Ground Floor Program at ISCP
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 and 24-hour access to all communal facilities. While ISCP does not provide accommodation, most International Program sponsorships include stipends for living expenses, travel, materials and housing. All residents at ISCP are encouraged to take advantage of the in-house community of artists and curators, offering invaluable international and local networks, professional conversations and critique.
An International Program residency at ISCP is typically three to six months, although artists and curators can apply for up to one year. While in the International Program, all residents are invited to participate in a number of activities in and outside of ISCP including the four core program activities: Visiting Critics, Field Trips, Artists and Work and Open Studios.
Visiting Critics
The Visiting Critic series is the hallmark of ISCP’s residency program. It introduces residents to professionals from museums, galleries, alternative spaces and publications within the context of a studio visit, generating critical feedback from diverse positions.
Field Trips
ISCP organizes visits to museums, galleries, alternative spaces, archives and other places of interest to art professionals. Often, a curator or staff member introduces the institution’s mission and program. Past Field Trips have included the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Conservation Department at MoMA, Dia:Beacon, Art Omi, art spaces in SoHo and on the Lower East Side, private collections and many other institutions in Greater New York.
Open Studios
Twice a year, in April and November, ISCP hosts two-day 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.
Artists at Work
Residents at ISCP are invited to present their recent work in monthly public ‘Artists at Work’ presentations. These events feature 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
International Program at ISCP
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.
International Program residencies are generally between three and twelve months and are sponsored by governments, corporations, foundations, institutions, organizations, galleries and private patrons. Below you can find more information about to how to apply. Read more about the opportunities offered by this program here.
Partner application: ISCP collaborates with over forty partnering sponsors. These are governments, institutions, foundations and organizations that fund many of our 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. We urge you to apply to an open call if you feel that you meet the specific parameters described. Please scroll below to see our 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. 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 and the applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
The program fee for 2024 is $2,441.43 to $2,698.44 per month. The program fee for 2025 is $2,514.67 to $2,779.39 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 (5 pages max); Work samples (include 10 images or video links with a caption: title, date, medium, and dimensions/duration for each work, and a description of each work); 2 to 3 scanned copies of reviews, if applicable (10 pages max.); 2 to 3 scanned copies of catalogs, if applicable (pages that feature your work only); 1 reference letter (send to ISCP directly with applicant’s name in subject line to application@iscp-nyc.org); 1 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. The applicant has two years from the date of the 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 will then schedule the residency (typically for a date one to two years later) and both parties will 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.
Upcoming Application Deadlines
Ground Floor Program at ISCP for New York City Artists
The Ground Floor Residency 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 Residency 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 scroll below to see our current open calls.
Current Open Calls
ISCP Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 3, 2025
RESIDENCIES: Six-month residency: July 1 – December 31, 2025
LOCATION: International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), 1040 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
DESCRIPTION: The International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) is pleased to announce an open call for a fully-funded residency, with a monthly stipend of $3,050, for visual artists who live in the United States and are eligible to work in the United States. ISCP is currently accepting applications from late-emerging to mid-career U.S.-based painters, sculptors, photographers, and artists working on paper, including printmakers, who would like to engage with ISCP’s unique and dynamic programming and creative community. The residency program includes 24-hour access to a private, furnished studio space; monthly meetings with visiting critics; field trips to museums, galleries and other cultural venues; and participation in public talks.
Residents become part of a growing network of over 2,000 ISCP alumni from more than 100 countries, all of whom have contributed to a dynamic and ever-engaging space of cultural and artistic exchange. ISCP creates opportunities for critical advancement in the practices of the artists and curators in residence, and fosters a dynamic, supportive working community.
APPLICATION PROCESS: To be considered for the 2025 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency at ISCP, please submit the following to application@iscp-nyc.org by January 3, 2025, indicating “ISCP Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency 2025” in the subject line.
Click here for the application form.
Applicants must provide the following information: Name, date of birth, place of birth, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. You may also indicate your gender pronouns, and ethnicity, though this is optional.
- Curriculum vitae: 5 pages max.
- Work samples: This should include 10 images or video links with captions (title, date, medium, and dimensions/duration for each work) and, if desired, a brief description of each work of 50 words or less per work.
- 2-3 scanned reviews (if applicable): 10 pages maximum
- Scanned copies of catalogs (if applicable): 10 pages maximum, that feature your work only
- Reference letter
- Second reference contact information: Please include name, title, institution, email, telephone, and address (different referee from above, contact information only)
- Proof of eligibility to work in the US: scan of US Passport or US Green Card (to be submitted separately from your application)
ELIGIBILITY: Late-emerging and mid-career painters, sculptors, photographers, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Applicants must hold U.S. citizenship or have permanent or temporary residency status that offers eligibility to be paid in the United States. Applicants must be able to accept a 1099 U.S. government form. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States, and they may not be ISCP alumni or residents in another studio program at the same time as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency.
SELECTION: The selection committee reviews applications based on quality, originality and artistic merit. Other consideration factors are: the potential impact of the residency on the applicant, the applicant’s past accomplishments, and preparedness to undertake the residency.
STUDIO INFORMATION: The selected candidate will receive a 246-square foot studio for the duration of the six-month residency. This studio has a high ceiling with a skylight that is shared with neighboring studios allowing for natural light (the walls do not fully reach the ceiling).
NOTIFICATION: Artists will be notified in February 2025 for the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency.
Note: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please submit your application in a single PDF no larger than 10 mb.