Applications are now open for the ultimate New York miracle: Free rent.
Multiple cultural organizations are taking advantage of Governors Island’s new year-round status to offer artists the opportunity not just to work, but also live on the 172-acre oasis 800 yards south of Manhattan.
“Through this artist residency program, five lucky artists will get to live at Collective Governors Island for a month, enjoying complimentary lodging, meals, and a $1,000 artist stipend for their projects,” a representative told The Post in an email of about one such program, being put on in partnership between experiential living company Collective Retreats and New York City Culture Club.
Collective Retreats has been operating on Governors Island since 2018, when it opened a glamping campground there as “part of a broader plan to open the island to hospitality and food businesses,” The Post reported at the time.
As part of the company’s new program, artists will “be able to create arts exhibitions for retreat guests and park visitors.”
A total of six artists — one per month from May to October — will be hosted. Both New Yorkers and out-of-staters are welcome to apply, with no prerequisites specified besides identifying as a “creative.” Interested “creatives” can submit up to one-page-long proposals on “how they would utilize this unique setting in their practice” to NewYorkCityCultureClub@gmail.com. Submissions are being accepted through April 15.
“My brother Parker and I love how much New York City has influenced our work, and we truly believe this residency will similarly inspire the participating artists,” NYC Culture Club co-founder Clayton Calvert told The Post, adding the group is also working “to organize poetry readings and unique performances from NYC-based creators to complement the residency.”
For more established artists, the 11-year-old art group Shandaken Projects will begin accepting applications in May for artists to live free of charge at its 3,000-square-foot space in a former military hospital on the Island. Residents will be invited to stay for four to six weeks.
“Unlike many other programs on Governors Island, Shandaken’s facilities are recently renovated and come with all normal residential accommodations,” Shandaken director Nicholas Weist told The Post. The group — which also hosts a residency on the grounds of Storm King Art Center upstate — has been offering studio-only residencies on Governors Island since 2018.
In that time, Weist has found the former army post and burgeoning cultural hub really offers an ideal environment for artists looking to create within sight of the skyline without being fully submerged in New York City’s over-stimulating daily mayhem.
“The 8-minute ferry ride offers a strong break from daily context,” Weist said. “And the open spaces and stunning view of the skyline encourage opportunities for creative thought.”
