How Can Queer Artists Survive in NYC? A New Incubator Is Looking to Warhol for Inspiration

New York City has long been the de facto artistic capital of the United States. From Andy Warhol to Jean-Michel Basquiat to Audre Lorde, burgeoning artists have been inspired by the metropolis for decades, using it as a backdrop to actualize their visions.But as prices skyrocket, gentrification pushes out entire communities, and many artists find themselves unable to make a living, let alone get their projects off the ground, how are creative endeavors meant to flourish?For Joseph Frederick Allen that one answer might be The FRAME, a new artistic institution he cofounded that provides artists of a variety of disciplines with funding, work spaces, and a community of creatives ready to support them. Inspired by Warhol’s Factory, a studio and community gathering space the famous visual artist used to form his most iconic multidisciplinary projects, The FRAME is meant to encourage artists to create together and help mold each other’s development.“I was really seeking a home for all kinds of artistic disciplines to live in one place,” Allen says. “I myself am an artist and I draw and I have performed and I write and direct and I find that people can get really suspicious of that, like they don't actually believe that you have all those things within you. So, I thought I would make a place where all those things could live together.” Operating out of BroadwayVox Studios in Midtown Manhattan, The FRAME’s first cohort consists of 10 artists, including director Nic Cory (known for Red Ink), visual artist Drew Elhamalawy (known for Broadway production The Queen of Versailles), and filmmaker Brent Thomas Whiteside (known for Tempest & The Black Madonna and mini documentary Black Trans Liberation). For its inaugural year, The FRAME provides its cohort with artist space, funding, a creative team, and industry exposure, with work debuting throughout the year. Allen says he knows intimately how hard it is to make a living as a working queer artist in the city. And wi