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

The LP began in 1999 when founder and Bed-Stuy resident Risë Wilson imagined meeting people where they already were and using art to turn strangers into neighbors. The LP was incorporated in 2005 and became a nonprofit in 2010. Following a decade of leadership from Kemi Ilesanmi, The LP is now led by Executive Director Ayesha Williams. What started with laundromats as gathering places has grown into a wider vision of creating spaces where artists and neighbors can come together to shape their communities. Today, The LP brings programs to community gardens, public plazas, cultural organizations, and other neighborhood spaces, anchored by a long-term storefront in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The LP carries out its work through the Create Change artist development program, connecting socially engaged artists and communities, and through place-based initiatives in Central Brooklyn that combine art-making, community building, and direct engagement.

Jerome Foundation supports The Laundromat Project’s Create Change Residency program. The LP’s Create Change Residency gives early-career New York City-based artists of color the time, resources, and guidance to develop projects that meaningfully engage their neighborhoods. Create Change Residents bring their creativity to community spaces while working closely with neighbors, local organizations, and stakeholders. Over the course of a year, artists receive mentorship, project support, workshops, and monthly coaching alongside the Create Change Fellows. Overseen by Director of Programs, Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson, these opportunities allow artists to create projects that are grounded in the stories, histories, and aspirations of the communities they serve. In 2026, The LP is expanding the residency to two years reflecting their commitment to equity and relationship-building, giving artists the stability and time they need to grow alongside their communities. In this space, artists co-create experiences that open dialogue, share stories across generations, and connect the past, present, and future.