EFA’s Open Studios Explore Collage, Color, and Curation

Starting at the top, on the 10th floor, the studios extend all the way to the 3rd floor, occupying eight floors in total. Offering affordable pricing for the studios, the process of entry is juried and many of the artists have been part of the program on a long-term basis. 

Saturday, October 19th, featured a conversation titled, “Cultural Economies, Creative Ecologies and the Artist’s Practice” with author and artist Malene Barnett, multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Billy Gerard Frank, and President and Executive Director of Creative Capital Christine Kuan. It was moderated by George Scheer, Executive Director of EFA. 

The conversation delved into topics of cultural displacement, market instability, and process—dedication and vision. Artist Billy Gerard Frank shared, “In my work, I’m constantly engaging with overlooked or erased histories, especially those shaped by colonialism, migration, and displacement.

Micro-economies—like the informal economies of boatbuilding in Petite Martinique, where I grew up—serve as metaphors in my projects. These systems of exchange are built on relationships, trust, and necessity, operating outside the frameworks of global markets.” 

He added, “Collectives offer a way forward—one rooted in accountability, shared values, and a sustainable approach to art-making.” An example of this type of community exists inside the structure of EFA and the Nova Frontier Film Festival, which Frank co-founded, and focuses on films of the diaspora—Africa, South and Latin America, and the Middle East, specifically. 

Wafaa Bilal, room 904, is an artist who I met years ago and was on a panel with, but hadn’t seen in quite some time. In his studio on the 9th floor, he spoke about his project In a Grain of Wheat, a complex undertaking that archives the 3,000 year-old Winged Bull of Nineveh inside the DNA of Iraqi wheat seeds. 

The Iraqi-American artist uses moments from recent and ancient histories as a base for explorations in science and art with the use of technology. The project is like an excavation, while also being about growth and rebirth. 

Sally Egbert, whose studio is in room 804, has been making art since the 1970s. She is a veteran of sorts who has been part of EFA for a while and is actively exhibiting her paintings in New York and beyond. 

She recently was part of an exhibition at Tripoli Gallery in Wainscott, New York and has an upcoming exhibition in Baltimore at Goya Contemporary. Egbert makes large-scale paintings and works on paper using wide splashes of rich warm colors peppered with elements of drawing and collage.

We spoke about her work and the art of curating, which she said is like, “planning a dinner party and assigning who will sit where.” There is an art to art-making and how the work will be installed, whether in a gallery, museum, or home. 

The EFA website offers a much broader and detailed look into all of the artists who are present in the building. There were 74 studios open for the event, which is a feat for anyone to visit over two days. Other artists I dropped in on include, Karina Skvirsky (room 913), Andreana Dobreva (room 803), Carlos Motta (room 805), Camille Eskell (room 608), Watson Mere (room 607), Jason File (room 507), and Jason Wallace, a short term member in room 504.