PF STUDIOS
The PF Studios program is a residency and practice-based platform for artists to develop their craft and skills in community with other artists. PF Studios supports emerging artists with workspace, mentorship, and career development opportunities.
PF Studios is a place to nourish the mission of Public Functionary: centering the creative practices of artists who need a culture of support not provided by mainstream and institutional art systems. And more importantly, making space for them to forge their own paths.
The PF Studios program is operated out of the Northrup King Building in NE Minneapolis.
Artist Led. Change Driven. Community Centered.
Artist-Led Model:
Within PF Studios, the artists build community, dedicate themselves to their creative practices, and collaborate with each other. Space is managed by the artists, with guidance from artist Leslie Barlow (Program Director) and the PF Studios team. The PF Studios team is committed to building a more diverse, sustainable and liberated artist community, built on cooperation and trust.
As an economic generator — driven by the artists most directly affected — the program models the redistribution of resources and collective power. This work ripples beyond PF Studios, because it is vital, important + urgent within the larger arts ecosystem.
Intentional Space:
PF Studios is an intentional space centering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists and cultural producers, as well as artists who also have lived experiences of marginalized identities in the art world such as — women, queer, trans, and non-binary artists. PF Studios is dedicated to early-career and emerging artists.
PF Studios offers two distinct paths for artists: Incubator Residency & Community Studios
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Designed for visual artists in the earliest stages of their careers, this program provides vital resources: subsidized studio, access to industry mentors, peer-to-peer learning, exhibition opportunities, and feedback on developing artwork.
This residency is a launchpad for practicing artists who are creative entrepreneurs wanting to thrive in their arts career.
The Incubator Residency is reserved for 8 early-career artists under age 30 who have not previously had access to a professional studio workspace.
Artists in the Incubator Residency may transition into our Community Studios at the end of their term.
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PF Community Studios invites artists to apply to join a collaborative, intentional environment that recognizes the power of a shared community of practice.
Ideal candidates for PF Community Studios are early-career to emerging visual artists, with at least a few years of experience as practicing artists.
PF Community Studios exists to support and uplift historically excluded artists by ensuring their presence and work are represented in the Northrup King Building by assisting artists who have experienced economic barriers to access studio space.
*Note: Artists who have completed the Incubator Residency are prioritized for PF Community Studios (no application needed)
The PF Studios program deepens artistic practice and expands career pathways through opportunity, mentorship, dialogue, and collaboration.
Program Highlights:
Conversation Lab: PF Studio artists participate in bi-monthly workshops, skillshares, and artist-led dialogues on sustaining a creative practice (led by artists Maiya Lea Hartman and Shana Kaplow)
Exhibition Opportunities: Annual PF Studios group exhibition with a guest curator, plus PF gallery and off-site shows
Open Studio Events: Public engagement opportunities including Art-A-Whirl and seasonal showcases
PF Studios x GMAC Residency: A 10-day immersive studio residency in partnership with Grand Marais Art Colony in Northern Minnesota
PF Studios x Highpoint: A six-month printmaking residency with skill-building support at Highpoint Center for Printmaking
PF Studios x Walker Crit: A six-month critique cohort in dialogue with Walker Art Center curators