Since the beginning, artists have gathered and organized at AS220 in order to create the world they needed to exist. This spirit of collaboration to bring about new realities remains crucial to the AS220 community today. One of the many ways we support this spirit is by offering affordable studios that allow artists to sustain their practice and take part in a creative ecosystem. 

That’s why we’re excited to announce the Creative Justice Lab: a group of neighboring studio spaces for artists and artist-serving organizations committed to advancing the health and vitality of creative communities. Five artist studios on the second floor of our Empire Street building are becoming available to rent to artists and organizations whose work addresses critical issues including housing, mental health, climate justice, education and more. We invite applications from individuals and groups whose work advances liberation and uplifts  other artists. The aim of Creative Justice Lab is to improve artists’ creative, personal, and professional outcomes by providing access to essential support in one creative space. 

AS220 is now accepting applications from artists, artist collectives, organizations, and collectives for work studios available on July 1st at the Creative Justice Lab. The rents in these studios range from $390/month to $850/month with an equal security deposit due at lease signing. The studios range from 295 sq ft. to 512 sq ft. We ask for a minimum of a one-year lease commitment.

Applications are due Thursday, April 30th, 2026 by 11:59pm. Interviews will be conducted during the weeks of May 18th and 25th. Download the Application Forms by clicking here!

Email your complete application to live-work@as220.org, or if you are facing a barrier sending it online, you can drop it off at AS220’s administrative office (95 Mathewson St, Suite 204, Providence) between 10am-6pm on a workday.

We encourage the following groups to apply:

• Artists, collectives, or organizations making work that elevates social justice issues with a particular focus on racial justice

• Artists, collectives, or organizations who are ready to collaborate and mentor others in the AS220 community

• Artists, collectives, or organizations who are ready to connect artists, especially artists of color and people impacted by the criminal justice system, with creative, personal or professional opportunities

• Artists, collectives, or organizations who are ready to be a part of larger community mobilizing to make an anti-racist and creative ecosystem in Providence 

Creative Justice Lab will bring together like minded individuals and organizations with a range of organizing capacities to work, learn, and build together. It is a space for collaboration, resource sharing, and collective action, where creativity is not just expression, but a tool for shaping change in Providence and beyond.

Creative Justice Lab emerges from a broader shift within AS220. In 2022 (?) The Youth Program moved into Community Studios with three intentions. First, to increase collaboration and pathways to membership for Youth with Community Studios, our adult makerspace. Second, to actively address the racial and programmatic divides that existed between spaces. Third, to create room for something new to grow. The Creative Justice Lab is that next step, an intentional and organic organizing space designed to deepen collaboration, strengthen the AS220 ecosystem, and extend impact into the larger community.

All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, or age. To read more about AS220’s values, please visit as220.org/about-as220.

FAQ:

What is the application process?

To apply, submit the Application Form and attach your artistic or organizational story, work samples, and ideas on creative collaboration. Organizations will be asked to share a mission statement.

A panel of AS220 staff and community members will select applicants to visit us for an interview. Applicants whose work aligns with the purpose of the Creative Justice Lab will be invited for interviews. The panels will score all applicants on the same scale in four areas: 

1. Need for resources for creative practice and how well AS220 is able to support those needs

2. How an artist or organization’s work addresses social and racial justice

3. Barriers faced to safe and sustainable practice

4. Commitment to building creative community

From the interviewees the panel will select five individuals/organizations to fill our available studio spaces.

What benefits and expectations come with being a resident artist, collective, or organization at AS220?

Benefits to residents at AS220 include discounted access to workshops and membership in the AS220 Community Studios, and the opportunity to exhibit work in AS220’s Resident Gallery at 131 Washington St. 

Expectations of AS220 residents include paying rent on time each month, respectful use of common facilities, attendance at semi-regular meetings, and making intentional efforts to offer support to AS220 community members (our community includes youth members, residents, program participants, and staff).

Note: Translation into other languages is possible upon request.