ADSF Emerging Artists Residency Program

Pictured artwork (left to right) by Tashina Three-Sticks, Talaya Banks, and Tyree Jones

About the Program

In the fall of 2021, Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe launched the pilot for our Emerging Artists Residency Program. In partnership with NEWSED Community Development Corporation, this program is designed to support emerging local talent and foster the continued economic development of Denver's most historic creative district.

Through the program, each artist receives:
- 3 months of free studio space in the Art District on Santa Fe Studio & Headquarters
- A $500 materials stipend
- A 4-week Business Basics course through NEWSED
- A chance to display their work in a group show in the Art District
- Mentorship and networking with professional artists in the community, and much more

Since then, our residency program has hosted 40+ up-and-coming local artists. Learn more about our current residents and alumni below!

Applications for Winter and Spring 2026 are now open. Click HERE to learn more and apply today!

Meet the Artists

Bassant Mahran

Bassant Mahran is an artist based in Denver, originally from Egypt, born in Dubai and raised in Cairo. Although trained as a civil engineer, art has always been her true passion—she has been painting and drawing most of her life before pursuing it professionally.

Working primarily in pastels, oils, and charcoal, her work reflects how she sees the world, finding beauty in every shape and figure. Bassant aims to represent women and mothers living far from home, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and resilience. She moved to the U.S. 14 years ago and has exhibited across Colorado, earning an Honorable Mention from the Pastel Society of Colorado. Her work has been shown at Creative Eye Gallery and Sync Gallery.

Ally Popovich

Ally Popovich is a Denver-based visual artist and live painter who creates expressive work inspired by music, emotion, and dynamic moments in life. Ally’s art explores how feeling and movement can be captured through color and gesture, aiming to create a connection between the work and the viewer.

Ally is thrilled to be joining the Emerging Artist Residency in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District and looks forward to spending time creating and growing within such a vibrant creative community

Maurilio Tapia

Maurilio Tapia, working under the alias “StarStormTito”, follows the flows of fashion and blends from a variety of influences: hip-hop, the digital world and growing up as a Mexican-American. The combination of the three is pivotal in Maurilio’s daily life: The strong influence of hip-hop and its elements, the influence of American and its various influences and cultures and the experience of growing up as a first-generation Mexican-American. In Maurilio’s work, the culmination and intersection between cultures serve as a catalyst in understanding the individuals, culture and lifestyle that lie outside of the dominant culture. By developing art by seasons, Maurilio documents the life and times of a culture that is more than often left out of historical documentation by creating a new style, or "Creando un nuevo estilo."

“I strive to represent my culture in everything that I do, focusing on contradicting and manipulating traditional techniques by emphasizing texture, color and cultural iconography within my art. Being from an underrepresented community, working in the arts inspires me to continue using my practice for the enrichment of the cultures from which I stand.”