NYCAMS
John Silvis was the founder and director of the New York Center for Art and Media Studies (NYCAMS) from 2004-2013. NYCAMS offered an art, design and writing residency to undergraduate students, as well as post-baccalaureate fellows, which provided the opportunity to hone their skills as artists in the center of the pulsating New York art world. Combining a quality studio and classroom experience with frequent interactions with professional artists, galleries, and organizations through internships, guest lectures, and studio visits, NYCAMS offers student artists a unique opportunity to strengthen their personal work while being immersed in a creative environment. Each student was offered an internship with a New York-based professional, artist, gallery, and/or arts organization, and culminates in an exhibition of the residents’ work. Writers prepared a selection for a public reading and had the option to collaborate on a project with artists throughout the semester. The semester culminated with student group exhibitions.
In addition to the residency and student shows, NYCAMS hosted numerous performances, lectures, film screenings and group exhibitions at its gallery space each year. Recent exhibitions included Coming and Going, curated by Donald Johnson-Montenegro, Swiss Bliss, curated by Chris Larson, College Art Association Regional B.F.A. Exhibition, curated by John Silvis, and Nexus, curated by Brent Dickinson.