The Studio Museum in Harlem’s artist-in-residence program is renowned for identifying talented emerging artists and helping them achieve wider recognition. This year, the program, which will take place digitally, is expanding to include a mid-career mentoring resident in addition to the usual three residents.

Joining the program in 2020–21 are Texas Isaiah, Genesis Jerez, and Widline Cadet, as well as Jacolby Satterwhite in the mid-career role. Satterwhite, who enjoys a level of institutional support already, will work in a mentoring capacity to the other residents.

The residency program is the hallmark of the Studio Museum, and has helped launch the careers of artists of African and Latinx descent since its inception in 1968. Arthur Jafa, Kerry James Marshall, Senga Nengudi, Simone Leigh, and Carrie Mae Weems are all among its notable alumnae.

Installation view of “Jacolby Satterwhite: You’re at home.” Courtesy of Pioneer Works.

The addition of a fourth artist is the latest twist in a program that has been evolving over time. Its emphasis on painters was upended in 2019 with the appointment of the internet-based artist E. Jane and musician and performance artist Elliot Reed (along with painter Naudline Pierre), and this year’s selection is similarly diverse.

Texas Isaiah and Wildline Cadet are both photographers who delve into themes of identity through portraiture. Genesis Jerez is a painter who works in mixed media, and Satterwhite is a genre-bending video artist who incorporates digital avatars, live performance, and immersive installations. He has previously collaborated with Solange and had a solo show at Brooklyn art space Pioneer Works in 2019.

SassyBlack. Photo by Texas Isaiah.

The program went off-site in 2018 as the Studio Museum’s building began undergoing a $122 million renovation. Now, the program has become more flexible in terms of studio space, which will continue even as the lockdown throws a wrench in artists’ plans.

“It’s a year to experiment,” associate curator Legacy Russell told the New York Times, emphasizing the importance of supporting artists during these turbulent times.

See more work by the 2020-21 residents, below.

Widline Cadet, Seremoni Disparisyon #1 (Ritual [Dis]Appearance #1) (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

Texas Isaiah, Justen (2018). Courtesy of the artist.

Genesis Jerez, Mother in the kitchen. Courtesy of the artist.

Genesis Jerez, Church on Sunday. Courtesy of the artist.

Widline Cadet, Sa yo se Premye Rido ou Achte mwen Renmen, Pa
Gen Anyen ki ka Wè Soti nan Deyò (These Are the First Curtains you’ve Bought That I’ve Liked, Nothing Can Be Seen From Outside) (2020). Courtesy of the artist.

Jacolby Satterwhite, Room for Demoiselle Two, 2019. Courtesy of Mitchell-Innes & Nash.