The New York Arts Practicum is a summer arts institute where participants experientially learn to bridge their lives as art students into lives as artists in the world. The program is structured around apprenticeships with mentor artists, a critique seminar where participants produce work without access to their institutional facilities, and site visits to artist workspaces, galleries, and museums.
The intensive eight-week program offers participants a structured environment to experience the challenges of life as an artist and demystifies the many ways one can be an artist today. Mentees work in their mentor’s studio two to three days per week, meet Monday and Tuesday evenings for a critique seminar, and convene Fridays for site visits in artist studios, galleries, and museums. Past participants called the experience: “demystifying,” “life changing,” and “an inspirational reality check.”
By working with an artist on a day-to-day basis, participants gain a view of their near futures as artists, learning models for negotiating a creative life outside of school. Mentors for 2020 include: Tamar Ettun, Heather Hart, Pablo Helguera, Marisa Morán Jahn, Baseera Khan, Autumn Knight, Amy Khoshbin, Jen Liu, Steve Lambert, Mary Mattingly, LaJuné McMillian, William Powhida, Dannielle Tegeder, Clement Valla, and Marina Zurkow.
Mentors lead critiques structured around developing strategies for creating work without institutional studio facilities. Practicum mentors lead seminars on their work, or related topic; these sessions are intimate views into their in-progress work, with a focus on process.
Program co-facilitators Laura Cadena and Michael Mandiberg facilitate critique seminars, and guide site visits to artist studios, galleries, and museums, many of which include conversations with curators and gallerists.
Past Mentors and Site Visits:
Last year’s mentors were Kerry Downey, Doreen Garner, Heather Hart, Pablo Helguera, Marisa Morán Jahn, Amy Khoshbin, Steve Lambert, Mary Mattingly, La Juné McMillian, William Powhida, Dannielle Tegeder, Penelope Umbrico, and Clement Valla. In addition to working with mentors, we had site visits to MoMa, Pioneer Works and the Whitney. As a group, we visited galleries in Chelsea and Bushwick, and met gallerist Lynn Maliszewski for a walking tour of the Lower East Side. Throughout the summer, Practicum participants also met Harold Ancart, Jibz Cameron, Tamar Ettun, Brendan Fernandes, Mariam Ghani, Autumn Knight, Ernie Larsen, Joseph Liatela, Jacqueline Mabey, Sherry Millner, Rit Premnath, Laurel Ptak, Risa Puno, Karin Schneiderm, Aliza Shvarts, Andrea Steves, Hank Willis Thomas, Valentine Umansky, and Wendy Vogel.
Application Details
The eight-week New York Arts Practicum runs from June 8th to July 31st, 2020.
Please Note: We have extended our application deadline to March 22nd, 2020. However— due to the strain COVID-19 has placed on students lives— we are evaluating additional extensions on a case by case basis. Email us at info@artspracticum.org for an extension request if needed.
Tuition for the program is $2900, with financial aid options available.
Academic credit is possible through arrangements with students’ home institutions.
For questions, please see the FAQ, or contact us at info@artspracticum.org.