Studios
Sebastian Patane Masuelli answering questions by visiting Essex County College students
Another very important part of the Gallery Aferro mandate is gathering and sharing both physical and intellectual resources.
The gallery has been awarded a 2007 Artist Workspace Consortium Mentorship grant to develop and enlarge our residency program. http://www.nysawc.org/
We had the opportunity in 2006 to grant two of Newark's finest (artists) a studio residence. For 12 months Jerry Gant and Sebastian Patane Masuelli had a large studio on the third floor of Gallery Aferro. They used this opportunity to create new work as well as to develop and realize community projects.
About the Residency:
Several of the 06-07 Aferro Studio residents have commented that the chance for informal networking with peers afforded by residency in the building was one of the best aspects of their experience. Also mentioned by residents consistently as a unique and valuable aspect of the program was temporary ownership of a platform to interact with the public.
Residents will be awarded a 1200-2000 sq ft studio for 6 months, with 24 hr access, access to visiting curators and other gallery directors, and inclusion in an end-of-program catalog highlighting their work over the length of the residency. The current Aferro building can accommodate up to 5 artists at a time. Artists will be selected on the basis of quality of work, commitment to their field, and ability to interact positively with the community at large.
