Current Residents
Residency Programs
Ground Floor Program residency group Alchemyverse in their studio, 2022. Courtesy of the artists
Ground Floor Program resident, Nicole Franchy in her studio, 2015. Photo by Megan Paetzhold.
At the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) each artist and curator is provided with a private and furnished studio space with access 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Residents also have access to communal facilities including kitchen and dining areas. ISCP does not provide or arrange living accommodations, however, many sponsorships include stipends for housing, living expenses, travel, and materials. Some of ISCP’s partner sponsors also provide furnished apartments. ISCP staff will share advice and recommendations for finding housing in advance of your residency.
ISCP has two residency programs: the International Program and the Ground Floor Program. The International Program provides residencies to artists and curators from all over the world. These residencies typically take place over three months, six months or one year. The duration depends on the program and the sponsor. The Ground Floor Program provides one- to two-year subsidized residencies to artists based in New York City. Launched in 2015, the Ground Floor Program takes place on the first floor of ISCP in tandem with ISCP’s acclaimed international residency program, forming an integral part of the dynamic, in-house global fusion of artists and curators.
All ISCP residencies include the following opportunities and events: visiting critics (studio visits with curators and arts professionals), invitation to participate in a public program, participation in ISCP’s Open Studios (if residency extends to November or April), and field trips, gallery outings and other resident activities. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of ISCP’s lively community of artists and curators, offering invaluable international and local networks, professional conversations and critique. Below you can find descriptions of the opportunities and activities offered with an ISCP residency.
You can also find more information about how to apply to a residency program.
Visiting Critics
The Visiting Critic series is the hallmark of ISCP’s residency program. It introduces residents to curators and arts professionals from museums, galleries, alternative spaces, and publications in the context of a studio visit, generating critical feedback from diverse positions.
Field Trips
ISCP organizes visits to museums, galleries, alternative spaces, foundations and other cultural organizations. Often, a curator or arts professional leads a tour of the institution. Past Field Trips include The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Guggenheim, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Queens Museum as well as institutions outside the city such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dia:Beacon, and MASS MoCA. Other trips include visits to conservation studios, print shops, and sculpture parks as well as to art spaces in downtown Manhattan like the Drawing Center and the Brant Art Foundation.
Open Studios
Twice a year, in April and November, ISCP hosts two days of Open Studios, presenting work by the 35 ISCP artists and curators in residence, accompanied by performances, panel discussions and exhibitions. During Open Studios, residents present recent projects, work in progress, site-specific installations and their archives to thousands of professionals and art enthusiasts from New York and beyond. In the summer, ISCP hosts a one-day Open House.
Artists at Work
Residents at ISCP are invited to present their recent work in monthly public “Artists at Work” or “Curators at Work” presentations. These programs feature conversations with interviewers, lectures, screenings and performances, and introduce the work of ISCP artists and curators to the New York art community.
The Ground Floor residency is a one-year program that offers subsidized workspace and professional development for New York City-based artists. Launched in 2015, Ground Floor at ISCP takes place on the first floor of ISCP in tandem with ISCP’s acclaimed international residency program, forming an integral part of the dynamic, in-house fusion of artists and curators from all over the world.
Throughout the year, ISCP organizes professional development activities specifically for Ground Floor artists, including regular one-on-one meetings with Visiting Critics. Past critics include Ruba Katrib, Polly Apfelbaum, Jim Hodges, Gee Wesley, and Piper Marshall. In addition, Ground Floor artists are invited to make proposals for ISCP’s project space, participate in three open studios events annually, and attend monthly social gatherings.
Apply
ISCP has two residency programs: the International Program for artists and curators, and the Ground Floor Program for New York-based artists.All residents are offered an individual studio that is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Below you can find more information about each program and how to apply. Read more about the opportunities offered by these residency programs.
International Program
Artists and curators from anywhere in the world, including the United States, can apply to the International Program residencies at ISCP. There are three ways to apply: 1) Partner application 2) Open call for applications 3) Direct application.
The length of International Program residencies is typically between three and twelve months, (the duration depends on the sponsor). All residencies are funded by sponsors (governments, corporations, foundations, institutions, organizations, galleries and private patrons).
Partner application: ISCP collaborates with over forty partnering sponsors. These are governments, institutions, foundations and organizations that fund many of ISCP’s residency opportunities. Partnering sponsors publicly call for applications for ISCP residencies. A list of ISCP sponsors to date can be found here.
Open call for applications: ISCP collaborates with grant-giving organizations such as artist foundations and uses donor-supported funds to offer fully-funded residency opportunities. Over the course of the year, ISCP holds various open calls that are announced on this section of the website. The finalist is selected by a jury organized by ISCP that is composed of curators and arts professionals. ISCP urges you to apply to an open call if you feel that you meet the specific parameters described. Please scroll below to see ISCP’s current open calls.
Direct application (no deadline to apply): ISCP offers a direct application method for applicants who would like to secure sponsorship on their own. Direct applicants’ sponsors are outside organizations or individuals who provide funds to cover the cost of the program fee, including the private studio, and they might also provide a stipend for travel, accommodations, and living expenses. Residencies cannot be self-funded or crowdfunded.
The direct application is a two-step process. Applicants must first apply to ISCP by following the directions below, and if selected by ISCP’s review panel, applicants then apply to a potential sponsor (an outside organization or individual who provides funding to cover the program fee). Once the applicant receives confirmation of their funding, ISCP will work with them to schedule their residency. There is no application deadline or application fee, and the applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
The program fee for 2025 is $2,514.67 to $2,779.39 per month. The program fee for 2026 is $2,590.11 to $2,862.77 per month. The exact monthly fee depends on the size and type of studio. Applicants must also consider the cost of travel, accommodations, and living expenses.
To apply directly to ISCP, please complete and email the below downloadable application form along with your supporting materials to application@iscp-nyc.org, and please read the following information carefully.
In addition to this application form, please include the following supporting materials in your email: Curriculum vitae (five pages max); work samples (include ten images or video links with a caption: title, date, medium, and dimensions/duration for each work, and a brief description of each work); two to three scanned copies of reviews, if applicable (ten pages max.); two to three scanned copies of catalogs, if applicable (pages that feature your work only); one reference letter (send to ISCP directly with applicant’s name in subject line to application@iscp-nyc.org); one second reference contact information (different referee than referee from reference letter, only need to include name, title, institution, email, telephone and address). Supporting materials should be sent as a single PDF.
When applying, please also review the following:
- Frequently asked questions about the application process.
- As noted above, ISCP does not locate sponsors for direct applicants. Once accepted, artists and curators are responsible for securing funding. A list of ISCP sponsors to date can be found here.
- When planning your residency, please bear in mind that residencies are scheduled approximately one to two years in advance. Availability for the upcoming year is limited. The timing of your residency cannot be confirmed until you receive confirmation of funding.
- You are not eligible for a residency at ISCP if you are enrolled in school at the time of your residency.
- Artists and curators in residence must be highly proficient in spoken and written English.
- Due to the volume of applications received, ISCP is unable to provide feedback for unsuccessful applications.
- If you have previously completed a residency at ISCP, you are welcome to apply and return to ISCP. You are required to submit the direct application if it has been five years since your ISCP residency. You do not need to include a recommendation letter. Please note on your application that you are an ISCP alum.
After an applicant submits a direct application to ISCP, the panel reviews the application within two months, and if the applicant is selected, they receive an acceptance letter. All others receive notification they have not been accepted.
Accepted applicants have two years from the date of acceptance letter to secure a sponsor (an outside organization or individual who provides funding to cover program fees). Once applicant secures sponsorship, they must send ISCP confirmation of their funding. ISCP staff and applicant then schedule the residency (typically for a date one to two years later) and both parties sign an agreement letter.
If you do not have a U.S. passport or Green Card, you should immediately apply for a U.S. visa after confirming the timing of your residency and signing the agreement. The U.S. State Department’s consular website can be checked to confirm visa eligibility and requirements: http://travel.state.gov/. ISCP recommends making contact immediately with the nearest United States Consulate or Embassy in the resident’s home country. ISCP residents generally enter the United States on a B1/B2 visa, which is issued for business/tourist purposes. Upon request, ISCP will provide a letter in support of the visa application to incoming residents.
Ground Floor Program
The Ground Floor Program y is a one to two-year program that offers subsidized studios and professional development for New York City-based artists. Launched in 2015, the Ground Floor Program takes place on the first floor of the building in tandem with ISCP’s acclaimed International Program. The Ground Floor residents are integral to ISCP’s dynamic community of artists and curators from all over the world. Artists based in New York City can apply to the Ground Floor Program through an open call for applications. This open call occurs every one to two years. Please see below to see our current open calls.
Current Open Calls
Currently there are no active open calls. To stay informed about ISCP’s future open calls, we encourage you to return to this section of our website at a later date, sign up for our newsletter and/or follow us on Instagram.