Art has always been at the core of Washington Square Park’s identity.

In 2025, for the third year in a row, the Washington Square Park Conservancy continued the park’s rich artistic history through the Teaching Artist Residency program, an initiative that brings a diverse array of free art workshops to the northwest corner of the park.

From May to September, artists transformed Scrabble Plaza into an open air arts studio, inviting park goers to explore various mediums under the shade of the park’s trees.

From painting and printmaking, to collaging and sculpting, participants were able to create and connect multiple times a week through these free sessions, designed to be inclusive and accessible. The goal: encourage people of all ages and skill levels to get outside and discover their own creative potential.

“This program truly started as a dream I had to make arts education more accessible to the community at large,” said Kaitlyn Yates, Programs Director at the Washington Square Park Conservancy. “Being able to offer material and financial support to local artists who engage the public through art has been a pleasure. I’ve been thrilled at the reception of this program, and I’m excited to see what next season will bring!”

Creating a More Welcoming Park

The Artist Residency sessions also aim to address ongoing quality-of-life issues in Washington Square Park’s northwest corner, making the area more safe and welcoming by bringing in positive activation of the space.

As a key member of the Village Interagency Task Force, a multi-agency effort to make Washington Square Park and the surrounding neighborhood safer for all, the Conservancy has continued to grow its programmatic offerings in the park. The Artist Residency sessions have been such a popular offering that they increased from once a week in 2024 to three instances per week in 2025. These engaging workshops gave people a reason to be in the northwest corner when they may not have otherwise visited.

A Space for Connection & Conversation

People from all over the neighborhood, city, and even the world participated in the Artist Residency sessions. 

“I had returning painters from around the corner and visitors from across the country and other countries,” said teaching artist Janice McDonnell. “You just never knew who was going to show up.”

Artists were moved by the ways art fueled connections between program participants.

“My favorite part was getting to meet new people throughout the workshops,” said teaching artist Traci Johnson. “I loved providing a safe space where people of all ages could connect and talk and heal through art!”

“I really loved those moments when strangers came together and connected through art, sharing conversations, encouraging each other, and offering challenges while looking at one another’s work,” said teaching artist Tae Kim. “In particular, two middle-aged women stayed for an hour, creating several pieces, and watching them feel satisfied and joyful with their own work seemed to bring happiness not only to me but to others as well.”

Recap: 2025 Artists in Residence

Nick’s Lunch Box Service: Watercolor Sketching with Nick Golebiewski
Participants created watercolor sketches with Nick Golebiewski, a Brooklyn-based artist who uses a range of mediums, including painting, super 8 film and shadow puppet performances, to demystify urban culture and city life. Nick shared prompts on ways of observing the world and turning it into art, which he practices personally through his “Nick’s Lunchbox Service” drawing-a-day project, now in its twelfth year without missing a day.

Making Books with Esther K Smith
Fold! Cut! Stitch! Write! Draw! Participants made all sorts of different books with Esther K Smith, artistic director of Purgatory Pie Press, where she makes collaborative artist books and limited editions with printer Dikko Faust and other artists and writers. 

Callography with Dikko Faust 
Local artist Dikko Faust, an artist and letterpress printmaker, led a collography class, touching on different types of printmaking such as nature rubbings, paste papers, stencils and more. At the residency’s conclusion, Dikko brought his Kelsey clamshell letterpress to the park for some extra special printmaking.

Color, Light and Temperature in the Landscape with Lesley Wamsley
Lesley Wamsley, a visual artist based in Brooklyn and known for her observational landscapes, explored color, light and temperature in her park workshop. The class combined foundational elements of observational drawing with essential color theory principles. 

Bronx Faces-inspired Portraiture Workshop with Antoinette “Annie” Legnini
Antoinette “Annie” Legnini, a painter and draftsperson working with mixed media, collage, assemblage, and installation, led a portraiture workshop in which participants created portraits of themselves or another participant using mixed media materials. The goal was to create portraits that make up not only what a person looks like, but the foundation of who we are at this point in time (including personality, energy, interests, and beliefs).

Printmaking on Totes with Taejung Kim
Taejung Kim, a community artist based in New York City, operates The Portable Museum Project, which has been partnering with community-based organizations like the Washington Square Park Conservancy to increase accessibility of cultural public programs for New York City communities. This workshop saw participants gaining an understanding of the printmaking process by exploring easy-to-learn techniques using Styrofoam plates and tote bags.

Plein Air Painting in the Park with Janice McDonnell
Participants dropped in for a relaxed afternoon of plein air painting with Brooklyn-based artist Janice McDonnell, whose work explores memory, adaptation, and the urban environment. Using water based acrylic paints, participants observed the landscape, experimented with color and form, and connected with the environment through open-ended exploration. 

Fabric & Paint Collage with Eirini Lindardaki 
Eirini Linardaki, a visual artist and public art project developer based between New York, Newark, NJ and the island of Crete, led a collaborative fabric and paint collage workshop. Throughout the month of August, participants contributed to a large-scale, evolving collage inspired by the textures of nature and the multicultural patterns found across the city.

Safe Spaces Diorama Workshop with Traci Johnson
Brooklyn-born artist Traci Johnson delved into the complexities of femininity through a captivating blend of textile design, installation, and sculpture. This interactive workshop guided participants through creating miniature dioramas that represented their personal concept of a safe space, emphasizing individual creativity and self-expression while teaching basic construction techniques.

Collage and Cyanotype with Nadia Bongo
This cyanotype and collage workshop led by Nadia Bongo encouraged participants to unleash their imagination and access their emotions. Each session incorporated a variety of materials, including paper, pressed flowers, magazines, polaroid pictures, and even personal materials brought by the participants themselves.

Interested in bringing your practice to the park?

The Washington Square Park Conservancy will open its applications for artists interested in participating in next year’s program on January 20, 2026. Artists and parkgoers alike are encouraged to sign up for our email list to stay up-to-date on the program.