named programs · 9 · from sources
What they call their work
Clarice O. Tavares Residency
Residency for artists living and working in Latin America, offering a three-month stay in New York with support from Brazilian patron Clarice Oliveira Tavares.
Pro Helvetia Residency
Annual residency program hosting two Swiss artists in New York for three months, funded by Pro Helvetia to promote artistic exchange between Switzerland and the U.S.
SAHA Association Residency
Residency for an artist from Türkiye, selected by an international committee and supported by SAHA Association to foster global artistic connections.
SI Benefit Gala
Annual fundraising gala that supports SI’s free public access, exhibitions, and educational initiatives.
Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Six-week paid internship for NYC high school juniors and seniors through a partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development, focused on career readiness in the arts.
Swiss Institute Teen Council (SITC)
Paid leadership and artmaking program for teens and young adults (ages 16–21) to co-create programming and explore contemporary art.
Teen Class
Weekly after-school art class for students aged 15–18, centered on contemporary art themes and including trips, discussions, and collaborative projects.
TimeForArt
Annual curated auction of luxury timepieces, with 100% of proceeds supporting SI’s exhibitions, residencies, and public programs.
Young Adult Arts Immersion Cohort (YAAIC)
Program for young adults aged 20–26, especially those on nontraditional educational paths, offering experiential engagement with contemporary art and creative practice.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 2 activities
- Advancing fair artist compensation and environmental sustainabilityHas been certified by W.A.G.E. since 2016, ensuring fair payment for artists, and since 2022 has implemented a long-term initiative to integrate environmental sustainability into institutional operations, programming, and community engagement to reduce its carbon footprint.
- Providing artist residency programs for international and regional artistsOffers multiple artist residency programs annually, including four three-month residencies in the East Village, dedicated opportunities for artists from Switzerland, Latin America, Türkiye, East Asia, and the Balkans, with housing and support for artistic exchange and immersion in the New York City art scene.
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Community Art Education Workshops 2 activities
- Delivering free educational programs for children, teens, and familiesOffers free, drop-in art workshops and regularly scheduled Family Hours for children ages 4–12 and their caregivers, featuring artist-led, environmentally conscious artmaking inspired by current exhibitions, with monthly changing themes and materials.
- Offering adult and multigenerational education programsHosts adult education programs and multigenerational learning opportunities for participants aged 18 to 108+, promoting critical engagement with contemporary art and artistic practice through workshops, discussions, and collaborative projects.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Operating a contemporary art institution with exhibitions, education, and public programsOperates as a nonprofit contemporary art institution that presents innovative exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives focused on experimental and contemporary art, with free public access to all programs.
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Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 1 activity
- Organizing benefit events and securing external funding to support programsHosts an annual Benefit Gala and the TimeForArt benefit auction, and receives corporate and foundation support to fund artist commissions, exhibitions, residencies, public programs, educational initiatives, and operational sustainability, ensuring free public access to all activities.
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Guided Historic Site Tours 1 activity
- Providing free guided and self-guided tours for schools and universitiesOffers free self-guided and guided tours for school and university groups at the Swiss Institute, supporting educational outreach and engagement with contemporary art exhibitions.
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Youth Workforce Readiness Programs 1 activity
- Running paid youth and young adult development programsProvides paid after-school and summer programs for teens and young adults, including Teen Class, Teen Council, and the Young Adult Arts Immersion Cohort, offering leadership development, career readiness training, collaborative art projects, and engagement with contemporary art for participants aged 15–26.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.89M
Contributions & grants$4.81M98%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$21K0%
Other revenue$63K
expenses
Total expenses$7.46M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$1.57M
Grants paid out$2.00M
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$4.92M
Cash$470K
Investments$924K
Liabilities$4.41M
Net assets$508K
Liquid reserves2.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -21.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEFANIE HESSLER | DIRECTOR | 40 | $201K |
| MOJDEH CUTTER | DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS | 40 | $146K |
| MALAIKA LANGA | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | 40 | $131K |
| THYMAYA PAYNE | DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT | 40 | $127K |
board members · 21
- ALEXANDRA ECONOMOU — TRUSTEE
- BICE CURIGER — TRUSTEE
- CHRISTIAN MARCLAY — TRUSTEE
- DANIEL BAUMANN — TRUSTEE
- DAVID ALLEMANN — TRUSTEE
- DOMINIQUE LEVY — TRUSTEE
- FLORIAN GUTZWILLER — TRUSTEE
- FRANCESCO BONAMI — TRUSTEE
- IWAN WIRTH — TRUSTEE
- JOHN GARCIA — TRUSTEE
- LATIFA ECHAKHCH — TRUSTEE
- MAJA HOFFMANN — PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
- MICHAEL RINGIER — TREASURER
- MONIQUE BURGER — TRUSTEE
- OLIVIER AUDEMARS — TRUSTEE
- PEGGY YEOH — TRUSTEE
- PHILIPPE BERTHERAT — TRUSTEE
- RICHARD PHILLIPS — TRUSTEE
- SAM KELLER — TRUSTEE
- SIMON CASTETS — TRUSTEE
- YAN DU — TRUSTEE
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Balkan Projects Partner — Supported the Balkan Projects Residency for artists from the Balkans.
- Clarice Oliveira Tavares Funder — Brazilian art historian and patron who began supporting the residency in spring 2019.
- Clarice Oliveira Tavares Funder — Supports the residency program for artists from Latin America at Swiss Institute.
- East Village arts and civic-centered organizations Partner — Collaborates with neighborhood arts and civic-centered organizations to offer art-centered programs to local and broader New York City audiences.
- New York City Department of Youth and Community Development Partner — Partnership to deliver the Summer Internship Program for teens
- Pro Helvetia Funder — Funds the Swiss Institute residency program for artists from Switzerland.
- ProHelvetia Funder — Funds the Swiss artist residency program at Swiss Institute.
- SAHA Association Partner — Supports the SAHA Residency program for artists from Türkiye.
- SAHA Association Partner — Supports the residency program for artists from Türkiye at Swiss Institute.
- Selldorf Architects Partner — Designed SI’s physical space in New York’s Lower East Side.
- W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) Partner — Partner organization through which SI is certified for paying artists equitably.
- essential partners Partner — Collaborates with essential partners to offer intermittent family engagement programs.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Free Access Enables Broad Public Engagement in Art and Dialoguemethodology: free_accessBy offering free access to exhibitions, education programs, and public events, we ensure inclusive participation and broaden public engagement, because removing financial barriers increases accessibility and fosters democratic cultural exchange.
- Indigenous Values Guide Institutional Practices Toward Equity and Reciprocitymethodology: indigenous_values_integrationBy aligning institutional practices with Indigenous values of generosity, reciprocity, and equity through education, exchange, and collaborative storytelling, we transform museum culture, because centering Indigenous epistemologies fosters more ethical and relational forms of engagement.
- Intergenerational Learning Through Art Promotes Collective Growthmethodology: intergenerational_learningBy designing programs that engage children and caregivers together in playful artistic experimentation, we strengthen familial and community bonds, because shared creative experiences foster mutual learning and deepen social connectedness.
- Open-Ended Artist Residency Fosters Generative Creative Workmethodology: open-ended_artist_residencyBy providing artists with an open-ended residency model that imposes no deadlines or production requirements, we support independent and generative creative processes, because removing institutional pressure enables deeper experimentation and long-term artistic development.
- Youth Participation Affirmed Through Paid Creative Engagementmethodology: paid-youth-participationBy compensating teens and young adults for their participation in programs, we validate their creative labor and time, because financial recognition increases equity, agency, and sustained involvement in artistic and personal development.