The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Project (SWSP) is one of the most respected and popular artist residences in New York. Every year, it offers a group of 17 artists rented studio spaces in Brooklyn and offers these artists an opportunity to have a deeper connection with the international art world. The newly announced 2025-2026 cohort covers a wide range of media, narrative and cultural backgrounds including Amy Cutler, Andrew Brisler, Andrew Brisler, Bianca Field, Celeste Falzon, Dakota Jonath, Dakota Gihart, Deborah Davira Bright, Donald Perris, Donald Perris, Donald Perris, Eva Daviva, Ivana Dami, Ivana David Deval, Jasri Jasri Jasri Jasri, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jas karif linn, jason karif linn jarif inif inif linn, Meyers, Miguel Payano, Natalie Wood, Ohan Breiding and Tracy Miller.
Observers recently spoke with Ariel Willmott, director of cultural affairs at the Valentas Family Foundation, about how Sharp-Worentas residents have evolved over nearly three decades to meet the changing needs of contemporary artists while maintaining their underlying values. The difference between the Sharpe-Walentas Studio program and other residential areas is its artist-led model that ensures that every population is carefully selected and understands how engagement can serve artists at any stage of their career. “It’s a highly competitive plan, but it keeps a deep private approach to working closely with each artist to support their living experience,” Wilmott told Observer.
The roots of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio program can be traced back to the SOHO art scene in the late 1980s, when Chuck Close’s conference held by Irving Sandler led to Marie Walsh’s formal establishment of Marie Walsh Foundation.
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From the outset, artists and critics served as consultants, shaping residency rights into a program that provides practical and lasting support to participants. “As artists and art professionals, they have unique abilities to understand what artists really need to get a meaningful living experience, and those needs have not changed: good space and time,” Wilmott said. Founders such as Close and Philip Pearlstein continue to legitimize the program, but more importantly, Sharpe-Walentas is still dominated by artists, with the committee of contemporary artists spinning each new cohort.
When asked what makes residence really impact, Wilmot stressed that entering the workspace is just the beginning. “At SWSP, artists are provided with a huge, well-lit and ventilated studio with minimal procedural requirements,” she said. “It is also a relatively large program, with 17 studios and lengths of residence, as well as various participants, fostering a vibrant environment where artists learn from each other.” Leaving the common pressure of preparing for an exhibition or making a finished product work, that is, defining many other residents who live – Sharp-Valentas artists can focus on the development of their practice while building meaningful relationships with their peers.
In addition to this internal community, the program brings curators, writers, critics and artists, creating organic opportunities for professional growth. “These visits create professional connections with institutions and publications across the country,” Willmott added, noting that the frequency of this promoted relationship building leads to enhanced participation in exhibitions and other careers.
Originally located in Tribeca, the Residence Program moved to Dumbo in 2008 and adopted its current name in 2014, when the Walentas Family Foundation was sponsored. This shift not only ensures the program’s survival, but also reaffirms its commitment to the evolving needs of New York artists. Tribeca’s rising rents kept the original space from staying, prompting the Walentas family to provide an introduction at the full sponsorship studio at 20 Jay Street, Dumbo Portfolio of two trees. “When the three advisory committee members of the program (Phonggui Bui, Irving Sandler and Chuck Close) approached Jane and David Walentas, they realized the opportunity to provide artists with a much-needed studio,” Willmott explained.
The relocation plan is also in line with the extensive investments of the Walentas family in the community’s creative ecosystem. “Two Trees and the Valentas continue to develop a vibrant creative scene with dumbo through public events, subsidizing artist rentals and fully sponsoring the Sharp-Valentas Studios program,” Wilmott said. Despite the rapid gentrification, the local creative scene remains vibrant. In April, more than 7,000 tourists arrived at Dumbo Open Studios, with nearly 100 artists (including current SWSP residents) opening their workspaces to the public.
As the art world continues to change, emerging artists face new challenges. When asked about the priorities of the program and how they can meet the moment, Wilmott stressed the urgency of a familiar question. “In the past, young artists could find space in New York. Now, even in less central neighborhoods, studio space is expensive. It is almost impossible for an artist to afford studios and living spaces, even merged spaces in the city.”
“As the capital of the art world, what’s happening in New York has a global impact, and New York artists play a crucial role in shaping contemporary culture,” Wilmott added. “They drive dialogue on global issues, personal development and social growth.”
Indeed, Sharp-Wellens Studios program lists as its alumni, the most influential artist of our time, many of whom are exhibiting in major institutions across the country – Kara Walker, Julie Mehretu, Kehinde Wiley and photographer Dawoud Bey to name just a few. According to Willmott, many alumni remained closely related to the program for a long time after their residence ended. “Participants often refer to the program as a family. The relationship formed by SWSP lasts and ultimately strengthens the art world in New York.”
