ARTWorks 2020 | Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

ARTWorks (Artist Residency Training and Workshop Series) is a one-year professional development fellowship program at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning that serves emerging and under-represented artists in New York City — especially in the borough of Queens. Commencing each October and concluding in September of the following year, ARTWorks offers cultural entrepreneurship training and the making of new work through a hands-on practicum, educational seminars, opportunities for mentorship with established working artists and cultural leaders, and sustained access to studio facilities.

Artists are selected through an open call, are evaluated through a panel process during the late spring and early summer, and finalists are organized into two categories:

Resident Fellows: Two artists receiving $10,000 in support, full-time access to a studio at the Jamaica Art Center (JAC), and immersion in the ARTWorks Seminar Series. The Resident Fellows’ experience culminates in a curated two-person exhibit at JAC and inclusion in the ARTWorks catalog.

Seminar Fellows: Ten artists receiving $500 in support, invitations to join the ARTWorks Seminar Series, some studio time, a group show at JAC, plus inclusion in the ARTWorks catalog.

ARTWorks’ goal is to provide each Fellow with the artistic and professional knowledge to achieve a successful, self-fulfilling arts career within a well-defined and competitive global marketplace. The program is made possible by the generous support of the Jerome Foundation.

History: ARTWorks expands JCAL’s long tradition of supporting and showcasing up-and-coming artists. Since 1982, for example, JCAL’s Workspace Program had provided studio space and exhibition opportunities to promising New York City-based artists-in-residence. Many of these artists went on to prominent careers, such as Lorenzo Pace (1986) and Lorna Simpson (1987), to name a few. Our Studio LLC Program, introduced in 2010, supported 35 emerging artists through a two-year program to provide practical information and guidance on setting up a studio as a business. ARTWorks combines and advances these programs, creating a robust platform to support emerging artists.

Meet the 2019-2020 Fellows