Open Call for FCINY Residency 2027

The Residency Programs are particularly suitable for artists and professionals who are seeking to expand their international network in the US, and who wish to take advantage of the tailored relation-building support each residency program provides. Some residencies are conducted in collaboration with a local partner who will provide the artist with support and connections to local networks. Each applicant should prepare to showcase their work/research to New York’s creative community, and actively take advantage of the facilities and activities provided by the residency program.

Each residency includes housing, flights, and a monthly working grant of 800 EUR.

The FCINY welcomes artists, fashion designers, and architects with diverse backgrounds and practices to apply. The programs are open for individuals and working groups of up to two people (the residency apartment is a one-room studio space, and it houses two people willing to share the space). The selection is based on the motivation letter including a plan on how the applicant is intending to use the residency period in New York, and an interview with the jury. The residency program is open for all Finnish or Finland-based practitioners. Affiliations to member associations are not mandatory. We favor applications with a socially responsible stance, and encourage underrepresented groups to apply.

APPLICATION PERIOD:

The application period is April 1 to May 6, 2026.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, May 6, at 23:59 Finnish time (4:59 pm New York time). 

The results of the selection process will be communicated to all applicants by the end of June 2026.

A. FCINY RESIDENCY FOR VISUAL ARTISTS

DURATION:

January–March 2027 (3 months)

PARTNERING INSTITUTION:
Pioneer Works

The residency offers an artist the opportunity to focus on a chosen project, while enjoying the wide networking possibilities and a community offered by the residency partner. In 2027, the residency will be carried out with our partner, Pioneer Works. The residency includes a studio space at the center. Pioneer Works is an artist and scientist-led nonprofit cultural center in Red Hook, Brooklyn that fosters innovative thinking through the visual and performing arts, technology, music, and science.

Pioneer Works provides visual and performing artists, musicians, scientists, technologists, community organizers, and educators with the resources and platform they need to expand their practices. Pioneer Works has three floors of interconnected studio, performance, exhibition, and multipurpose spaces, which cultivate collaborations past the boundaries of traditional institutions by placing makers and thinkers in proximity to each other. The center supports onsite production through science, design, recording, and ceramics studios; media, virtual environment, and technology labs; darkroom; and garden. Multi-disciplinary programs, exhibitions, residencies, and performances are presented to the public, of which the majority are free.

RESIDENCY FOR VISUAL ARTISTS APPLICATION FORM:

https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/584911?lang=en

B. FCINY FASHION DESIGN RESIDENCY

DURATION: July–September 2027 (3 months)

FCINY FASHION DESIGN RESIDENCY

In 2027, the FCINY offers one three-month residency for fashion, and fashion textile designers. The residency is tailored for a designer seeking time for research and learning, community-building, and developing networks in New York. The primary objective of the residency is to provide the designer with a setting for research, learning from the US industry, and advancing their career. 

Based on the application and proposal for the residency, the mentor for the residency program, Ervin Latimer, Fashion Designer and Professor of Practice at Aalto University, will support the program through mentorship calls before, during, and after the residency period. The full scope of the mentorship will be developed in collaboration with the selected designer. The resident will receive personalized guidance, new business perspectives, and access to relevant connections.

FASHION DESIGN RESIDENCY APPLICATION FORM:
https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/185851?lang=en

C. FCINY ARCHITECTURE RESIDENCY

DURATION:
October–December 2027 (3 months)

PARTNERING INSTITUTION:

Cooper Union

The FCINY offers one three-month residency for architects in October–December 2026 (October and November are hosted by Cooper Union, in December the resident will work independently)

The FCINY´s and The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture´s Visiting Scholars Programme is an opportunity for experienced scholars to visit the The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture for a period of three months. Visiting Scholars are expected to interact and form networks with The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture staff and students, to plan or conduct research, publications and/or development projects, and to participate actively in the academic life and programming activities of the School of Architecture. The chosen scholars will have access to the School of Architecture premises, networks, and library (with workstations).

ARCHITECTURE RESIDENCY APPLICATION FORM:
https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/247868?lang=en

APPLICATIONS

All applications should be sent via the online application form which is available during the application period at www.fciny.org. The application form and all supporting material, including CVs, must be submitted in English. Late applications will not be accepted.

The applicant must present a maximum 2-page project plan for the residency. A resume and a maximum of 3 selected works should be attached to the application. Applicants should submit along with the application a short motivation letter and a description of the specific aims they have set for their residency in New York. All attachments should be merged into one document and submitted as PDF. 

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Each residency program has its own jury. A pre-selection of eligible applications will be made by the jury, and the partnering organization will make the final decision on the selected applicants based on an online interview. The results of the selection process are communicated to all applicants by the end of June.

ARTIST RESIDENCY JURY

Gabriel Florenz, Founding Artistic and Executive Director, Pioneer Works
Alina Girshovich, Curator and Strategic Advisor
Katri Naukkarinen, Visual artist and Doctoral researcher, FCINY Board Member
Klaudia Ofwona Draber, Director of Programs, FCINY

FASHION DESIGN RESIDENCY JURY
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Archive Editor at Vogue 
Ervin Latimer, Fashion Designer and Professor of Practice at Aalto University, FCINY Board Member
Klaudia Ofwona Draber, Director of Programs, FCINY

ARCHITECTURE RESIDENCY JURY
Mersiha Veledar, Acting Associate Dean, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union
Meri Louekari, Strategy Manager and Architect, FCINY Board Member
Klaudia Ofwona Draber, Director of Programs, FCINY

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York welcomes architects, artists, and fashion designers with a wide range of backgrounds and diverse practices. The selection is based on the project plan, and an interview with the jury. 

 Other criteria that will be taken into account when assessing any proposal:

– The applicant should either be Finnish or based in Finland at the time of applying for the residency
– Applicants should be reasonably fluent in English (spoken and written)
– Applicants should have at least 2–3 years of proven professional practice or have completed a university-level degree in a relevant field of study
– The willingness to present one’s practice to other professionals and audiences in New York and to participate in small-scale public events is considered essential
– The ambition to connect and develop collaboration with US-based organisations or other professional actors in the resident’s field of work    

Keep in mind that the values of The FCINY are core to how we operate:

RESPONSIBILITY AND EQUITY: The Institute leads with intersectional principles, centering the ethical, ecological, and sustainable well-being of our societies through the visual arts

OPENNESS: The Institute recognizes and responds to timely phenomena, with an endlessly curious perspective 

CONTINUOUS LEARNING: Reflection, evaluation, and community feedback drives growth in every part of the Institute’s work. 

We strive for interdisciplinarity, embracing collaborations and encounters between diverse fields, cultures, and points of view.

HOUSING

The FCINY residency apartment is located in Hamilton Heights’ Sugar Hill in North Harlem. The apartment comes with bed linens and towels, basic kitchenware, wireless internet connection, and air conditioning. The studio apartment is suitable for research and computer-based artistic work. 

The residency apartment is a one-room studio space, and it houses two people willing to share the open studio space. Please note that there is no separate bedroom in the apartment, and there is only limited space to divide the two single beds. 

The selected artists are granted full usage of the residency apartment during their stay. The purpose of the residency cannot be altered and the residency period cannot be handed over to another person. In the case that the Institute’s lease for the residency apartments would be terminated or some other force majeure situation emerges, the Institute reserves the right to changes in the residency program. A written agreement will be made with each selected artist-in-residence, specifying the conditions of the residency.

ACCOMPANYING GUESTS

The residency apartment is a one-room studio space, and it houses two people willing to share the open studio space. The apartment has limited capacity to house accompanying children. It is meant for the working use and accommodation of the artists-in-residence. In case of accompanying guests or visitors, the artist-in-residence must notify the Institute in writing in advance. The artist-in-residence is responsible for any guests. 

COMPENSATION

The Finnish Cultural Institute’s own residency program is subsidized but not fully funded. The residency comes with a furnished apartment and the Institute will cover one return flight (max amount 1,000 USD) for each selected resident. In addition, the Institute provides the resident(s) with a monthly working grant of 800 EUR. The artists are in charge of any material costs and their living expenses in New York.

In case of working groups of two people applying for a residency together, you are welcome to submit only one application. The application should include both applicants' names and references.

TRAVELS/VISA/INSURANCE
The artist is responsible for making their own travel arrangements. The Institute covers a one-time return flight to the chosen resident artist(s) to a maximum amount of 1,000 USD. There is no need for a visa for visits under 90 days to the US, but a valid ESTA is required. The artists-in-residence must have their own sufficient health and travel insurance coverage for the entire duration of the residency.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For questions about the application process, please contact our Administrative Director in Helsinki: Annu Webb, webb[at]fciny.org.

APPLY

Complete the online application form for:

A) FCINY Residency for Visual Artists 2027:
https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/584911?lang=en

B) FCINY Fashion Design Residencies 2027:
https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/185851?lang=en

C) FCINY Architecture Residencies 2027:
https://survey.gruppo.fi/us-fininst/index.php/247868?lang=en