A new documentary film, *Artists in Residence*, premiered on November 14 at the DOC NYC film festival, telling the story of three single mothers—painters Lois Dodd and Eleanor Magid and the late sculptor Louise Kruger—who bought a former factory in New York's East Village in 1968. Denied a mortgage because single women could not apply for credit until 1974, they secured a loan from their landlord and transformed the building into a live/work space where they raised their children and pursued their art. The film, produced by Katie Jacobs, explores how each woman prioritized her creative practice while contributing to the city's cultural fabric.
This story matters because it highlights the intersection of affordable housing, feminist history, and the alternative art scene in 1960s New York. The three artists not only carved out a sustainable living arrangement against systemic sexism but also made significant contributions: Dodd co-founded the influential Tanager Gallery, Magid established the still-active Lower East Side Printshop, and Kruger exhibited at MoMA. The film serves as a corrective to art history's neglect of women artists who balanced motherhood and career, and underscores how grassroots, cooperative spaces can foster enduring artistic communities.