Glenda Leon

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2022-Pr

I first met John Spiak in Havana in 2000, and more than two decades later, we are finally working together through this residency. At GCAC, I found the peace, time, and support necessary to focus deeply on the development of a new ongoing project. The residency has given me not only the space to create but also the freedom to explore new directions and refine ideas that have been with me for years. It has been a period of reflection as much as production, allowing me to reconnect with the essence of my practice. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing this project come to completion in the near future and sharing the results with a wider audience.

Roger Reyes

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2024-Pr

As an Artist-in-Residence at GCAC, I was honored with the invaluable opportunity to shift the direction of my creative practice toward a more contemporary and conceptually driven approach. With the center’s generous support, resources, and mentorship, I was able to deepen my research and expand the boundaries of my artistic process around a personal theme, ultimately culminating in the development of a solo exhibition.

Above all, what I valued most was the gift of time—the freedom to explore, to question, and to create both with intention and in moments of discovery. I remain deeply grateful for my time at Grand Central Art Center and the impact it has had on my artistic journey.

lauren woods

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2018-20

GCAC is an amazing, beloved, and revered institution that defies conventions, embracing the true essence of process-based artistic exploration. It gives artists the invaluable gifts of time and space, devoid of the suffocating pressure of time-bound production and looming deadlines. Because of its open-ended responsive approach, its capacity to support projects that transcend the confines of galleries and studios, its ethos of flexibility, and its commitment to social practice and social justice, GCAC was able to provide a thoroughly nurturing safe haven when my project, American Monument, encountered an unexpected turn. This liberating approach supported me to make necessary decisions in the moment and fully harness the power of my role as a facilitator of a major socially engaged and responsive endeavor, supporting the work to evolve organically into the present.

What sets GCAC apart is its holistic support for artists, recognizing our multifaceted identities as creators, academics (and/or other professions we may have to generate income), parents, and individuals navigating the complexities of life. It values the relationship with the artist, not just the end products they produce. This distinction is paramount. GCAC's residency program is crafted to acknowledge, respond to, and affirm artists as complete beings in the world. It understands that art is not forged in isolation but is intrinsically intertwined with the beautiful struggle that is life itself.

GCAC is committed to art that transcends personal expression to serve as a potent catalyst for collective transformation. It champions community-based artistic production and offers unwavering support to facilitators of such projects, recognizing their vital role in our art ecosystem. In this regard, GCAC stands as a beacon, an indispensable node in our artworld tapestry.

My time here, and I say 'here' in the present tense, for I know my connection with GCAC continues to organically evolve, has been characterized by profound support, authentic relationships, and a heightened understanding of what a true arts community embodies and how it rallies to support. The love I hold for this institution, and the artists and cultural workers who continue to build the welcoming community of GCAC, is unparalleled. It's more than a residency; it's a cooperative. It's a family.

Enrique Ramirez

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2024-Pr

In 2018, I was invited by Grand Central Art Center Director John Spiak to present a solo exhibition of my single-channel video Un Hombre Que Camina, a work that was featured in the 2016 Venice Biennale. Since then, he and I have remained in conversation.

In 2024, I had the honor of participating in the exhibition Transformative Currents: Art and Action in the Pacific Ocean at the Oceanside Museum of Art in San Diego, curated by Cassandra Coblentz as part of Getty’s Pacific Standard Time @ OMA. For this exhibition, I presented the video installation Where There Is Only North, a four-channel multimedia work.

During that time, I had the privilege of being an artist-in-residence at GCAC. This experience was immensely valuable, as it allowed me to engage closely with the local community, understand its dynamics, and gather insights that directly inform my current work.

I am currently developing a new project in collaboration with Villa Albertine and GCAC, titled Drops. This minimalist, symbolic short film is set in the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border and explores water as a vital yet scarce resource, migration, and resilience, while reflecting on contemporary ecological challenges such as the wildfires in California. I am working on this project with great enthusiasm, with an upcoming residency and subsequent exhibition of the completed work at GCAC, as well as a publication that will further enrich both the project and the research conducted.

GCAC has been an essential partner in supporting my artistic research, and I am deeply grateful for their assistance in bringing Drops to life and allowing this work to reach a wider audience.

Anna Bernice Garner

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2024-Pr

Working in residence at Grand Central has been an incredible and productive experience so far. The convenience of the studio to the apartment and the large working space in both the studio and woodshop helped me to work quickly and efficiently, producing way more than I anticipated. The community at Grand Central including other artists and residency staff was also very supportive, assisting me in feeling welcome both in the residency and in Santa Ana as a whole, as well as assisting with key components of my projects such as sourcing materials and making introductions for research opportunities.

Ana Teresa Fernández

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

Grand Central offered a blank canvas and the tools, along with support, to dream through activating that canvas. It is so rare to work with an institution that asks you to dream big and then allow freedom of exploration, and additionally genuinely assist at every step to achieving the best outcome. The work we did together reached across borders in multiple ways and connected with students all across the US.

Sean Sarmiento

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2025-Pr

Receiving an invitation to be an artist in residence at Grand Central Art Center is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being granted an apartment to live in, a studio to work in, and space to exhibit is something every artist dreams of, and something that rarely seems to exist anywhere. So much so, it almost felt too good to be true before arriving here. My residency has given me time, space, resources, tools, and connections to create and be an artist without expectations. Grand Central supports artists and the community and beyond in ways that

Alicia Rojas

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2020-Pr

My residency at Grand Central Art Center was a pivotal moment in my career, giving me the support and liberty to develop my project at my own pace. The experience not only expanded my practice but also affirmed my voice as a local Santa Ana artist, deeply rooted in this community. GCAC’s commitment to fostering artists created a space where I could take risks, grow, and ultimately present a solo exhibition that marked an important transition in my journey.

Dianna Berg

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2025-Pr

I am proud to have been chosen for the artist residency at GCAC in Santa Ana this year. Halfway through the process, I am so happy to be part of it. John is a fantastic host, and the online portion of the residency was very smooth yet intense, connecting Santa Ana and Ukraine, with the team being very open and enthusiastic. I am more than excited to start the in-person stage and look forward to landing in California.

I am very thankful to CEC ArtsLink for organizing this amazing program and for choosing GCAC as my host organization.

Jon Rubin

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2024-Pr

John is like a magician of introductions, conjuring local representatives, reporters, librarians, activists, artists, professors, neighbors, and school kids from what seems like an endless hat of connections. The residency feels like a perpetual sleight-of-hand trick, where you’re constantly being introduced to people you could only imagine—and many you’d never think of—meeting. It’s a wonderful stream-of-consciousness experience: you meet someone, develop a fascination, and then John connects you to five more people who expand and deepen it.

Joese Gloria

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2025-Pr

The Grand Central Art Center has been a true blessing in my journey as an artist. Spaces that nurture creativity and growth can be hard to find, but John and Tracey have gone above and beyond to ensure I have the tools and support I need to flourish. John, in particular, has been both a thoughtful mentor and a trusted thought-partner. Whether it’s a phone call or a meeting to discuss new project ideas, I know I can count on his guidance to point me in the right direction.

As a connector of people and artistic disciplines, John constantly shares videos, articles, and insights that inspire and motivate me. As a multi-dimensional artist, it is deeply empowering to know that GCAC not only supports but encourages me to explore new horizons and express my creativity across different mediums.

I look forward to continuing my residency here, knowing that the best is still ahead.

Renee Reizman

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2025-Pr

GCAC gave me the opportunity to speak openly about disability and build community. I am grateful that GCAC gave me gallery space that could be used as a site of reflection, contemplation, and catharsis. John’s enthusiasm, mentorship, and network has opened up new possibilities for my work and I am excited to continue our collaboration. 

Hings Lim

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2022-Pr

The Grand Central Art Center has been an invaluable partner in nurturing and advancing my art practice during my residency. Their unwavering support has empowered me to delve deep into my project, which revolves around the 1906 burning down of the Chinatown located right in the heart of Santa Ana, just blocks away from the art center and adjacent to the old Santa Ana City Hall. The nurturing environment with the provision of a studio space and equipment has granted me the freedom to experiment, incubate, and create. Moreover, the art center's staff has been incredibly supportive in facilitating my artistic process, connecting me with community members and vital resources. These resources have truly been the pillar of my artmaking process as I probe into the complex tapestry of local history and memory that my project aims to unravel. I am profoundly grateful to the art center for providing an enriching and transformative residency experience.

Ben Kinsley

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2024-Pr

The Artist-in-Residency program at GCAC offers support in ways I have rarely experienced as an artist – and I have done many residencies (national and international) over the past 20 years. Artists are invited based on their past work and not beholden to a predetermined proposal or project plan. The timeline is flexible, allowing ideas to develop and flourish at their own pace. John and the GCAC team work closely with artists on an individual level, offering feedback, allowing ideas to develop and morph, making community connections, and ensuring projects are thoughtful, impactful, and context specific.

My time at GCAC has also afforded me the opportunity to connect with other Santa Ana-based artists, like Julia Rigby, who I can now proudly call a collaborator – I was a performer in her experimental opera Life Cycle of a Fever Dream and she will certainly be part of my upcoming project at GCAC.

Overall, this residency has given me some much-needed creative freedom to explore ideas without the usual pressures of set-in-stone deadlines and budgets – which, in many cases, ends up being creatively stifling and limiting in scope. The freedom and support of the GCAC residency is truly special!

Sara Guerrero

Breath of Fire Latina

Theater Ensemble

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2016-Pr

Since our residency began in 2016, my organization and I, through our mission and vision, have a space and place that allows us to focus on our theatre-making / storytelling programming that we provide, and continues to grow, free to our community. 

Being able to be creative, see yourself as a creative, to express yourself and your story is empowering, essential, and holistic to our health and well being.

Gregory Sale

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2021-Pr

Grand Central Art Center has created a generative space for my creative projects that can take time to incubate. And there’s something new, barely perceivable that I started there this summer. I have appreciated the warmth and care shown to the artists, the connection to the Santa Ana community, the graduate students that are part of the GCAC family, and the proximity to art centers in Los Angeles. Importantly, GCAC has also provided a generous and deeply appreciated meeting place, hosting some of my long-term art and justice collaborators and me while working on our multifaceted, multiyear projects. GCAC is a place where I’ve been able to pause, reflect and evaluate the work. All important aspects of an arts practice that are often in short supply. 

Joshua-Michéle Ross

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2021-Pr

GCAC has been an amazing partner in helping me develop and present artistic ideas in a welcoming, supportive space. 

From the very start it has felt like a long-term relationship where GCAC is deeply interested in my artistic development. I was given the resources of a fantastic multi-purpose AIR studio, with great living accommodations directly above. I was also able to present work-in-progress to the audience that GCAC has developed from the local community.

Lexa Walsh

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2019-23

My residency at Grand Central was flexible, hospitable, and process centered. Working with John and his team allowed me to focus deeply on my research, experimentation, and eventual collaboration with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. John and the GCAC staff were there with me every step of the way, helping create a fruitful and satisfying project and many long-lasting relationships.

Heather Layton

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

My residency at GCAC was THE watershed moment in my career as an artist. I had never heard of the term “social practice” before I arrived in 2014, and I had never worked with someone like John, who consistently encouraged me to take the time and space I needed to dream without contingencies, deadlines, and product-focused thinking. The warmth and support I received made it feel like everything was possible; it was a whole new paradigm for a human-centered art world. More than ten years later, I continue to directly benefit from this experience, both in my own creative practice and in my approach to teaching.

Pablo Helguera

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2020

In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, the arts were hit especially hard with the cancellation of exhibitions and projects everywhere. At that moment, John Spiak from GCAC approached me with the idea of creating something for the public, even with our limited resources. Out of that conversation emerged the Grand Central Singing Telegram Company, a socially engaged art project in which I delivered free singing telegrams to individuals across the world via Zoom, coordinated through a sign-up system run by John and GCAC. The project quickly drew wide attention and, more importantly, brought moments of joy to people in isolation. Working with GCAC in this way was profoundly inspiring. John’s leadership demonstrated how much can be achieved with creativity and spirit, even under severe constraints. That same ethos runs through everything GCAC does: the organization is not only a gem, but a model for contemporary art centers everywhere.

Cog•nate Collective (Amy Sanchez and Misael Diaz)

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2013-19

The support we have received from GCAC throughout our residence — not just in terms of resources, but perhaps more importantly, in terms of the flexibility of the residence program — has allowed us to develop and test increasingly collaborative, inter-disciplinary, reciprocal approaches to teaching, learning, and making art with/in community. In this process we have felt GCAC has made itself a partner in not only nurturing and allowing us to grow our own practice, but in fostering the development of relationships with students/faculty from CSUF as well as local community organizations, generating important dialogue around the role arts and culture can play in improving the quality of life of residents locally in Santa Ana and regionally throughout Southern California.

Yumi Janairo Roth

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2018-23

GCAC was instrumental in helping me develop SPIN (after Sol LeWitt) and allowed me to work intensely with sign spinners, dancers, and musicians to create a diverse body of work that we exhibited and presented over the course of several months (but explored over a two-year period). We co-produced a podcast between sign spinners and art world professionals, we developed performances with dancers and sign spinners, we hosted impromptu workshops, and we co-organized the first ever Guinness World Record event for a sign spinner. GCAC's artist-in-residence program is unique and allowed me to engage with so many different kinds of people. It's an experience I won't forget, that was both creatively invigorating and intellectually humbling.

Paul Ramirez Jonas

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014-16

Residencies scare me a little! I always fear they are only for artists that need time away from their lives to produce something very concrete. I usually travel places as part of a process of creating a new public project; to get to know a place rather than escape. GCAC has created a magical sweet spot where truly nothing is expected in terms of concrete outcomes; but they have a secret recipe of conversation, engagement, community, and conviviality –that paradoxically incubated one of the most important projects I have ever completed.

Susy Bielak and

Fred Schmalz

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2019-23

It is unique and special for a residency to ask you to arrive without a preconceived notion of what you would like to do while in residence. GCAC offers the time and resources to develop complex projects that require research and experience to reveal the wrinkles and nuances of place. Orange County’s palimpsest of history and contemporary social dynamics require time to understand—and more time to develop into sensitive place-based work. The investment of the curatorial staff helped us start with a blank canvas, learn the complexities of the environment, and refine an exhibition that could not have happened anywhere else.

Pilar Quinteros

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017

My residency at GCAC was fundamental to understand and execute a project like China House Great Journey. It was a process that required me to gather local information, contact various cultural agents in both Newport Beach and Santa Ana, and also required a residence and workspace to build the scale model I used for my performance. I have a tremendous amount of affection for GCAC and all the help and collaboration it provided.

Jules Rochielle

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2012-13

The opportunity granted to me as an emerging artist by Grand Central Art Center was pivotal to my artistic growth, particularly in the realms of transformative justice and profound community engagement. Their support was not just beneficial but transformative, propelling me into an entirely new and exciting creative career.

Dino Perez

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2016-19

Coloring with the Community was one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever been a part of, and it truly wouldn’t have been possible without the mentorship and guidance I received at Grand Central Art Center. GCAC’s support in social practice art gave me the tools and confidence to imagine a project that could bring real value to my neighborhood. At a time when immigrant communities were facing uncertainty and fear, I wanted to create a safe and joyful space where people could gather, share meals, listen to cumbia, play games, and connect through the simple act of coloring.

Through GCAC’s partnerships with Community Engagement and Project Access, we were able to provide free art workshops and resources to residents, making the project accessible to everyone. Local businesses like Scoops Ice Cream joined in, helping us showcase community artwork and reinforcing that sense of pride and belonging. I also had the opportunity to develop a coloring book for the Orange County Fair, and their generous donation of tickets and prizes made families feel celebrated and included.

What made my residency even more impactful was the chance to interact with other artists at GCAC, learning from their projects and sharing practices that influenced my own. The entire experience showed me how art can be a catalyst for joy and connection, and how a space like GCAC makes that possible for both artists and the community.

Saskia Jorda

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2013

Working in my studio space at Grand Central Art Center one afternoon, surrounded by hundreds of yards of fabric yet to be gathered into a quarter mile of ruffles for my Unraveling Tradition installation, I worried that the task ahead would take weeks. A curious student came into my studio and offered to help me with a few yards. Soon, my studio was filled by many others: Art Center residents and staff, CSU Fullerton students and faculty, and members of the local Santa Ana community – all volunteering to help me tackle my mountain of fabric. A project that was originally about the rich cultural traditions of the surrounding community soon became a project that brought part of the community together to participate in its making.

The director and staff of Grand Central Art Center residency program understand that creating a top-tier artist residency program requires more than granting a studio space, a room to live in, and financial support. The team created a transformative experience, giving me every kind of support an artist needs to succeed: connecting me with the local community, helping me find volunteers, assisting me in fabricating my piece, providing a museum-quality exhibition space, and promoting the exhibition. As a result, I was able to produce a thought-provoking solo exhibition that enabled me to push the boundaries of my work.

My experience at Grand Central Art Center was a foundational event in my art career that helped me tackle my first social practice project in a culturally diverse context. It was an immersive experience that broadened the reach of my work into one that was more publicly-engaged, and larger in scale. I am grateful for the experimentation and growth opportunities offered by the artist residency program at GCAC and to its incredible team who made the experience so rewarding.

Kelly-Ann Lindo

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2023-Pr

One of the most unforgettable residencies I've had the pleasure of engaging in so far. Incubator, community, and support are the words that I keep going back to when I reflect on my time at GCAC. It is such a special place. Despite the delays and challenges in getting there, it honestly couldn't have happened at a better time. While at GCAC, I began searching for answers to questions I’ve been pondering in my research for some time and felt tremendously supported in doing so. For me the smallest things have the biggest impact; making a grocery run with John or Tracey, building community, baking bread, or sharing a meal with new friends. Those shared moments, for me, had some of the biggest impacts. 

Maya Gurantz

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2016-17

I know of no other arts organization that takes the same chances on developing new work, in new directions, by artists from diverse experience levels. Curators claim to support process and experimentation--but the Grand Central Art Center actually does it, with money, with rigorous conversation, with great programming, with care for community, with non-stop encouragement to take risks. I have so rarely experienced this kind of encouragement as an artist; and find myself as excited for the other artists shown at GCAC as I am for myself, because I know they are all being given the opportunity to go on that journey with their work. Every curator in the country should be thinking about supporting new work the way that GCAC does.

David Politzer

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017-18

Text Neck is the most ambitious project I've ever embarked on and I owe so many of its successes to GCAC. The time, space, support, and community I found there made it all achievable. And I was able to do this with my family next to me. We felt embraced by Santa Ana and GCAC and we enjoyed being a part of the scene for a little while.

Marie-Luce Nadal

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2023

In 2023, I had the privilege of being in residence at GCAC while developing a new project supported by Fulcrum Arts. This work, to be presented in France in 2026, simply could not exist without the vision, care, and outstanding professionalism of John Spiak and the GCAC team. As a French artist working at the crossroads of art, science, and emerging technologies, I am deeply grateful for their support and pioneering spirit.

Jasmín Mara López

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2021-23

Being an artist-in-residence at GCAC has been a blessing. Over a two-year period, I have been afforded time, space, and resources to support the completion of one feature length film (Silent Beauty), and the development of three other films which will go into production in 2024. The generous and caring environment at GCAC has been pivotal to my success as a BIPOC artist.

Carmen Papalia

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2013

Producing Mobility Device at the GCAC was an experience that remains a highlight for me from my first year working as an artist after grad school; it was the first time a mainstream contemporary art institution invested in my practice and meaningfully supported me in bringing a concept to realization! Now, ­after having worked as a disabled artist in a contemporary art context for the last few years, I know that the effort and intention that John Spiak and the GCAC staff extended to me is rare. For me, GCAC’s truly community-based, artist-first approach to supporting artistic development ­ and their ongoing commitment to embrace non-traditional practices and topics that are relevant in the current social, cultural, and political landscape ­ represents a gold standard in the areas of accessibility and public engagement in a field where practitioners from a range of minority groups remain at the margins.

Adam Moser

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2012

What can I say about GCAC? An autographed baseball gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and gave me the space to realize a project that wouldn’t have otherwise happened, especially in other more traditional art institutions. GCAC’s dedication to socially engaged artwork has proven constant and unwavering in my career as an artist. I am ever thankful for the staff’s trust and commitment to young creators and established artists, and their experimentation is obvious and invaluable.

The support GCAC gave me, from gallery buildout to community engagement opportunities (as well as a trip to the ER for an IV after suffering from heat stroke during my project) was unmatched and unforgettable.

Alison O'Daniel

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

John Spiak and GCAC supported the early stages of The Tuba Thieves, a large-scale project I have been working on for several years. Their encouragement, technical, and financial bolstering of my project was not only generous, it paved the way for me to be more ambitious. GCAC helped close a gap in funding I was trying to fill and enabled me to work with a crew to film a recreation of John Cage's 4'33" in the actual Maverick Concert Hall where it occurred originally in 1952 in Woodstock, NY. I can draw a direct line from the support I received from GCAC to opportunities that came later and I'm incredibly grateful to John and his fantastic and lovely team for hearing what I needed and happily stepping in to help make the project happen.

Mariangeles Soto-Diaz

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2022-23

My time at GCAC has been nothing short of amazing, and it wouldn’t have been possible without John and Tracey’s warm welcome, unwavering support, and the nurturing environment they have created at GCAC. Being at GCAC, a place dedicated to fostering a sense of possibility and to championing creative practice in community has been a real gift not just in terms of space and time but of connection and friendship with other artists in Santa Ana. 

David Greenberger

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2011-18

As an artist I‘ve found a resonant connection with GCAC. Under the guidance and leadership of John Spiak, they have sought to be reflective of and interactive with the community that surrounds them. They realize those aims by treating the rich and varied population of Santa Ana with a level of dignity and respect that is also a core aspect of the works that I have been creating for the past four decades. And they do this while encouraging artists to follow circuitous paths into the mysterious unknown, fully aware that for art to succeed it must be open to surprises, new ideas, and risks.

Kenyatta A. C. Hinkle

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017

In the summer of 2016, our nation witnessed an unfathomable surgent of state-sanctioned violence, unrest, and horror. That summer was a major turning point within my practice and gave birth to the performance Exploring The Nowannago with Tyler Matthew Oyer. The performance was six years in the making.

When GCAC’s Director/Chief Curator invited us to build a whole exhibition and programming around the performance at GCAC in 2017, I witnessed my relationship to my art practice, the poetics of space, and what it means to create a space for the audience to shift from spectators to witness unfold and intensify. My approach to creating exhibitions has never been the same.

Working with the GCAC staff to produce the exhibition and a performance that has such an intense subject matter was no light undertaking. Many institutions either do not want to present work of this nature because they want to continue ignoring the ghosts of history and how they haunt our present, or some institutions invite performances of this nature for shock value. Presenting our work at GCAC was neither, and it’s a testament to the entire staff and their progressive thinking and approaches to bringing necessary work to the Santa Ana community. Participating in the Art Walk alone was astonishing and a first for me. I was so floored by how many people engaged in the work, concept, and ideas.

The sensitivity, understanding, and the allowance for us to experiment, challenge and interrupt the notion of the white cube and hegemonic narratives is something I continue to bring with me throughout the life of my Kentifrica project and other bodies of work that I am engaged with. I truly treasure GCAC, and I am so honored that my work was shared with the Santa Ana, Cal State Fullerton community, and beyond!

Chris Kallmyer

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2018-23

I began working with John Spiak and Grand Central Art Center at a transitional time in my work and life. I was on the cusp of the birth of our first daughter, and facing a shift in my practice as an artist and musician. John's heartfelt support of this period of my life has been inspiring and nourishing. GCAC is an important resource for Southern California artists and an essential space for meaningful community exchange. I have found their work is grounded in empathy, openness, and kindness rare in fine art. Their generous atmosphere extends to the community of makers that surround and support the space - a community I have directly benefited from over the course of my residency. Without their sustaining support, I would not be able to take the risks, invest in the process, and see these new leaps in my practice as an artist. 

In the lead-up to the 2020 pandemic shutdown, I created a series of projects that investigated the poetics and politics of sound and landscape. Hand-in-hand with the public, we created six months of projects featuring ambient honkey tonk musicians, an evolving set of architectural interventions with hay bales, and mystic charts/films. These projects led to my work researching the history of pre-enlightenment bells and the re-emergence of a little-known bronze-age method of bellmaking. This method is now the main concern of my work, as I begin to create a new path for my work - creating sculptural bells that address the relationship between landscape, ecology, and cathartic community resistance.

Lucas Murgida

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2018-19

Grand Central Art Center provided me with the rare opportunity to build a long term, community engaged project from the ground up. Over the course of a year and a half, I was able to create a six-part viewer interactive experience for the community of Santa Ana that would not have been possible without the immersive support that GCAC provides from its artists in residence. This included a very comfortable apartment, an art studio to work in, a wood shop to fabricate in, a vibrant community to live and engage with, and a gallery to install work in. The staff was nothing but supportive and gave me a chance to expand my discourse in exciting new directions at a scale that I never thought was possible.

Carmen Argote

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

First and foremost, my deepest thanks and gratitude to John and to GCAC. 

The making of Place On-Fold required a very large flat indoor area to be able to paint the 24 foot x 24 foot muslin fabrics, extended hours to be able to work, and close proximity to the studio site/ WISEPlace campus to make this work possible. Grand Central Art Center was a key collaborator in the process by facilitating and connecting me with WISEPlace, who was generous to let me use one of their meeting rooms as a studio. Both organizations working together to support the making of Place On-Fold was an inspiration for sure, GCAC really is a connection point.

GCAC also provided me with an apartment to stay in so that I could be in close proximity to where I was working, minimizing my commute and allowing me to work as needed to complete the work on a tight deadline. While at GCAC, I was motivated by the community of artists around me. Loved being in Downtown Santa Ana and hope that it can stay a hub for culture.

Naida Osline

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2012

An art residency through the Grand Central Art Center brings together a unique set of circumstances for an artist that wants to intersect with community practice. Primarily, the residency is situated in a city with a highly diverse population, creating an immersive environment, resulting in meaningful public practice work. I spent three months at GCAC expanding an existing portfolio and generating new work. Later, through connections established while there, I was able to extend my concerns, eventually finding myself working in Colombia, South America. As artists, we are often asked to justify our work by measurements such as economic impact, but this misses the fundamental point of art: transformation for the artist, collaborator, and audience through a deeper understanding of the world through the process of making art. GCAC understands this viewpoint, encourages it with a public practice mandate, and provides the support for bringing a project to completion.

Valerie Tevere &

Angel Nevarez

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017-18

GCAC is an important critical cultural space that not only celebrates that which is Santa Ana, but through their programming and exhibitions, reveals the social relations and ignoble histories of the city, prompting dialogue amongst Santa Ana communities and visitors.  We are excited to have been invited to GCAC’s residency and work with John Spiak and Tracey Gayer. We see the studio as a laboratory with views and a door that opened up to the plaza and exposed the changes taking place nearby. We referred to these thresholds in a site-responsive work placed on the AIR studio door. Our time in-residence has been an enriching and open process that continues through cross-collaboration with GCAC, other artists, musicians, and vocalists in Santa Ana.

Astria Suparak

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2016

Grand Central Art Center afforded me a stretch of time to just think through ideas and try things out, without distractions or the pressure to complete something by the end of my tenure. Many projects were developed during that time, including the new issue of INCITE Journal of Experimental Media, titled Sports (co-edited with Brett Kashmere) and the Joanie 4 Jackie archive website. 

GCAC is located in a historic building on a wonderful strip in downtown Santa Ana. For those who need a focused residency, it's got all the basic conveniences in one, walkable area. For those who want to connect with the Los Angeles and Orange County art scenes, it's a drivable distance. Also, tacos. Eat the tacos of downtown Santa Ana. And the Persian pilaf.

Regine Basha

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

My resident time at the GCAC is indeed one of the most memorable. I had the opportunity to bring my life and work together seamlessly in a space where I was made to feel at home immediately. Using the space as my base of research was extremely useful. I met artists there (such as members from Postcommodity and Lisa Bielewa) that impacted the following few years of activity and research for me. John's astute way of infusing the atmosphere with a charge of relevance and cultural urgency is really contagious and is felt and shared throughout the program.  It's a dynamic, refreshing gem of an institution.

Lisa Bielawa

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2012-17

My time as AIR at GCAC inspired and made possible the most ambitious, fulfilling and important work I’ve achieved in my artistic life thus far. The spirit of total commitment to the artist’s vision, coupled with the inexhaustible brain trust that is John Spiak and his team, made each stay in Santa Ana set a higher bar - a broader and broader collaborative community and an always-deepening passion for our work together.

Noah Simblist

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2022

My time at Grand Central Art Center was invaluable. I received the gift of time and space to work on writing projects that seemed impossible to focus on otherwise. It also allowed me to slow down and pay attention to the multivalent community of Santa Ana and the Los Angeles area more broadly.

Alfadir Luna

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017-21

Seems GCAC continues the tradition of the old markets. Those that (beyond distributing goods) used to create support networks and community bonding as well, contributing to the cultural life of the environment. May the Grand Central Art Center grow!

Carol Diehl

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

I came to GCAC with a nugget of an idea that, given the peaceful space to write, blossomed into an essay that John Spiak arranged for me to give as a lecture at CSU/Fullerton…the publicity for the lecture led to my participation in a film about my subject, and now I have publishing the work as a book. Space, time, encouragement….all invaluable. My deepest gratitude to John and GCAC for this exceptional opportunity.

Aida Šehović

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014-15

My residency at GCAC gave me space, time and funding to experiment. Being introduced to, and collaborating with, local forensic investigator and photographer Leonard Correa, a whole new project developed as a result.  John Spiak and the whole GCAC staff provided invaluable support and guidance through every step of this process that made my time at GCAC an immensely positive experience.

Vincent Goudreau

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2013-16

My artist residency at Grand Central Art Center was invaluable due to it allowing me the time and space to focus, complete and exhibit an eight year project

Lucio Muniain

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

GCAC is not just this place to make art projects. Anyone can read the word “community” in many ways. The building itself is somehow designed in order to be that community. The relation of the building and its users reflect a desire of a contributing community work. That is how I felt: surrounded by people that made their belonging by contributing to the GCAC network. A desirable sense of belonging is what I felt with my stay. Support in everyway and the most beautiful gift anyone can give you: freedom. Although my career as an artist may have a solid background, the freedom given to exploit a belief in a project was amazing. I had an incredible time and achievement of growth no doubt.

Rebecca Chernow

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2015-18

My time as a resident at Grand Central Art Center was truly invaluable to my development as an artist. The welcoming atmosphere, dynamic community, and genuinely supportive team of individuals that make the day-to-day operations and programming happen defined my experience, and enabled the expansion of my ecologically-based and community-linked creative practice. The building itself was my neighborhood, my garden, my studio, and my home. Grand Central Art Center is truly a gem nestled in the beating heart of the beautiful, thriving City of Santa Ana.

Adriana Salazar

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2014

On 2013 I embarked on a challenging project: as I undertook a mapping of funerary practices in Southern California, I was set to reflect on how humans in this region of the world relate to death. Such an endeavor couldn't have been possible if John Spiak and the ever-present team of GCAC weren't fully involved in this project's making from the get go: not only did GCAC committed to an undertaking which could possibly cause controversy; they also provided a solid support system which allowed me to dig carefully and thoroughly into the problem, providing the setting for a potent installation to be made public. After my residency, GCAC continued their commitment to my project by constantly exposing it to high-profile art professionals, as well as facilitating the donation of the installation to UCR ArtsBlock's permanent collection. Additionally, and no less importantly, I always felt welcome and at home.

Daniel Tucker

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2013-15

As an artist in residence the support GCAC provided allowed me to find my way into a project that needed time, space and meandering. I found the experience working with GCAC staff deeply engaged when needed and hands off at all the right times - such a sensitivity is rare and needed. They are a rare residency that does not prescribe an outcome but offers production support if an outcome emerges through the process. This allowed me to try something new in my practice which was a research process that started out looking like a social practice project, turned into a film, and then turned back into a community partnership with the public library (thanks in large part to ongoing relationships that were held and stewarded by GCAC). This allowed for a moment of growth in my practice as well as a project which took the shape that the content demanded and was not overly tied to a rigid proposal. The time to think, read, and drift through following where my curiosity and my subject matter led me was a real gift.

Michael Nannery

GCAC artist-in-residence, 2017-18

Grand Central Art Center challenged me to be ambitious with my artistic vision. Through their support and generosity, I was able to grow the Fountain, an aquaponic garden, into a unique format for interactive art that far exceeded my expectations. As a living system, my project would not have been possible without the daily care provided by Grand Central Art Center staff--their dedication literally kept my art alive!

Grand Central Art Center

is dedicated to the engaged exploration of 

contemporary art and visual culture.