Artist Yam Shalev and philanthropist Christine Mack inside the Mack Art Foundation’s studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Photo: Weston Wells
Philanthropist Christine Mack Launches an Artist Residency for Emerging Talents
The Mack Art Foundation residency program gives rising stars a space to live and work in Brooklyn
With the launch of the Mack Art Foundation residency program earlier this year, Christine Mack has made her mission clear. “I hope to change the life of emerging artists one at a time,” says the New York–based art collector and philanthropist. The organization supports up-and-coming talents from outside New York City, giving recipients a place to work and live for up to three months in exchange for a piece of art.
Located in the neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the foundation’s studio occupies the ground floor of a luxury high-rise of which Mack’s husband, the CEO of Mack Real Estate Group, is part owner and developer. The artists are also provided with their own apartment within the tower.
Mack Art Foundation in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Photo: Weston Wells
The program kicked off with Los Angeles artist Hannah Lupton Reinhard, who used her stint to immerse herself in New York’s art scene, explore her Jewish identity, and further develop her brightly colored, fantastical paintings. This fall, a young Israeli artist, Yam Shalev, took the opportunity to continue his series of vibrant table still lifes examining the relationship between food and culture. “My work is very influenced by my surroundings and experiences, and the time and freedom that the residency gave me has been immensely inspiring and refreshing,” says Shalev.
Up next is Rugiyatou Ylva Jallow, a Swedish Gambian artist known for her vivid self-portraits. “It’s a very personalized experience for each artist,” says Mack.
Mack Art Foundation’s studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Photo: Weston Wells
Artist Yam Shalev. Photo: Weston Wells
The idea came about when Mack was working on Space2Curate, a project she co-launched in 2019 that fills empty storefronts and commercial and residential lobbies with curated art shows. The endeavor opened Mack’s eyes to the unique needs of rising artists. “I wanted to take things a bit further, and I thought, Is there anything I can do to give these artists a step-up?” says the former graphic designer, who caught the art bug on a trip to Art Basel around ten years ago. “I understood how expensive it is to live in big cities, and studio space can be impossible when you don’t have an income.”
“The time and freedom that the residency gave me has been immensely inspiring and refreshing”
Yam Shalev
Artist Yam Shalev and philanthropist Christine Mack inside the Mack Art Foundation’s studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Photo: Weston Wells
Now receiving dozens of applications from around the world, Mack formed an advisory board to assist her with the selection process, tapping artist Rashid Johnson, whose work she collects, and other art-world luminaries. She hopes to add more studios and apartments in the future and eventually open a whole multipurpose building, which would include space for curators to host exhibitions, for artists in residence to display their art, and for her to show pieces from her and her family’s collections. “Working on the foundation makes me so happy,” she says. “I never thought that I would be so passionate about this, but I wake up every morning and I’m so excited.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2023 Winter Issue under the headline “Creative Incubator.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Artist Yam Shalev and philanthropist Christine Mack inside the Mack Art Foundation’s studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Photo: Weston Wells
