would highly recommend it to everyone who can’t find a simple answer to a question “Where is your home?”
Tatiana Stolpovskaya (IAP: Visual and Multidisciplinary Artist ‘22)
I can’t emphasize enough [the mentor’s] generosity and willingness to really give their energy. It left me with the feeling that we will have a relationship beyond the IAP Mentoring Program, that they are a contact for me in the New York art world, an artist whose opinion I can call on and also a friend and kind person I am so thankful to get to know.
Ciara Stack (IAP: Visual and Multidisciplinary Artist ‘22)
The IAP Mentoring Program is a warm feeling of support and shared experiences of immigrants. Hearing from all mentors and mentees of their struggle and challenges, and how they overcame [for] success has been very inspiring for me.
Ji Yong Kim (IAP: Visual and Multidisciplinary Artist ‘22)
Learn more about the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, and don’t forget to sign up for the monthly ConEdison IAP Newsletter to receive opportunities and events as well as artist features directly to your inbox.
Homepage Image: “In/Between 2022: Transcendental Coordinates,” Photo Credit: Maria Baranova, Courtesy of New York Live Arts
