The Center for Afrofuturist Studies

Help us create a world where Black artists thrive by supporting The Center for Afrofuturist Studies' 2023 season!

The CAS is an artist residency and programming initiative that reimagines the futures of marginalized people by creating dynamic workspaces for artists of color. To us, dynamic means interactive, supportive, community-engaged, rigorous, and inclusive. The CAS rethinks and challenges what an arts practice that revolves around Black futurity looks like–through long-term engagement and financial, logistical, and programmatic support. 

Residencies are fully-funded and include space and resources for creative work and research as well as robust public engagement including artist-led youth workshops and programming for adults. Our innovative approach to the artist residency model means that we work extensively with artists prior to their arrival on-site and continue to provide opportunities and support after their residencies. 

The CAS also maintains a growing public reading room and archive, which serves both artists-in-residence and local community members at our home base at Public Space One in Iowa City, IA.

Since 2016, we have hosted residencies for 18 Black artists, writers, dancers, filmmakers, curators, and scholars, and worked with dozens more to collaboratively produce exhibitions, workshops, public art, and other programming both in Iowa City and other locations, in-person and online. We have collaborated with organizations including The Fabric Workshop & Museum, EFA Project Space, the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, PromptPress, HEKLER, and Wave Farm.