BolsterArts Residency

During this application cycle, BolsterArts will award two cohorts:

Cohort 05: two visual artists, May 1 to August 31, 2026

Cohort 06: two visual artists, September 1 to December 31, 2026

Each selected artist receives four months of rent-free studio space in Chinatown, NYC. Each cohort will receive exciting studio visits by curators, gallerists, writers, and an Open Studio event.

After applicants are narrowed to the top 20, we will email to confirm your availability for Cohort 05, Cohort 06, or both.

Scroll down to submit your application.

Application Schedule:

Applications Open: Friday February 13, 2026

Application Deadline: April 5th, 2026

Application Fee Tier:

February 13 - February 20: $25

February 21 - March 7: $35

March 8 - April 5th: $40

Make it stand out

We invite visual artists working across disciplines who are actively redefining the boundaries of their field.

This residency is designed for artists who have honed a distinct voice and are seeking opportunities to engage new audiences, collaborators, and networks.

If you’re ready to challenge conventions, take risks, and expand your professional landscape, this program is for you.

Meet the Jurors

Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy

CURATOR AND WRITER
Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy is a curator and writer of contemporary art and craft advocating for underrepresented communities, stories, materials, and approaches. She has curated and juried exhibitions across the United States and has written for many publications. Recent projects include curating R & Company's second triennial Objects: USA 2024 and the critically acclaimed Funk You Too!: Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture in 2023 at the Museum of Arts and Design, NY. Her book, New Women's Work: Reimagining “Feminine” Craft in Contemporary Art, highlighting contemporary artists continuing the legacy of women's work came out in 2024. She holds a BA in art history from the University of Florida and an MA in decorative arts, design history, and material culture from the Bard Graduate Center, New York.
LAUREN HIRSHFIELD

INDEPENDENT CURATOR AND ART STRATEGIST
Lauren Hirshfield (she/her) is an independent curator, arts strategist, and writer based between Brooklyn, NY and Newburgh, NY. Her practice centers emerging and under-represented artists through curations linked by the anthropology and sociology of systems, structures and futures. Currently she researches and develops presentations around topics like material transmutation, personal myth-making, speculative fiction, collectivism and eco-futurism. Since 2016 she has curated over 40 exhibitions and worked with over 200 artists through across galleries, platforms, and fairs both online and across the East Coast. Hirshfield is the co-founder of the curatorial project turned artist professional development network PARADICE PALASE, and the founder of the experimental dealer account @temp.img. Hirshfield received a BFA in Painting and Minor in Art History from SUNY Purchase (2013) and has been a visiting critic and lecturer with numerous universities and residency programs since 2018, most recently with The New York Arts Program. Hirshfield has written reviews and interviews for TUSSLE and Cultbytes, and her curatorial work has been reviewed in The New York Times, artnet, The Art Newspaper, Cultbytes, and The Observer.
KOUROSH MAHBOUBIAN

GALLERIST
KAPOW
Kourosh Mahboubian has been a New York based art dealer, collector, curator, and advisor since 1988, when he founded Cyrus Gallery. With an egalitarian approach to representing good art, he became an early promoter of the Black Art Movement. The list of artists he has shown includes Howardena Pindell, Tyrone Mitchell, Maren Hassinger, Dindga McCannon and Khari Turner, among others.
He is currently the principal of Kourosh Mahboubian Fine Art, a private art advisory firm he founded in 1993, and of KAPOW, his latest gallery venture, located on NYC’s Lower East Side. KAPOW, is exclusively dedicated to supporting and developing the careers of exceptional emerging to mid-career artists.
Akinyi Ochieng

PHILANTHROPHIC ADVISOR & ART COLLECTOR
Akinyi Ochieng is a Gambian-Kenyan philanthropic adviser and nonprofit board director who identifies, incubates, and scales innovations advancing a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient world. She leads strategic planning and operations at the Autodesk Foundation, investing in nonprofits and startups that leverage design and engineering to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges.
Previously, she served as a Director & Vice President at APCO, advising corporations, foundations, and nonprofits on social impact programs supporting economic mobility and inclusive innovation across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She began her career in financial services, developing economic mobility campaigns at Nova Credit and WorldRemit.
Akinyi holds an MSc in Global Politics from LSE and a BA with distinction from Yale. She also collects contemporary art, focusing on African diaspora artists whose work engages memory, history, and identity, reflecting her long-term commitment to ideas that shape how we understand the past and imagine the future.

How do I apply?

See Program eligibility and FAQ at the bottom of this page.

Create a single PDF to attach to the form below and then pay the application fee to complete your submission.

Due to financial limitations we cannot offer any more fee waivers except in dire cases. For example, if you are facing eviction, homeless, facing food scarcity, effected by a studio fire. etc., we will work with you to accommodate your application. Fee waivers are not to be shared with others. Please email bolsterartsresidency@gmail.com to request a waiver. If you’re able to provide support of need, please do so, to expedite your waiver.

PDF Instructions

Organize a PDF on a white background in the following order and please use 12 pt font. Label your PDF: FirstName_LastName_BolsterArtsResidency. Files may be no larger than 10MB.

Name, Email, Location
10 Images, 1 image, 1 artwork per a page (Video may replace an image, please include YouTube or Vimeo link, the jurors will watch up to 1 minute per a film)
Put your image details in 12pt font below each image at the bottom or side of each page. Format the image as large as possible on the page. Landscape or portrait works depending on the style of your images.
TIP: For best quality images, keep at 300 DPI and then reduce the size of the image to under 5” to reduce the size of the PDF.
150 Word Artist Statement
CV, no more than two pages
If you are a video, digital or photo artist please include 3 sentences on how you would use the physical space offered.

Incomplete PDFs or PDFs that don’t follow instructions will be disqualified. All application fees are non-refundable. No late applications will be accepted. No emailed applications will be accepted unless you’re experiencing technical difficulties and emailed us first, with a response.

Top 10 finalists may be asked to submit additional materials or have an interview. An interview does not guarantee acceptance.

Contact bolsterarts at gmail . com for questions.

APPLY NOW

Residency Program FAQ

What is the program?

BolsterArts will award both Cohort 05 and Cohort 06 during this application cycle. Each cohort will include two visual artists, each receiving rent-free studio space in Chinatown, NYC for four months. Cohort 05 runs from May 1 to August 31, 2026. Cohort 06 runs from September 1 to December 31, 2026. Each artist will receive a monthly one-on-one studio visit with a curator, writer or gallerist for professional development, totaling four visits per artist. We will also host an Open Studios event.

How are artists selected?

Artists will be selected based on merit by a professional jury. The jury will consider:

Cohesion within the artist’s body of work. Please apply with one body of work, or work that is clearly in conversation, not multiple disjointed series.
Work ethic and ability to prepare for an exhibition.
Ambition and boundary-defying creative practice.
Artists who are willing to take risks and are motivated to succeed.

Where is the program located?

The residency studio is located in Chinatown, New York City off the B/D trains at Grand St or the N/Q/R/W/6 at Canal St.

What is the studio like?

The space is 360 square feet or roughly 12 by 25 feet, located on the fourth floor of a walk-up building (no elevator). It will be shared between two artists per each cohort. Studio access is 24/7.

Who is eligible?

Artists must be 21 years or older.
Artists may not be currently enrolled in a BFA or MFA program. Graduates of Spring 2025 are eligible to apply.
Artists must be able to live in the United States during the residency and able to sustain living here through the end of the residency program. At this time we cannot assist with Visas. If you cannot stay the duration of the entire residency, you are not eligible.
Artists must not maintain a separate studio or participate in another residency during this program. You may still apply if you have a home studio or you plan on subletting your studio during the residency program.
Collaborative duos are not eligible.

Do you provide housing?

No. Artists are responsible for their own housing. The studio is for work only and cannot be used as a living space.

What are my responsibilities as a resident artist?

Spend a minimum of 20 hours per week in the studio.
Attend all scheduled studio visits with gallerists, writers or curators and Open Studio events.
Maintain the condition of the studio, including shared areas like the restroom and sink.
Meet with the residency director once per month to assess work progression and proof of work being completed.
Provide and transport all materials and artwork at your own expense.
Work with the residency team to provide social media content and visuals to promote the residency program and your art.

Are there limitations on materials or media?

Fume- or dust-producing materials may be used with mutual agreement between the two artists.
No excessive noise or power tools (allowed within reason).
No materials or tools that pose a fire risk.
No pets or groups of 3 or more in the studio.