Founded in 1981 in Lower Manhattan, Art in General is a nonprofit organization that assists artists with the production and presentation of new work. It changes in response to the needs of artists and informs and engages the public about their work.

Art in General's U.S./Eastern European Residency Exchange (EERE) program was initiated in September 2001 to give artists the opportunity to create a new work in a new context and to meet and interact with art communities in Eastern Europe and New York City. The program’s goals are to support artistic growth, encourage artistic dialogue, commission new work, provide a unique outreach program by supporting dynamic interactions between artists and the public, and build a greater understanding of diverse cultures.

The program consists of Artist in Residence program at Art in General offered to Eastern European artists nominated by partner sites: Trafo Gallery in Budapest, Hungary; Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in Krakow, Poland; Center for Contemporary Art “Zamek Ujazdowski” in Warsaw, Poland; the Foundation Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, Czech Republic; the Miroslav Kraljevic Gallery in Zagreb, Croatia, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka, Croatia. The Eastern European artists created work on-site in Art in General's Gallery 4, and worked with Art in General on planned activities aimed at increasing public involvement, such as workshops, performances, slide lectures, discussions and informal gatherings. As part of the EERE, these organizations also host New York artists for a two-month residency in their institutions.

Four artists participated the Arts in General exchange with Poland in the first stage of the EERE:

§         Ellen Harvey at the Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw (May-July 2003)

§         Ward Shelley at the Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in Krakow (September-October 2003)

§         Leszek Golec and Tatiana Czekalska from Warsaw, Poland at the Art in General in NYC (May-July 2002)

§         Rafal Bujnowski from Krakow, Poland at the Art in General in NYC (March-May 2004)

The second stage of the EERE program began in 2005, and the exchange with Poland includes:

§         Daniel Bozhkov at the Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in Krakow (May – June 2005)

§         Luis Gispert at the Centre of Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw (May-July 2007)

§         Julita Wojcik from Gdansk, Poland at the Art in General in NYC (October - November 2006)

§         Piotr Lutynski from Krakow, Poland at the Art in General in NYC (spring 2007)

The Eastern European Residency Exchange is made possible by the Trust for Mutual Understanding and the National Endowment for the Arts. Support of New York artists is provided by the Jerome Foundation.