Artists At Work Announces New Video Series and Expansion
From left, Luiza Folegatti, Francesca Olsen, and Desiree Taylor attending the AAW final gathering and celebration in North Adams, MA. March 2025. Photo by Greg Nesbit Photography.
Artists At Work (AAW) is a national workforce resilience program in the spirit of the WPA that is designed to support artists and their communities through artistic civic engagement. AAW provides artists with a W2 salary, healthcare, and access to retirement benefits, allowing them to deepen their art practice and work collaboratively in response to local community needs. AAW recognizes that artists are essential workers and their creative output and ability to thrive artistically and financially are key contributors to the well-being of local communities.
AAW recently launched a new video series spotlighting its North Adams cohort. The series highlights the work of three artists—Francesca Olsen, Luiza Folegatti, and Desiree Taylor—who have embedded their practices within local organizations to address community needs and priorities.
Francesca Olsen
Is this Happening to Anyone Else?
In collaboration with Ventfort Hall, The Museum of the Gilded Age in Lenox, MA, Francesca Olsen created and exhibited a quilt series reflecting the experiences of young adult cancer patients and survivors. Francesca, who lives with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer which developed in her 30s, spent the past year talking to the young cancer community locally and online, interviewing 17 patients and survivors about their experiences and needs. Francesca hosted a storytelling event for cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones in the exhibition space at Ventfort Hall, drawing upon its history as a place for meeting, celebrating, and reflecting on the challenges and shifts in American life.
Luiza Folegatti
Mothering in Migration
Luiza Folegatti has partnered with Berkshire Immigrant Center, an advocacy group that helps migrants navigate the complex U.S. immigration system, and Latinas413, a community organization dedicated to empowering Latinas by expanding their social and economic capital, to develop arts programming for immigrant mothers in the Berkshires. Through photography sessions, exhibitions, and resource-mapping workshops, Luiza’s work strengthens community connections and advocates for immigrant rights in the region.
Desiree Taylor
Heart Shaped Cakes
Working alongside Have Hope Peer Recovery Center, a community-based support system of The Brien Center with over 100 years of history in the Berkshires, Desiree Taylor has been leading storytelling workshops that support mental health and substance abuse recovery. By helping participants reflect on their past experiences and articulate what is key in their lives, Desiree is offering people in recovery the opportunity to shape their own narratives and discover their place as part of a larger community.
The short documentaries, filmed and produced by AAW North Adams alumnus Joe Aidonidis, capture each artist’s deep commitment to civic engagement, the power of their artistic practice, and the role of artists as essential workers in their communities.
Since its inception in 2020, Artists At Work has provided 74 artists and culture workers across 11 states with a salary and health benefits, leveraging their creativity in partnership with over 80 cultural and community organizations nationwide.
AAW Receives $2 Million from The Mellon Foundation for Expansion
With Additional Support from Herbert Simon Family Foundation, AAW will Provide Salaried Employment to 24 Artists in 6 Cities for an 18-Month Term
The Artists At Work (AAW) initiative, supported by a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, will expand to six cities, providing salaried employment and benefits to 24 artists for 18 months. The initiative aims to address local community issues through artistic civic engagement, including topics like public health and climate resilience. The artists will receive a $40,000 annual salary, health benefits, and retirement options. Partnering with local cultural institutions, the program will foster peer learning and facilitate artist-led public projects. AAW has already impacted 74 artists across 11 states since its inception in 2020. The program also offers professional development, mentorship, and long-term evaluation to maximize its impact. The artist selection process will take place from March 18 – May 2, 2025, with the 18-month cohort beginning their term on June 1, 2025. For more information, visit artists-at-work.org.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their continued support of Artists At Work. The Mellon Foundation support will allow us to deepen our impact in existing partner communities, expand our reach to new areas, and provide an extended 18-month employment term to maximize the benefits for both artists and the communities they serve.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Artists At Work (AAW) is a national workforce resilience program in the spirit of the WPA that is designed to support artists and their communities through artistic civic engagement. AAW provides artists with a W2 salary and benefits to deepen their art practice and work collaboratively in response to local community needs across a range of issues including mental health, substance abuse recovery, cultural preservation, youth welfare, climate resiliency, antiracism, and migrant justice, among others. Artists At Work addresses the economic precarity faced by many artists by offering them employment, health benefits, and access to retirement benefits while fostering collaborative projects that respond to community priorities. The program prioritizes partnerships with artists and organizations that help its aim to build an equitable and responsive model that centers place-based knowledge and local community needs.
Since its inception in 2020, Artists At Work has provided 74 artists and culture workers across 11 states with a salary and health benefits, leveraging their power and creativity in partnership with over 80 cultural and community organizations throughout the nation. More information is available at artists-at-work.org.
In partnership with FreshGrass Foundation, from March 2024 - February 2025, AAW employed three local artists in North Adams, MA, known for its thriving cultural scene and artistic vibrancy. These artists worked collaboratively with partner organizations in response to local community needs and priorities.
