The Laundromat Project advances artists and neighbors as change agents in their own communities. The LP envisions a world in which artists and neighbors in communities of color work together to ignite personal and community transformation through creative engagement. The LP makes sustained investments in growing a community of multiracial, multigenerational, and multidisciplinary artists and neighbors committed to societal change through artistic expression, community building, knowledge exchange, leadership development, and advocacy for social impact.

The Laundromat Project’s roots reach back to 1999: The LP founder, Bed-Stuy resident Risë Wilson’s original idea was to meet people where they already were and use art as a tool for turning strangers into neighbors. The LP was incorporated in 2005 and officially became a nonprofit in 2010. Following a decade of leadership from Kemi Ilesanmi, The LP is currently led by Executive Director Ayesha Williams. The idea of a laundromat as a primary place for engagement has expanded over time. It now serves as a metaphor for a variety of settings in which artists and neighbors transform their lives and surroundings. The LP’s programming has evolved to take place in community gardens, public plazas, local cultural organizations, and other places where people gather. The LP now also has a long-term storefront community space in Bed-Stuy. They achieve their mission through the Create Change (CC) artist development program, which connects socially engaged artists and communities via artist residencies and fellowships, and their place-based community programs in Central Brooklyn, which combine art-making, community building, and direct engagement activities and initiatives.

Jerome Foundation supports The Laundromat Project’s Create Change Residency program. The Create Change Residency program supports the development of participatory and community-attuned creative projects by early career New York City-based artists of color working within their communities. Projects may occur anywhere in the five boroughs, in person or virtually, across various community sites, from laundromats and urban gardens to playgrounds and community centers. Overseen by Director of Programs, Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson, the residency is a year-long program and supports 5 artists annually. Artists-in-Residence are expected to develop collaborative projects in-community through partnerships and engagement with neighbors, local stakeholders, and community organizations. The Residency offers an honorarium and project production support, a series of workshop sessions taken alongside the Create Change Fellows, monthly cohort coaching sessions, and professional development mentorship.