The only known program of its kind in the United States, New York Foundation of the Arts‘ Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program provides foreign-born emerging artists with one-on-one career support, community, and exposure for their work.
Named one of the “10 Best Mentorship Programs in the U.S. for Post Grads” by Time Out, this program serving artists in Visual/Multidisciplinary Art, Performing and Literary Arts, and Social Practice disciplines has built a strong network of more than 525 immigrant artists from 76 countries and regions since it was founded in 2007.
The competitive program is provided free of charge to accepted applicants who are immigrant artists working in the Visual or Multidisciplinary Arts and living in New York City or within commuting distance of the New York City Metropolitan area.
Many of the mentors are immigrant artists themselves and understand the challenges of sustaining one’s art practice while navigating different cultural perspectives in the art world.
Partners include New York Live Arts, Asian American Arts Alliance, Bronx Council on the Arts, Flushing Town Hall, Haiti Cultural Exchange, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, ProjectArt, and Staten Island Arts.
Program Highlights
1-on-1 mentorship
The program pairs immigrant artists with artist mentors who guide them to achieve specific goals and provide them with broader access to the New York cultural world through an exchange of ideas, resources, and experiences.
Professional Development
Workshops provide artists with the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts (previous topics have included cultivating relationships with curators, strategic planning, finance, marketing, and fundraising, etc.).
Exhibition Opportunity
Successful applicants will have an opportunity to be selected to exhibit your work in In/Between, an annual immigrant artist group exhibition scheduled to take place in spring 2027 in partnership with New York Live Arts.
Networking Opportunities
Opportunities to meet with the program cohorts, Mentoring Program alumni, arts professionals, and staff members from various arts organizations, including the program cultural partners in the NYC area and beyond.
Arts-in-Education Training
An opportunity to participate in professional development training designed for ProjectArt’s Teaching Artist Residency, observe classes, and receive 1:1 consultation from a Resident Teaching Artist. In partnership with ProjectArt.
Featured in Immigrant Artist Newsletter
Opportunity to be highlighted in NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Program Monthly Newsletter.
To learn more about the eligibility and application requirements visit their website.
Illustration: Detail from a painting by Lisa Corinne Davis, a former Fellow in Painting (courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery).
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