NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentorship Program for Visual and Multidisciplinary Arts

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 by applying to be part of our Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program (IAP). 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 will be provided free of charge to accepted participants. The program runs from December 2021 to April 2022, and the application deadline is Wednesday, October 20, 11:59 PM EDT.

NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program 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.

Initiated in 2019, In/Between is an annual immigrant artist group exhibition created by artists Yanira Castro (Fellow in Choreography ‘16), Martita Abril (IAP Alumna), and Poppy DeltaDawn (IAP Mentor), developed in partnership with New York Live Arts. In connection with the goals of the program, the purpose of In/Between is 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. All artists in the program will be invited to exhibit their work in In/Between, which is scheduled to take place in March 2022.

NYFA’s Cultural Partners supporting this program are: New York Live Arts, Harlem Arts Alliance, Asian American Arts Alliance, Flushing Town Hall, Haiti Cultural Exchange, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden.

Requirements

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, 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**
*This program often benefits those who are at more emerging stages in their careers. If you’ve been in the United States for more than 10 years and feel you would benefit from this program, please reach out to i.outreach@nyfa.org with some information on your immigrant story.

**Students who will graduate before the program starts are welcome to apply.

Application Instructions

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