Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellowship

As the Lower East Side continues to fight displacement, marginalization, and racial inequities, we recognize that sustaining a sense of community requires many efforts and arts-based placemaking efforts, like the LES Young Artists of Color fellowship, can strengthen a sense of belonging across generations.

Besides their importance as creative voices in the LES, young artists of color are underrepresented in the arts sector as a whole.  Peer circles of support combined with opportunities to share work and learn from others can be a critical factor in moving their professional development forward.

The 2024 LES Young Artists of Color Fellowship included eight fellows: Cathleen (Cat) Luo, Christian Bachez, DJ SLID3, Grayson Izekiel Colbert, Jason Wang, Nayiel Walker, Sam Lee & Tasnuva Shehrin, and was facilitated by Ari-Duong Nguyen and Mark Wilson. Throughout spring, the cohort met to share their practices, progresses, and issues relevant to their careers as artists of color in New York City.

The final exhibition “I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You” took place on June 1&2, where the artists showcased visual arts works in FABnyc’s Studio, and held an interactive installation and a sound performance in the Theater, fully activating our building as a hub for artistic experimentation.