NYC announces 2026 public artists-in-residence

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has announced the recipients of the 2026 public artists-in-residence program, who will bring their creative visions to the city through the first year of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administration.

The three artists in the cohort are Mauricio Higuera, partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations; Ifeoma Ebo, working with the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit; and Stephen Kwok, paired with NYC Department of Small Business Services.

The artists were selected through an open call conducted earlier this year and will each receive a $40,000 stipend, dedicated workspace within their respective agencies and other support as they develop and produce their public art project.

The city launched the public residency in 2015 under the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. Since its inception, there has only been one instance in which the artists for the residency were chosen by one administration but worked through another—in 2021 before de Blasio handed over the keys to Gracie Mansion to Adams.

The residencies begin with a four-month research phase, during which the artist shadows agency staff and attends meetings, trainings and site visits. After the research phase, the artist proposes a project to be designed in collaboration with their respective partner agency to be produced during the remaining months of the residency.

While transition to the Mamdani administration is not expected to affect the artists’ work, it was not immediately clear what effects, if any, the transition could have, so Urgent Matter has reached out to the city for more information.

As reported by Hyperallergic, Mamdani previously praised public arts residencies in city agencies while campaigning for mayor.

The heads of each respective office praised their new recruits in a news release. Rudy S. Giuliani, executive director of the housing recovery office and reportedly a second-cousin to the former Republican mayor, heralded Higuera for his perspective as a Colombian-born artist who has personally experienced the “brutality of borders.”

“As our city responds to the ongoing asylum seeker crisis, we’re excited to welcome an artist whose own experiences and work reflect the resilience, complexity, and humanity of this moment,” Giuliani said.

“Mauricio’s perspective will help shine a light on the stories behind this crisis, and we’re excited to support a project that uplifts the voices and resilience of people seeking safety and stability in NYC."

Disclosure: The artist Stephen Kwok previously taught the reporter in an art-related course at Brooklyn College.