The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has announced the selection of three artists for its Public Artists in Residence (PAIR) program. Ifeoma Ebo, Stephen Kwok, and Mauricio Higuera will each be embedded in different public agencies to bring a fresh perspective and creative problem-solving skills to the table.
Ifeoma Ebo, a Brooklyn-based architect and designer, will be working with the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit. With a focus on bridging the gap between the government and the community, Ebo plans to use artmaking as a tool to make city services more accessible and build lasting partnerships with vulnerable New Yorkers.
Stephen Kwok, a curator and artist, will collaborate with the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Kwok’s work aims to resist monoculture and contribute to a more dynamic urban environment. His previous projects, such as “Recreational Meetings,” have explored digital and participatory performances to encourage creative experimentation.
Mauricio Higuera, a Colombia-born educator and artist, will join the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations. With a focus on assisting asylum seekers, Higuera plans to engage and collaborate with New Yorkers to reflect on the experience of migration today. As a drawing instructor at Cooper Union, Higuera explores physical and immaterial borders in his artistic practice.
The selected artists will receive a $40,000 stipend and will work closely with their partner agencies over the next 12 months to produce a public artwork. The residency program aims to bring creative problem-solving to city agencies as they address urgent civil issues. This initiative draws inspiration from the work of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the City’s first official artist-in-residence with the NYC Department of Sanitation in 1977.
Through a collaborative process that involves shadowing agency employees, attending meetings, and proposing projects, the resident artists will contribute their unique perspectives to the public sector. The program underscores the importance of integrating art and creativity into city agencies to foster innovation and community engagement.
As the PAIR program enters its tenth year, the city of New York continues to prioritize the intersection of art and public service. The incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed support for public arts residencies in city agencies, emphasizing the value of accessibility to the arts for all New Yorkers. With Ifeoma Ebo, Stephen Kwok, and Mauricio Higuera at the helm, the PAIR program is poised to make a meaningful impact on the city’s cultural landscape.
