Currently taking place online, MAD's Artist Studios program invites visitors to ask questions, view works in progress, and gain firsthand exposure to the creative process of artists and designers. MAD Artist Studios residents represent diverse experimental creative practices and participate in a wide range of virtual public  programming, including teen art salons, open studio hours, and intergenerational workshops. 

Established in 2008, the program has served as an important platform for more than 180 artists and designers to advance their careers and is widely recognized as an innovative model for Museum education. Alumni of the program have gone on to highly regarded careers, and after their time at MAD have proceeded to exhibit work at MAD and other major institutions, including the Queens Museum, Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Studio Museum, among others. The MAD Artist Fellowship was introduced in 2016 to support the practice of emerging NYC-based artists from historically underrepresented communities. In 2020, an exclusively virtual residency was introduced to expand the reach of the program to artists and designers across the country.