On October 20, Bakehouse Executive Director Cathy Leff will participate in At the Stoa: Paris 2026, presented by the Stoa Foundation in partnership with Cité internationale des arts. The gathering brings together international arts leaders to consider the power of artist residencies and what it takes to sustain creative lives.
The Stoa Foundation, founded in 2025 by Clare Hindle, Meagan Ryan, and Hilary Wolfe, is a relatively new international organization dedicated to strengthening the work of private art foundations worldwide. Describing itself as “the foundation for art foundations,” Stoa connects foundation leaders, encourages collaboration, shares research and best practices, and helps institutions become more effective and sustainable.
Cathy will participate in “The Labour Behind the Work,” one of three panels, this one examining the realities of artistic careers, from rent and studio costs to financial insecurity, and the role of philanthropy in sustaining creative lives. Moderated by Hunter Braithwaite, the panel also features Sanne Luteijn of The Ekard Residency in the Netherlands and Akshay Pathak of Quiet Art Movement in India.
The Paris trip also celebrates The Porch, a project resulting from a Bakehouse Open Call to create our own Triumphal Arch conveying our radical hospitality and connectivity of Bakehouse to our community. The winning project, now realized on site, was designed by Elmer O. García and Olga Kusche-Iglesias. It is part of BAKEHOUSE @ COLDEFY / COLDEFY @ BAKEHOUSE, an exchange between Miami and Paris, with a reception at Coldefy in Paris on October 23. Bakehouse’s Philip Lique, who worked on the project, will also participate. We thank the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau for enabling Bakehouse to present The Porch in Miami and Paris, co-host the Paris reception, and celebrate the bridges between Miami and Paris.
As Bakehouse marks 40 years, both engagements reflect Bakehouse’s commitment to remaining rooted in Miami while building local, national, and international bridges through artistic collaborations, institutional partnerships, and conversations across borders.
“We’ve spent four decades helping artists make work. Now we need to make it possible for artists to make a life and participate in shaping the future of Miami,” says Cathy. “I look forward to exchanging ideas with international colleagues, learning from the different approaches to supporting artists around the world, and exploring how these shared challenges and conversations can inform our work in Miami and strengthen the connections between our creative communities.”