Learn Mix and Mingle!

Success Without the System: 
An Artist Outside the Art World
Monday, April 13th, 2026

Presentation 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Workshop Location: Tom Sanford’s Studio, 105 Hamilton Place, near 142nd Street

Mix & Mingle: 6:30 – 8:30 PM, will be at a local eatery “Winnie Said”

RSVP: https://forms.gle/HyiNx4ZEpqvc8GGV9

In this workshop, West Harlem artist Tom Sanford will discuss his unconventional career path and the advantages of maintaining independence from the traditional gallery system.

Drawing on personal experience, Sanford will reflect on how he has carved out a niche as an “art-world adjacent” artist and what this approach can offer artists navigating today’s shifting cultural and economic landscape for SUCCESS!

Tom Sanford is a Harlem-based artist whose career spans the 21st century. He holds a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from Hunter College and has exhibited extensively and internationally in major galleries, museums and art fairs. Having witnessed multiple boom-and-bust cycles in the art market, painful separations from galleries and catastrophic auction results, Sanford has deliberately positioned his practice outside the mainstream of the New York art world.

Now in its 3rd year, WHAA & NoMAA’s “Learn Mix & Mingle” workshops form a dynamic, free technical‑assistance series designed to empower Harlem and West Harlem artists with practical skills, grant‑writing knowledge, and professional development—while also creating space for genuine community building. These events blend hands‑on learning with relaxed networking, giving artists both the tools and the relationships needed to advance their creative trajectory.

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