Artists: Do you need temporary studio space to complete a project and engage the public?

C.O.M.P. Studios provides artists with free, temporary space to advance their practice and engage the public. This initiative expands RoCo’s work to support artists and build the ecosystem for contemporary art in Downtown Rochester. Presented in partnership with Chashama and supported by The New York State Council for the Arts, this initiative builds upon grassroots efforts like First Friday, Rochester’s Citywide Gallery Night, and 2019’s Current Seen, to foster new art spaces. C.O.M.P. Studios is proudly led by small, community-based arts organizations and maintains an artist-centered focus. In addition to providing work space, this initiative will boost an artist’s access to audiences and expose the public to an artist’s latest project. C.O.M.P. Studios is Creative Opportunities Made Public.

Selected artists will be given free studio space for 1 or 2 month engagements, culminating in public open studio hours on First Friday. We are especially interested in supporting artists who:
-Are in need of studio space and don’t already have a place to work.
-Will actively and frequently use the space to advance and hopefully complete a project.
-Will install artworks and prepare a public open studio event from 6-9pm on First Friday, and possibly one other event per month.

The studios are located in the East End Neighborhood on the second floor, just down the street from RoCo. The location is wheelchair accessible.

*We are well aware of the critical need for low cost, permanent studio space in Rochester, especially in light of the situation at The Hungerford and rising rents elsewhere. This opportunity is NOT intended to replace permanent studio space, it is only temporary.

We’re sorry to say that because of the building’s regulations, this studio space is not suitable for especially heavy, dirty, or hazardous / flammable materials.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.