BCA receives $300,000 award from Wagner Foundation to fully support the next cohort of BCA Studio Residents

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is thrilled to announce a $300,000 grant from Wagner Foundation to support the BCA Studio Residency program for the next three years. Beginning as early as this fall, this pivotal funding will allow BCA to begin the shift from a subsidized, fee-based residency program to one that is fully awarded.

Boston-area artists are welcome to take advantage of this generous grant by applying to the current open call to become one of the ten members of the 2024 BCA Studio Residency cohort, funded by Wagner Foundation over the next three years. The deadline to apply is March 31 at 11pm.

This grant now drastically lowers barriers for Boston-area artists to access the critical resources BCA provides. The grant fully underwrites ten studio spaces — a first in the 50+ year history of BCA — and will deepen professional development opportunities for artist residents beginning in 2024.

The Wagner award, which also supports the Boston Art Book Fair — another popular BCA experience — is a crucial first step in the effort by BCA to raise $1.5m over three years to fully award all 41 studio residencies and create a runway that ensures future sustainability for this essential program.

“We are thrilled to support the Boston Center for the Arts on this initiative to broaden access to their studio program and to expand the programming at the Boston Art Book Fair. At Wagner Foundation, we recognize that the housing affordability crisis in Boston is affecting artists’ ability to stay and thrive in our communities, and that access to studio space and opportunities to share work in community is a critically needed component,” said Charlotte Wagner, Founder & President of Wagner Foundation. She added, “We are grateful for the vision and long-term commitment BCA has to Boston’s working artists and look forward to what this partnership brings.”

BCA Co-Executive Director Emily Foster Day expressed her excitement and gratitude for Wagner Foundation’s support: “This catalytic award is a game-changer for us. It empowers us to reach new heights in our mission to provide essential professional development resources to Boston-area artists at pivotal moments in their career. We are deeply thankful to Wagner Foundation for their belief in our work and their commitment to contemporary artists and arts in Boston.”

BCA has a rich history of fostering artistic communities through a diverse array of arts programs, events, and initiatives. From supporting early career artists to promoting cultural equity, BCA has consistently demonstrated its dedication to making the arts accessible for artists and audiences alike. And now, the Wagner Foundation grant strengthens what BCA continues to do: to fill a vital need for affordable work space and other resources for Boston artists through its artistic and space subsidy programs.

Expanding opportunities for artists for BCA today includes doing all it can to help alleviate the crisis of affordable work space faced by Boston artists. This generous three-year Wagner Foundation grant will profoundly aid that effort and BCA believes will help form the basis for further funding by other organizations who also understand the need to support the rest of the 41 studio residencies BCA hosts.

Furthermore, through its residencies, exhibitions, and public programs, BCA provides dynamic professional development offerings, mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial support to artists, allowing them to take the creative risks necessary to develop their craft and take their practice to the next level. This grant will also broaden the reach of these professional development opportunities.

Apply today to join the 2024 BCA Studio Residency cohort at BCA funded by Wagner Foundation.

Boston Center for the Arts, Image credit BCA