NEW YORK, NY.- ART FOR CHANGE, a curated program of online sales and exhibitions at the intersection of contemporary art and philanthropy, is proud to announce the second ART FOR CHANGE Artist-in-Residence in Santa Monica, Angela Fang Zirbes. The residency will culminate with a reception with the artist from 4-6pm PST on November 9, 2025 in Santa Monica where Fang Zirbes will present five new paintings, which will be available for purchase. Additionally ART FOR CHANGE will present a limited 15 edition prints of hand embellished works, debuting online December 9, 2025 via artforchange.com. A portion of all proceeds go towards ART FOR CHANGE’s ongoing mission to combat climate change, with ten trees planted for every artwork sold.

“I’m inspired by being in Santa Monica, it is so special to be so close to the ocean and elements of being at the residency space are starting to appear in the work. In this new series, the ghosts and their haunted objects are taking a lighter tone, where they have more agency.” states Fang Zirbes. “The work is still focused around fear and estrangement and how that presents itself within my identity as a mixed person, but rather than running from the unknown or fearing it, the characters embrace that nervousness with excitement and curiosity rather than apprehension.”

“We were delighted to welcome Angela as our second Artist-in-Residence, marking our second collaboration with her,” said ART FOR CHANGE founder and chief curator Jeanne Masel. “Since first encountering her work in the spring of 2024, I have been eager to collaborate with her as an artist-in-residence. Her practice — part of my personal collection — strikes a compelling balance between seriousness and whimsy. Our shared roots in Iowa have made this collaboration particularly meaningful.”

Angela Fang Zirbes (b. 2000) is a painter based in New York and Iowa. Her paintings recall feelings of isolation growing up as a young biracial woman in the American Midwest. Working from a range of sources including her memories, recurring dreams, and found imagery, Fang Zirbes' paintings describe the experience of navigating an identity rooted in liminality through layered contradictions: what is seen and what is hidden, light and shadow, and reality versus memory. Set in an old rural house reminiscent of the spaces from her childhood, repeated motifs coexist alongside the artist as familiar objects, patterns, and entities in subtly altered forms and contexts. The skewed compositions and perspectives suspend a pervasive sense of peril within the uncanny interiors, in which the subjects are aware that they have been walked-in-on by an unwelcome voyeur. Fang Zirbes' paintings return her to haunt these domestic scenes, seeking a deeper understanding of her detachment, uncertainty, and fear.

Fang Zirbes was born and raised in Iowa and received her BFA from Parsons School of Design in 2023. She works with a combination of airbrushed acrylic, graphite, and brush techniques on raw canvas.

Via this dynamic residency program ART FOR CHANGE deepens its commitment to supporting both artists and socially conscious collectors. By offering a dedicated collector base access to works by incredible emerging talents, we continue fostering meaningful connections between artists and patrons who share a passion for art that drives positive change. This residency will provide chosen artists-in-residence with valuable opportunities for career development, exposure, and the chance to create work that resonates with critical issues, such as climate change. Selected artists for this program will have the chance to focus uninterrupted on their practice during their stay in a furnished home and fully equipped studio space in Santa Monica, as well as promotional support through ART FOR CHANGE. Once the residency draws to a close, artists will have the opportunity to showcase their work.