WARP carries out WORTHLESSSTUDIOS’ mission to support tomorrow’s epoch-making artists.
As WORTHLESSSTUDIOS’ core program, WARP (WORTHLESSSTUDIOS’ Artist Residency Program) empowers artists to realize bold, visionary works that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to create by placing tools in their hands, funding in their pockets, and a studio space and professional team around them.
WARP is made possible through a partnership between WORTHLESSSTUDIOS and UAP.
WORTHLESSSTUDIOS has a legacy of engaging artists and communities with fabrication-focused projects, while UAP has a longstanding history of producing some of the world’s most respected and complex sculptures. As mission-aligned partners deeply committed to developing WARP, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS and UAP provide complementary skill sets that will provide the artists in residence with 360 degree support, a unique alternative to the typical artist experience of solitary work. During the residency, artists receive individual lessons from UAP’s staff across disciplines such as 3D visualization, robotics, and foundry casting while WORTHLESSTUDIOS’ staff will help artists realize their concepts within realistic project constraints, positioning them to take on ambitious works that can define their careers and shape the future of contemporary sculpture.
RESOURCES
• $45,000 Fabrication Budget
• $5,000 Artist Stipend
• 5 week UAP Fabrication Curriculum
• Private Studio Space at UAP
• Project Management Staff
• Housing and Transportation Stipend
• Press Packet Materials
GOALS
WARP provides a supportive environment and essential resources to help an artist create a significant artwork that otherwise might not be realized. In this way, WARP contributes to the longevity of sculpture as an art form and supports the trajectory of an artist’s career.
SUPPORT artists making large-scale sculpture with access to world-renowned artwork fabricators, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge technology.
PROVIDE top-tier fabrication resources, funding and hands-on experience. Reach new audiences and expand their network of art world professionals.
CULTIVATE a deeper curiosity for sculptural practices among New York City artists and establish a footprint in the large-scale sculpture world.
2026 OPEN CALL: TIMELINE
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Applicants must show demonstrated commitment to their practice in sculpture and other mediums. The applicant must predominantly reside and work in New York City and be over 18 years old.
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After initial review, the Selection Committee review and final interviews, selected artists will be notified by JUN 1, 2026.
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During the residency, artists receive individual mentorship from UAP’s staff across disciplines such as 3D visualization, robotics and foundry casting, while WORTHLESSTUDIOS’ staff helps artists realize their concepts within realistic project constraints, positioning them to take on ambitious works that can define their careers and shape the future of contemporary sculpture.
2025 RESIDENT: ELAINE CAMERON-WEIR
Elaine Cameron-Weir’s work is informed by the array of systems and structures that humans have created to deal with the unknown – be that through scientific inquiry, religion, modes of governance or creative practices. Her sculptures incorporate part-objects repurposed from their scientific, medical, military or faith-giving functions into reliquaries or representations of larger systems of belief and power. Her installations combine these found fragments with definitively handmade elements, using techniques as varied as vitreous enamelling, glass casting, metalworking and leather tooling. Together these arrangements are often suspended from the ceiling, seemingly levitating from the ground, yet being simultaneously held in tension by gravity and an architectural framework of pulleys and cables. Materials can also be ephemeral, incorporating heat, light and scent, suggesting transformations of solid matter into dust or diffusion into atmosphere. Cameron-Weir’s sculptures often form uncanny mirror images, through symmetrical details that emphasise the dualistic nature of any narrative or narrator. Although her practice resists straightforward characterization or iconographic interpretation, Cameron-Weir’s works offer the possibility of passage through a portal or beyond a threshold, further facilitating the transition from one state to the next.
western procession of oldest wounds (hit parade) wrecked high altar of buying tears
2024
aluminum horseshoes, conveyor belt, horseshoe nails, stainless steel, barrels, lead, steel grit, liquid candles
Installed: 396.2 x 1319.5 x 429.3 cm | 156 x 519 1/2 x 169 in
Previous artists in residence
WHY SCULPTURE?
Sculpture is one of the most powerful mediums to honor history, define culture, and share stories. From the ancient Egyptian pyramids and Michelangelo’s David to modern works like Cloud Gate (more commonly known as The Bean) in Chicago, sculptures embody the values and achievements of their time. They serve as cultural symbols from diverse perspectives and identities looking to preserve an idea in history. Through both their physical presence and underlying message, sculptures are impactful in their ability to carry on meaning and inspire future generations. Sculpture has long been an art form for advancing creative and technical boundaries. As artists embrace new materials and techniques, sculpture has evolved, mirroring changes in political power, religious beliefs, and artistic innovation. Sculptures have traditionally provided communities with accessible, immersive art experiences, making culture and memory tangible and rooted in place. The past comes alive through sculpture, shaping how we see ourselves and connect across time and space. WARP carries this tradition forward, empowering artists to create works that could become cultural touchstones and historical landmarks.