MISSION:
FAEx is a non-profit arts residency program made from and for an accessible community of artists speaking up for social change and environmental sustainability.
VISION:
Our world is fractured. The environment is threatened and degraded as we move away from our planet and one another. Effective advocacy and activism must be pervasive through all parts of society- we look to our artists for their messages/vision, and form deeper emotional resonances/reactions beyond subjective facts. Public discourse has stifled many voices, and the Freehold Art Exchange is committed to counteracting silence, institutional oppression and disconnection between marginalized groups. We vow to provide a safe and inclusive space where an artist’s inner vision can catch and spread among a supportive community of diverse perspectives. Artists need to speak their truths and our world needs to be able to hear them- we want to provide the conduit.
HOW WE ACCOMPLISH THIS:
Resources for artists are increasingly scarce and competitive, and FAEx tries to counteract that trend. We provide a stage for multi-discipline art that supports the planet and basic human rights, and we offer a safe space to challenge audiences with alternatives to the status quo as presented by the contemporary art climate. We are committed to creating a community for changemakers, based in collaboration, mutual respect, and radical generosity.
Built on a work-exchange model, we provide residencies regardless of income. An artist could directly contribute to the program with their skills and labor. Or they can pay a fee so they can fully immerse themselves in their work. Eventually we hope to offer an annual scholarship residency as well as a community service residency where artists have the option to continue their projects in collaboration with our partners in the Hudson Valley.
The residency is located on fifty-seven acres of wooded land near the Catskills in the hamlet of Freehold, NY, FAEx is removed from the urban environment, but close enough to benefit from the thriving culture of the Hudson Valley and New York City. Artists-in-residence live in a newly constructed three-bedroom residency house and share studio spaces with local artists in the repurposed dairy barn. All artists are invited to participate in the communal organic garden or take walks in our forest. Between residencies, our Patron Rental program rents the residence to directly subsidize artists-in-residence. We especially welcome QTBIPOC artists.
Intrinsic to FAEx’s mission is the belief that art can rebuild our world for the better. Freehold Art Exchange’s resources have developed through the collaboration between local and resident artists, craftsmen and thinkers who give their time and energy in exchange for studio access and quiet respite. We are committed to using our network to help artists develop their ideas and make meaningful relationships. And ideally, those who participate will remain a part of our growing community.
FRIENDS OF FAEx:
We have many active collaborations with local artists, projects, and organizations and offer short-term work/exchange studio space to partners whose work echoes our mission statement. Besides our core community of
local ceramicists and the Catskill Maker Syndicate, we have worked with local social justice and environmental initiatives such as the Social Justice Leadership Academy/Kite’s Nest, the Victory Bus Project, the Prison
Public Memory Project and the Catskill Relief Kitchen.
We have three ongoing artists working with us on a longer-term basis: Asia Sosnowski, Justin Calde, and Stephanie Dougherty.
We are actively looking for partners in our community for board membership, colleagues, staff, and volunteers. Please email
freeholdartexchange@gmail.com to find out further opportunities to be a part of our organization!
To discuss supporting our mission or applying for a potential residency: (718.431.5420) | info@freeholdartexchange.org
