The Interdisciplinary Art and Theory Program is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 session.
The tuition-free, two-semester program meets Fridays at Jack Shainman Gallery in Chelsea. The Program runs from September to November, and then February to May. The Program offers reading seminars about the year’s principle themes, as well as a series of invited guests and two Distinguished Lectures (the latter are open to the public), and studio visits from guests and seminar leaders. More details on the program and application process are listed below and available at artandtheoryprogram.org
Application Deadline
All application materials and supporting documents must be received by July 15th, 2026. Applicants will be notified by August 1st.
2026-2027 Theme: Subjectivities: Art, Ethics, and Psychoanalysis
Subject has many meanings. It can be the thing, person, or event that we are studying or creating (subject of analysis), or it can name a person with agency (the subject), or, contradictorily, someone who is dependent on (subject to) the whims of another. Our subjectivities form between the cross pressures of these positions. Art, ethics, and psychoanalysis offer three ways of navigating the varieties of subjecthood. Through creativity, norms, and practices, we craft our subjectivity in relation to the forces that would (or do) subjectify us. Using the links between critical theory, artistic practice, and psychoanalysis as a guiding thread, we will explore different theories and ideologies of the ethical, creative life of subjectivity. We will focus on theorists and artists who have engaged with subjectivity and analysis--both affirmatively and critically. We will consider themes that cross between art, ethics, and psychoanalysis, including affect, failure, humor, language, and utopia. Guests will include NYC-based analysts, artists who have become analysts, and artists who hate analysis. Some sessions will focus on practical matters of cultivating ethical subjectivity in the often cynical spaces of contemporary art.
All Applications Must Include:
· A resume or C.V. including name, address, and telephone number.
· One letter of recommendation (may be sent under separate cover and can be general and brief. We strongly prefer letters to
arrive by the deadline).
· A statement discussing your work, educational experience, intellectual interests, and why you would like to participate in the Program (2 double-spaced pages max).
· 5-10 sample images for artists OR 10-15 double-spaced pages of sample writing(s) for writers.
All documents must be sent in PDF form to info@artandtheoryprogram.org . Format for the file names should be as follows:
FirstNameSurname_Resume
FirstNameSurname_Statement
FirstNameSurname_Sample
The program is free to participants
Eligibility
Those eligible for participation include established and emerging artists, art critics, graduate students, candidates for advanced postgraduate degrees, recent undergraduates with a demonstrated capacity for advanced scholarship, or those who have recently completed formal academic study (MFA, PhD, etc.).