Celebrating Creativity Through WorkWell’s “Art Is Life” Program

For Business Operations Analyst Nicole Johnson, one of the most memorable moments of this year’s WorkWell NYC “Art Is Life” program came even before her artwork went on display.

“It was really nice,” Ms. Johnson recalled of a networking event that brought participants together before the exhibition opened. “They had different conversation prompts, and everybody talked about their work and shared their own perspectives.”

“Little Fish(erman), Big Pond” (Photograph, 2021) by Nicole Johnson  

That spirit of connection became one of Ms. Johnson’s favorite aspects of Art Is Life, WorkWell NYC’s annual employee arts exhibition, presented by the Office of Labor Relations at multiple venues in lower Manhattan. Bringing together artists, photographers, musicians, performers, writers, and other creative employees from agencies across the city, the 2026 program gave participants an opportunity to share the many interests and talents that enrich their lives beyond the workplace.

An enthusiastic amateur photographer and member of NYCHA’s Photography Club, Ms. Johnson enjoys exploring architecture, searching for interesting compositions, and seeing familiar places in new ways. Through the club, she found colleagues who share that enthusiasm; they meet regularly to discuss assignments, compare photographs, and encourage one another’s creativity.

When she learned about Art Is Life through the club, she was eager to participate.

“You don’t really know the other participants before it all starts up,” she said. “But then you meet them, and you get to see and hear about their work and their perspectives. It was wonderful!”

“Old Friends” (Photograph, 2026) by Saul Mackler

Another member of NYCHA’s Photography Club whose work was featured in the exhibition was Saul Mackler, whose photograph Old Friends grew out of a quiet moment in his partner’s home.

“I suddenly saw those two in a new way,” Mr. Mackler recalled, describing the moment he found himself stopped in his tracks by a pair of long-loved stuffed animals sitting together on a bed. “They were just sitting together, in each other’s arms, embracing and supporting each other. It just touched my heart.”

“Liminal” (Acrylic and watercolor on canvas, 2025) by Arish Hussein

This year’s Art Is Life theme, “(Human)kind: Human Connection and Spirit in the Age of AI,” invited participants to reflect on what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world. Mr. Mackler found his answer in the current of humanity he discovered in that very “un-electronic” scene.

“With all the tech we live with now, I just saw so much tenderness in those two stuffed animals hugging each other,” he said.

His partner, Jacqueline Gold, who also works in City government, smiled as she remembered the photograph’s unexpected origin.

“Those stuffed animals have belonged to my older daughter since she was a little girl,” Ms. Gold said. “I had arranged them just so together in her old room, and then Saul saw them again — but in a completely new way.”

Ms. Johnson standing beside a projection of her work at the “Art is Life” 2026 exhibit.

Both Ms. Johnson’s delight at discovering a community of fellow artists and Mr. Mackler’s uncovering the deep humanity waiting right at home point to the same truth celebrated every year by Art Is Life: our colleagues bring far more to work each day than any formal title might reveal.

 

“You Can’t Sit With Us” (Digital Collage, 2026) by Fatima Lundy