The Project Room founded in Chicago in 2010 and reestablished in San Francisco in 2018, is an artist-driven platform dedicated to cultural exchange, visual storytelling, and social impact through the arts. What began as a gallery space has evolved into a private, invitation-only residency and program hub that welcomes artists from around the world to live, create, and share their practices with the Bay Area community and a wider global audience.
Through the TPR Artist Residency Program, I host international artists in my home and studio, providing a private room, detached studio, and supportive environment for a month-long residency. During their time here, each artist leads a public workshop, gives an artist talk, and participates in a culminating presentation or exhibition. These residencies create opportunities for cultural exchange, mentorship, and dialogue that extend beyond San Francisco—students have traveled from across the U.S. and abroad (including Canada) to take part. Several artists have already accepted invitations for 2025–2026, including Gabrielle Duplantier (France), Teresa Freitas (Portugal), Jose Romussi (Chile/Berlin), Paul Rousteau (France), and Tomasz Łączny (Poland/UK).
Until now, residencies have relied on advance workshop enrollment to cover basic travel and food costs, with remaining expenses personally subsidized by me. I have invested my own resources to ensure these exchanges could happen, out of a deep belief in the power of the arts to build bridges and foster connection. With funding support, the program can move beyond this fragile model, making residencies sustainable, equitable, and accessible to both artists and the communities we serve.
Complementing this is The Threads That Bind Us, a community outreach program I created that offers photography and mixed-media storytelling workshops to underserved youth and women. These workshops focus on building self-esteem, resilience, and identity through creative exploration and have been facilitated locally and internationally, including in Nepal, Colorado, and California.
Together, these programs embody TPR’s mission: to connect artists and communities across borders, to use art as a bridge for dialogue, healing, and discovery, and to cultivate both artistic innovation and social impact. Guided by our tagline, “Inspiring action to positively impact our world,” The Project Room creates a platform where global and local voices meet, fostering meaningful connections world wide.
Learn More: https://theprojectroompb.com/WORKSHOPS-&-ARTIST-RESIDENCY-PROGRAM/WHERE-THE-MAGIC-HAPPENS/thumbs