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The COVID-19 pandemic has halted the world’s economy (and shocked healthcare systems); I couldn’t help but notice the great impact on peoples' livelihoods. The most vulnerable in this crisis are freelancers, contract staff, service workers, those who rely on tourism, and creative workers. When talking to a friend studying her MFA in Fine Arts, she expressed the lack of support (financial and otherwise) that so many were experiencing in her community. With the closure of galleries, museums, creative events and the cancellation of projects; and with so many artists relying on alternative sources of income, their ability to create and engage during this time is significantly affected.

With this new normal, I wanted to explore new way to support the arts and artists around the world. Our vision is to conduct a global remote residency that will provide financial support to artists in all fields during this time. The program will not only address a financial need, but will allow artists to collaborate, show their work online, and create commentary on the impacts of this global conflict. We want to provide a space to wrestle with and respond to topics bubbling to the surface during this time: race, nationality, financial markets, global economy, governments, communities, and the list goes on. Beyond this one global crisis, my hope is that the residency can be a place that will facilitate art’s response to conflicts and global issues into the future.

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— Michael Headrick, Founder & Board Member