About Us
Who We Are
The Canopy Program is a radical alternative program offering community, connection, and critique to artists post BFA/MFA + self-taught.
Our programming spans studio critique, art history, art theory, material based intensives, research & writing, professional practices, as well as independent studies for artists.
The program supports and strengthens artists’ work while building connections between artists, visiting critics and curators.
Our Mission
The fundamental mission of the organization is to offer the highest level of critique, dialogue and community support without financial stress and to be as inclusive as possible in all ways. The Canopy Program/NYC Crit Club is uniquely low cost and requires flexibility in time commitment, as artists can take one course when available or as many as they can manage. Time is a valuable commodity that is not afforded to all - so these courses support those who are ready, serious and excited to improve while they maintain their studio and work requirements.
The Canopy Program is not a replacement for an MFA and does not want to be. The opportunity to expand learning & community post school is at the core of this project - we support and advocate for several amazing MFA programs within our networks. We want to encourage learning and growth individually and not offer a prescription on how artists should operate - rather we want to listen and help in ways that are specific to each artist.
The Canopy Program is a woman and artist-run organization, led by Catherine Haggarty. It’s predecessor, NYC Crit Club, was co-founded in 2017 by artists Catherine Haggarty & Hilary Doyle. The program offers fair pay and employment opportunities to esteemed critics and faculty who are artists, curators or gallerists.
Our Team
-
Catherine Haggarty, b. 1984, is an artist based in Brooklyn, New York.
Haggarty earned her M.F.A from Mason Gross, Rutgers University in 2011. Haggarty is the Founder, Owner and Executive Director of The Canopy Program. In addition, Haggarty is a Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute.
Haggarty was the Spring 2024 Teiger Mentor for the Arts at Cornell AAP MFA and recently was a Visiting Artist at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (Denver, CO) on the occasion of her Exhibition featuring ten years of work at The Philip J. Steele Gallery.Haggarty’s paintings and curatorial work have been reviewed by and featured in Bomb Magazine, Artnet, Hyperallergic, Art Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Brooklyn Magazine, The New York Times, Art Maaze Magazine, Art Spiel, Pep Talks for Artists, Sound and Vision Podcast and The Observer.
Catherine has been a visiting artist & critic at Cornell MFA (2024), Rocky Mountain College of Art (2024), Western Connecticut MFA (2023), Contemporary Arts Memphis (2023), Vassar College (2023), Rutgers MFA (2022), U. Albany MFA (2022), MICA (2022), UCONN MFA (2022 + 2023), RISD BFA (2022), Pratt BFA (2022), The University of Oregon (2021), Boston University MFA (2021), SUNY Purchase MFA (2020), Hunter MFA (2020), Denison University (2020), Brooklyn College MFA (2019) and in 2018 Haggarty was the Anderson Endowed Lecturer at Penn State University.
Solo & Two Person exhibitions include: Deanna Evans Projects (NYC), Untitled Miami, Lorin Gallery, LA, Geary Contemporary (NYC), Massey Klein Gallery (NYC), This Friday Next Friday (Brooklyn), Bloomsburg University (PA), and Look and Listen in Marseille France. Select group exhibitions include: The PIT (LA), Badr El Jundi (Madrid, Spain), Mindy Solomon (Miami, FL), Andrew Rafcaz (Chicago, IL), Hesse Flatow (NYC), Mrs (Maspeth, NY) and McBride Contemporary in Montreal, Canada.
-
-
Artist
Founder: The Canopy Program
Co-Founder: NYC Crit Club
Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt FineCatherine Haggarty
Brittany Baldwin
Artist
Program Director -
Brittany Baldwin received her MFA from Pratt Institute and BFA from Adelphi University. Solo exhibitions include “Feedback Loop” at A.I.R. Gallery, ”Serious Fun" at Pratt Institute, “BRAINSUGAR” at Adelphi University. She has participated in several group exhibitions at Anonymous Society Gallery, Drawing Rooms, Iona University, Fort Tilden, Isadore and Dunn, Knockdown Center, Pratt Institute, Con Artist Gallery, and Adelphi University. Site-specific mural commissions have included “Homecoming” at Adelphi University, “Jump” in partnership with 100 Gates Project, “Power Strip” in partnership with DOT Art, Jamaica Center BID, and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “Steinway Cypher” at Steinway Playground in partnership with New York City Parks Art in the Parks program, and “Bounce” in partnership with DOT Art. Grant projects include “Artist and Their Tools” via the Adjunct Development Grant at Adelphi University. Brittany lives in Westchester, NY and works in Queens, NY.
-
-
Artist
Design DirectorSarah Alice Moran
-
Sarah Alice Moran received a BA from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME and an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. Solo exhibitions include McBride/Dillman in 2026, New York, NY, My Pet Ram, New York, NY, in 2024 and Smoke the Moon, Santa Fe, NM, in 2022. Recent group exhibitions include DIMIN, New York, NY; Marinaro, New York, NY; GANA Art, Los Angeles, CA; September Gallery, Kinderhook, NY. Moran has participated in residencies at Anderson Ranch Art Center, CO; The Wassaic Project, NY; Can Serrat, Spain.
-
-
Our Values
Diversity + Inclusion
The Canopy Program values equity and justice for artists of all backgrounds. It is our intent that artists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served and represented by The Canopy Program. The diversity that artists bring to classes is viewed with respect as a strength, benefit and asset in our courses. It is our goal to present materials and activities that are inclusive and respectful of diversity: gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, culture, education, and other background characteristics. The program offers financial aid in the form of financial aid and BIPOC scholarships as part of our commitment to serving artists inclusively.
The Canopy Program aims to include artists, critics and faculty with a variety of backgrounds, work and research. This range of diversity in educational background and life experience improves conversations and contributions both formally and conceptually within the program. This inclusivity also creates a safe space of learning where peer driven dialogue fuels the courses and promotes a positive and serious art experience.
Ethical Employment
The Canopy Program prides itself on improving the pay rate and faculty / critic experience within the organization. We want to be transparent about compensation to faculty, as the cost of courses echo our value system which is rooted in inclusion and ethical practices in hiring, class experience and outreach to new communities.
A foundational aspect of our mission is to improve learning and teaching conditions within The Canopy Program at large.
We are proud to pay our faculty double the average adjunct wage, an increase of 100%. Improving the work conditions of our faculty and critics by offering a competitive wage reflects our respect for theil labor, experience and investment in offering critical and generous dialogue.
Canopy Faculty are compensated $250 / hour, for their work leading classes, as well as attending faculty meetings. Additionally, Canopy Faculty receive an additional stipend for each week's admin task
Our Press
Learn more about the program through interviews, podcasts and articles!
Address
The Canopy Studio is located in New York City. Classes are held both in person and virtually via Zoom.
The Canopy Studio
508 W. 26th St. #6E
Chelsea, New York City
nyc.critclub@gmail.com