We are thrilled to announce MCP II: A Master Class Program at Art Cake, taking place in September 2025!
An expanded rendition of our dynamic inaugural program this summer, MCP II brings together a select group of five outstanding visual artists for a collaborative monthlong on-site studio program, culminating in an extended two-week exhibition and panel discussion.
Coinciding with the annual fall reawakening of the New York art world, participating artists will have the opportunity to challenge the boundaries of their artistic practices while being immersed in the most innovative contemporary art events of the year, including important openings, art fairs, and lectures.
Supported by studio visits with distinguished guest critics and prominent gallerists, participants will gain critical insights as they develop new bodies of work amid the soaring spaces of Art Cake.
In preparation for the master class program, selected artists will also benefit from one-on-one virtual meetings with Michael David, receiving individually tailored feedback and curatorial guidance.
MCP II is a rare opportunity to embrace the unexpected, collaborate with a carefully curated group of fellow artists, and build an intimate community unique to this time and place.
Dates: September 3, 2025 - September 30, 2025
Cost: $4250
MCP: A Master Class Program at Art Cake by M.David & Co. / Symposia!
In June 2025, Art Cake hosted a dynamic four-week on-site Master Class program in its spectacular ground-floor space. Four carefully selected artists participated in an immersive and collaborative environment designed to foster dialogue, experimentation, and creative growth.
Throughout the residency, participants engaged with leading voices in the contemporary art world—prominent artists, critics, and gallerists—through studio visits, critiques, and informal conversations. The program provided unique behind-the-scenes access, including visits to the studios of renowned artists in both NYC and Upstate New York, as well as private tours and meetings with gallerists during active exhibitions.
The experience culminated in a public Exhibition and Artist Talk in Galleries A and B at Art Cake, showcasing the new work developed during the residency and offering audiences a window into the evolving practices of each artist.
Program Dates: June 10–28, 2025
Location: Art Cake, Brooklyn, NY
Visiting Critics
Tom McGlynn is an artist, writer, and independent curator based in the N.Y.C. area. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cooper- Hewitt National Design Museum of the Smithsonian. He is the director of Beautiful Fields, an organization dedicated to socially-engaged curatorial projects, and is also currently a visiting lecturer at Parsons/the New School.
David Rhodes (b. 1955, Manchester, England) is a New York-based painter known for his austere yet expressive works made using black paint on raw canvas or Sumi ink on paper. His abstract compositions—structured through repetition, mirroring, and spacing—emphasize process, line, and materiality, offering a tactile and temporal experience that resists representation. He has exhibited internationally, with solo shows at venues such as Anthony Wilkinson Gallery (London), Galerie Katharina Krohn (Basel), and High Noon Gallery (New York, 2024), and his work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and The Huntington Museum, among others. A recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and nominee for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, Rhodes continues to explore the boundaries of abstraction and perception.
Lynn Basa
Janet Jaffke
Barbara Owen
Winston Mascarenhas
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“My experience at the residency was transformative in ways I hadn't anticipated. Working in this wide-open space allowed me to witness how individual pieces could be in dialogue with each other, and expanded my understanding of what is possible both in terms of scale and conceptual reach. This residency provided the precious gift of focused time and was rich with struggle and breakthrough. With the expert guidance of Michael David, I was able to push my boundaries and clarify my vision. I came away with so many new ideas to explore and I'm still processing the creative potential that emerged. I expect the experience will inform my work for years to come.”
Janet Jaffke, MCP 1
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“The Yellow Chair Master Class Program propelled my work further than I could have on my own. It gave me the chance to show my ceramic sculptures and paintings on a wall as white and vast as any blue-chip gallery. Thanks to the expert curatorial support from Michael David and his team, I was able to find a way of presenting my work that gave it more meaning and impact. In addition, two established art critics, whom I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise, provided in-depth critiques. The entire experience gave me a glimpse of the level of support available to more established artists. It's already leading to more opportunities.”
Lynn Basa, MCP I