Haven Residency
This residency (2011-2015) provided free studio space for Charlottesville area artists at The Haven where the conditions of homelessness and poverty directly and indirectly informed creative expression and collaboration in the Haven’s Day Shelter.
The Haven is a multi-resource day shelter in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia that provides showers, laundry, computer access, storage, and a healthy meal for guests every day.
In 2011, The Haven and New City Arts turned the second floor of The Haven into free, downtown studio space for local artists. This residency program gave Charlottesville area artists free downtown studio space. Resident artists received full access to The Haven facilities, and each artist maintained a studio practice at The Haven.
These artists created a flexible arts program for Haven guests focused on artistic expression. Artists volunteered in the Haven Day Shelter serving breakfast or working at the front desk. Arts activities led by resident artists alongside Haven guests included drawing workshops, a Sumi Ink club, a collaborative mural, memory mapping, and a community quilt.
Though New City Arts no longer facilitates a residency program at The Haven, we remain community partners through Housing2Home where we work with formerly-homeless families and individuals to decorate and furnish their homes. New City Arts continues to provide studio space for Charlottesville artists through the New City Artist-in-Residence program at 114 3rd St. NE.
