Silver Art is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting emerging and mid-career artists through our annual residency program—providing free, year-long studio spaces and professional development opportunities that catalyze their career in the art world.

Located on the 28th floor of 4 World Trade Center, our residency fosters a thriving creative ecosystem at the intersection of art, commerce, and community in Lower Manhattan.

Since 2019, Silver Art has transformed an entire floor with 44,000 square feet of space into dynamic artist studios—offering a dedicated environment for creativity, mentorship, and career advancement. Artists in our program receive:

Studio Space – Free, year-long residencies
Professional Development – Mentorship from leading curators, collectors, and gallerists
Visibility & Opportunities – Direct access to industry leaders and career-defining exhibitions

Often referred to as the “YC for Artists,” Silver Art’s alumni have gone on to secure gallery representation, major commissions, museum shows, critical press, and international recognition.

Artists are selected annually through a highly competitive, merit-based process. Thousands of applications are reviewed for artistic excellence, originality, and impact by a distinguished Selection Committee composed of curators, museum directors, collectors, and cultural leaders.

Founded in response to the growing inequities faced by artists in New York City, Silver Art was established in 2019 with the generous support of Silverstein Properties, who helped transform this landmark World Trade Center space—designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki—into a hub of creativity and innovation.

Caledonia Curry, known as Swoon, is a contemporary artist and filmmaker recognized around the world for her pioneering vision of public artwork. Through intimate portraits, immersive installations, and multi-year community based projects, she has spent over 20 years exploring the depths of human complexity, and asking how art can fundamentally re-envision the communities we live in towards a more just and equitable world.

She is best known as one of the first women Street Artists to gain international recognition in a male-dominated field, pushing its conceptual limits and paving the way for a generation of women Street Artists. As a classically trained printmaker, she has innovated new approaches to create large-scale relief prints and intricate papercut works. The deep consideration of form is inseparable from Curry’s vision of the transformative role of public art in communities. Her critical engagement with issues of social and environmental justice have positioned her at the forefront of the emergent discourse around socially-engaged art practices. Her commitment to expanding the possibilities of art to repair trauma and foster personal and collective healing continues to drive her substantial contributions to contemporary art through her work with portraiture, sculpture, installation and most recently, stop-motion animation.

Silver Art is deeply honored and thrilled to be celebrating her work the 2025 Silver Gala!

Teardrops by Jamel Robinson