PROGRAMS IN DEVELOPMENT

Six ways in.

These programs are in development. Each one is built to move money, work and connections toward the artists other institutions overlook. Join the list and we'll tell you as each one launches.

Join the list ↓
FREE · OPEN DOOR · START HERE

YES JAMS

Free, open-door creative jams where anyone can show up and make something with strangers. Community connection as public health.

Goal: 500+ neighbors a year
A YES JAM: musicians playing to a crowd sitting on the floor
YES JAMS
A YES TALKS panel of artists speaking on stage
YES TALKS
SALON

YES TALKS

Salon evenings where artists share their work and sharpen their civic voice. Speaking slots are paid.

Goal: 10-15 artists trained in advocacy a year
Artists meeting and talking at a candlelit gathering
SPEED DATING
NETWORK

Speed Dating for Artists

Rapid-fire matching that puts artists across disciplines in a room to find collaborators, gigs and their next idea.

Goal: 60+ BIPOC, queer and immigrant artists connected a year
A candlelit dinner table set for an art salon
EAT ASS
DINNER

EAT ASS (Art Salon Series) Salon

An intimate dinner salon where artists meet patrons and commissions happen over food, in real life.

Commissions and patronage, live
MENTORSHIP

Office Hours

One-on-one mentorship and workshopping to pressure-test ideas, plus help finding grants that are open now.

Open to artists in our community
INFRASTRUCTURE

Fiscal Sponsorship

No nonprofit? No problem. Through fiscal sponsorship, unincorporated artists and collectives can apply for grants and accept tax-deductible donations under Art of Yes's 501(c)(3) status.

25-50
artists and projects sponsored a year
$100K+
paid directly to artists in year one
YEAR ONE TARGETS
60+BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent and immigrant artists connected to funder networks
500+neighbors taking part in free YES JAMS
$100K+paid directly to artists through commissions, speaking and collaborations
10-15artists trained in storytelling as civic advocacy
50%+of events free or sliding scale
5+overlooked disciplines added to NYC and NYS funder categories
GET ON THE LIST

Ready for your yes?

Programs are opening in phases, for NYC-based artists in any discipline, with priority for artists working in drag, circus, immersive, electronic and other under-resourced forms.

BIPOC artistsQueer artistsNeurodivergent artistsImmigrant artists
You're eligible if: ✓ You live and make work in any NYC borough ✓ You work in any discipline (yes, that one too) ✓ You're incorporated or not. Unincorporated artists welcome via fiscal sponsorship

You don't need a degree, a grant history, or a stage. You need a yes and a reason why it matters.

JOIN THE INTEREST LIST
YOUR DISCIPLINE
Questions, answered.
Do I need nonprofit status?

No. Unincorporated artists are welcome through our fiscal sponsorship program.

What disciplines qualify?

All of them. We especially encourage drag, circus, aerial, immersive, electronic and multidisciplinary artists.

When do programs open?

Programs open in phases as they launch. Join our newsletter to hear first.

What do you look for?

Artists whose work ripples out into their community. Community impact matters more than credentials.