New York City’s Most Ambitious Artist Residency Program
Our Mission
Silver Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting emerging and mid-career artists through our annual residency program—providing free, year-long studio spaces and professional development opportunities that catalyze their career in the art world.
Located at World Trade Center and supported by Silverstein Properties, our residency fosters a thriving creative ecosystem at the intersection of art, commerce, and community in Lower Manhattan.
As seen in
Impact
Since 2019, Silver Art has transformed an entire floor at World Trade Center into the Silver Art Studios — a dedicated environment for creativity, mentorship, and career advancement.
Artists in our annual residency receive:
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Free, year-long residencies in individual studios of 500 to 1,500 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
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Mentorship from leading curators, collectors, and gallerists, plus career workshops on gallery representation, contracts, and sustainable art practice.
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Over 10,000 curators, gallerists, collectors and industry luminaries visit our studios each year, creating direct exposure leading to gallery representation, institutional collections, and solo exhibitions — with alumni showing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, Art Basel, and galleries worldwide.
Over 2000
Applications
From 40+
Countries
150+
Alumni
Process
Artists are selected annually through a highly competitive, merit-based application. Thousands of submissions are reviewed for artistic excellence, originality, and impact by a distinguished Selection Committee composed of curators, museum directors, collectors, and cultural leaders, which rotates each year to ensure a democratic process. Just 25-30 artists are accepted into the program each year.
“The Y-Combinator of the art world.”
— Magnus Resch, Art Economist & Professor of Art Business at Yale
Meet the Artists
2025-26 Cohort
Tamar Rubenstein, 2025
Hand-picked from over 1500 applicants by a jury of acclaimed art world leaders, our current cohort is pushing the boundaries across painting, sculpture, photography, performance art, mixed media, and beyond.
Alumni
Jean-Pierre Villafañe (2024 Cohort), Cover of Art in America, Winter '24
Often called the "Y-Combinator for Artists" Silver Art’s alumni have gone on to secure critical press, major gallery representation, exhibitions at renowned museums and art fairs, significant commissions and international recognition.
Get Involved
Jared Owens at Silver Art Studios, 2023. © Josh Katz
Artists
Applications for the 2026–27 cohort open late March 2026.
Tammar Rubenstein, "Title", 2025. © Michelle Kammerman for BFA
Supporters
Join as a member or make a tax-deductible gift to fund free studio space and artist development at Silver Art.
Leo Braudy and Gregory Thornbury at the 2025 Silver Gala. © Michelle Kammerman for BFA
Partners
Corporate partnerships, event hosting, and sponsorship opportunities at one of New York's most unique cultural spaces.