Hammerspace National Artist Cohort

The Hammerspace Artist Cohort is a small, intentionally structured program for mother artists seeking sustained engagement with their creative practice, professional development, and artistic community.

Over nine months, cohort members engage in structured critique, mentorship, visiting artist conversations, reflective exercises, professional practice workshops, and collaborative peer accountability. Participants receive individualized feedback, opportunities to engage with curators and arts professionals, and support in developing work toward a culminating public exhibition.

The program recognizes that artistic development rarely unfolds in a linear way. Many artists move through periods of fragmentation, interruption, reinvention, isolation, or disconnection from their work. These experiences are often intensified by caregiving responsibilities, domestic labor, financial realities, and cultural expectations surrounding productivity and success.

Program Length: September 20th 2026 – May 16th 2027
Culminating Exhibition: May 8th 3-6pm
Total Duration: 9 months including exhibition
Cohort Size: 8 artists
Virtual Meetings
Public Exhibition Presented by Hammerspace Gallery

Program Cost:
Tuition: $1,500
Payment options:
Pay in full: $1,500
Two payments: $750 / $750
Quarterly payments: $375 x 4
Monthly Payments: $167 x 9

**Potential scholarship support pending sponsorship / fundraising capacity. Scholarships are based on need so that this program is accessible to everyone. To be eligible please fill out the scholarship portion of the application.**

Tuition supports the time, labor, and resources required to sustain a thoughtful cohort experience. This includes program development and administration, facilitation and mentorship, guest artists and speakers, individualized feedback, shared resources, and planning and production support for the culminating exhibition.

Application Fee: $25

The application fee helps cover the administrative time involved in reviewing applications, coordinating selections, and preparing for onboarding and cohort planning. Application fees also support scholarship access and future program development.
Ideal Participant

Designed for:
Mothers, emerging artists ready to deepen practice, mid-career artists seeking renewed accountability, interdisciplinary artists, artists preparing for exhibitions, grants, residencies, or career transition, artists seeking sustained peer and professional engagement

The cohort may be especially valuable for artists experiencing:
Interrupted or inconsistent studio time, creative isolation, burnout or overstimulation, difficulty maintaining momentum, tension between caregiving and artistic identity, uncertainty around professional direction

Not ideal for:
hobbyist/casual makers seeking drop-in workshops, artists unable to commit to regular participation
artists seeking only exhibition access.

What Participants Receive

Virtual Monthly Cohort Meetings
Third Sunday of each month
1:00pm –4:00 PM

Structured gatherings focused on:
- critique
- project development
- discussion
- accountability
- strategy
- professional practice

Visiting Artists / Guest Professionals
3–5 guest sessions throughout the year
Potential guests:
- working artists
- curators
- arts administrators
- collectors / consultants

Topics may include:
- studio practice
- exhibition development
- documentation
- grant writing
- institutional navigation
- public art
- commissions
- pricing / sales
- sustainability

Mentorship / Individual Feedback
Participants receive individualized support through:
- mentor check-ins
- one-on-one feedback
- project troubleshooting
- accountability support
- Professional Practice Development

Culminating Cohort Exhibition
Public exhibition in May featuring cohort participants.
Includes:
- exhibition planning support
- artist statement development
- curatorial feedback
- exhibition preparation
- installation coordination
- public presentation opportunity