Fellowship Guidelines - Artist Trust

2025 Artist Trust Fellowship Guidelines (plain text)

Download the 2025 Artist Trust Fellowship Guidelines (PDF).
Download the printable plain text guidelines (printable PDF).

About Artist Trust

Artist Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Washington State artists thrive. Recognized as a national model for direct funding and professional development for working artists, we have invested over $15 million in individual artists since our founding in 1986. We view our mission to support and encourage artists working in all disciplines in Washington State through a lens of racial and geographic equity, actively working to ensure that artists from all backgrounds and Washington State geographies are reached through our services.

About the Fellowship Awards

Artist Trust Fellowships are merit-based awards of $10,000 for practicing artists of exceptional talent and ability, residing in Washington State. These unrestricted awards are given annually to 8+ artists of any discipline in recognition of artistic excellence and dedication to their practice. The first Fellowship Awards were selected in 1987, making it Artist Trust’s longest-running award program. In 2025, all Fellowship recipients will have the opportunity to participate in Artist Trust’s Meet the Fellows program, a storytelling initiative aimed at helping recipients share their stories, build new audiences for their work, and honor each recipient as a 2025 Artist Trust Fellow.

2025 Meet the Fellows Program
Meet the Fellows is a storytelling program for Artist Trust Fellowship recipients to share their stories, build new audiences for their work, and to recognize each recipient as a 2025 Artist Trust Fellow. This program is optional for all 2025 Fellowship recipients. Fellows can opt in to be included in the 2025 Meet the Fellows program; however, each recipient will still be considered a “Fellow” and will still receive full funding whether they opt into the program or not.

By opting into the 2025 Meet the Fellows Program, Fellows agree to do a written interview conducted by Artist Trust staff that will be published on the Artist Trust website, promoted on social media, and shared in our newsletter. 2025 Meet the Fellows programming will start in April 2025. If you have questions, please reach out to Program co-Director Lydia Boss (lydia@artisttrust.org).

Artist Trust Fellowship Award for Black Artists
The Fellowship Award for Black Artists is an unrestricted award of $10,000 for Washington State artists who identify as Black/African/African American. All artists who identify as Black, African, and/or African American will have to opt into being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This Fellowship is permanently funded thanks to the generous support of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom.

Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom Fellowship Award
The Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom Fellowship Award is an unrestricted award of $10,000 to a visual artist of any background residing in Washington State. Artists will have to opt into being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This Fellowship is permanently funded thanks to the generous support of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom.

Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists
The Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists is an unrestricted award of $10,000 for Washington State artists of all disciplines who self-identify as trans in its most inclusive sense. This may include transgender, indigiqueer, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, or nonbinary people, and anyone whose gender identity is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth. Artists will have to opt into being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This Fellowship was made possible thanks to support from The Lillian Miller Educational Foundation.

Vadon Foundation Fellowship for Native Artists
The Vadon Foundation Fellowship Award for Native Artists is an unrestricted award of $10,000 to a Native artist of any discipline residing in Washington State. To be considered for this award, artists must complete the Fellowship Award application and provide documentation of their Native American heritage in one of the following ways:

Documentation of tribal enrollment provided by a federally- or state- recognized tribe, band, nation, or Alaska Native Village;
Documentation provided by a federally- or state-recognized tribe, band, nation, or Alaska Native village identifying the applicant as a descendant.

Learn more about the Vadon Foundation at www.vadonfoundation.org.

Artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, living with/having disabilities, and/or living in rural communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants with intersectional identities are encouraged to apply to all Fellowships available to them. For support with your application, see the Help with your application section.

Who is eligible

The 2025 Artist Trust Fellowships are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines.

Applicants must be:

18 years of age or older;
Washington State residents at the time of application and payment;
Individual artists (or artist teams) who are the originators of works of art.

Applicants must not be:

Fellowship recipients from 2017–2024
Previous recipients of two or more Fellowship Awards in a lifetime;
Previous recipients of the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist or Arts Innovator Awards;
Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in 2025;
Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of the application and/or payment (payment will be made March 2025)
Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group;
Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee member, current Fellowship panelists, or their immediate family.

Artist Teams
A team of two or more artists may apply if they have a documented history of creating and presenting work as a team for at least three consecutive years. Artists applying as a team should contact Artist Trust to confirm eligibility before applying. If eligible, one artist will submit the application and list team members in the application. All team members must meet the eligibility requirements.

How to apply

The 2025 Fellowship application is available online starting Friday, October 4, 2024. Visit artisttrust.submittable.com/submit to submit.

DEADLINE: Monday, November 4, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

Materials to Submit

Discipline Statement (50 words or less)
Biography (150 words or less or up to 1.5 minutes of video/audio)
Artist Statement (350 words or less or up to 3 minutes of video/audio)
Work Samples (See Work Sample Guidelines on page 7)
Artist Resume (5 pages or less)
Impact Statement (150 words or less)

Video guidelines for your biography and artist statement
Materials submitted in video format should be low-tech. Low-tech videos are unedited, without filters, scene changes, or multiple clips. The video should be a straight and clear shot of the applicant. The video can show the applicant’s full body, from the waist or shoulders up. The video cannot contain any of the applicant’s artwork.

The video should be:

Clear and focused footage of the applicant
Up to 1.5 minutes long for the biography and up to 3 minutes long for the artist statement
Easy to see and hear the applicant
Footage of the applicant speaking clearly

The video should not be:

Footage of more than one person
Multiple clips and/or reels or edited in any way
A video with voiceovers
More work samples or have the applicant’s work in view
Longer than the maximum time – up to 1.5 minutes for the biography and up to 3 minutes for the artist statement

Audio guidelines for your biography and artist statement
Materials submitted in audio format should be clear and easy to hear without any additional audio including music, white noise, other voices, and/or any background noise that is not the applicant’s own voice.

The audio should be:

Clear and easy to hear the applicant’s voice
Up to 1.5 minutes long for the biography and up to 3 minutes long for the artist statement
The applicant’s voice only

The audio should not be:

More than one person’s voice
Edited audio of the applicant including auto-tune, sped up or slowed down manipulation, and/or higher or lower pitched
More work samples
Longer than the maximum time (up to 1.5 minutes for the biography and up to 3 minutes for the artist statement)

Applications are only accepted through Submittable.

Disciplinary categories

Choose the category that best suits your practice and use the discipline statement to provide additional context.

Disciplinary categories may include the following practices:

Literary Arts: Creative Nonfiction, Experimental/Hybrid Works, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Zines.

Media Arts: Animation, Augmented Reality, Film, Immersive Audio and Video Works, Podcasts, Screenplays, Sound Art, Teleplays, Video Art, Virtual Reality, and Web-based Art.

Performing Arts: Costume Design, Dance, Music, Music Composition, Musical Theater, Performance Art, Playwriting, Puppetry, Set Design, Sound Design, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Theater, and Traditional/Folk Performance.

Visual Arts: BioArt, Digital Arts, Drawing, Ecological Art, Environmental Design, Furniture Art, Illustration, Installation, Interactive Installation and Sculpture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Public Art, Sculpture, and Traditional/Folk Art.

Help with your application

Applying for grants can be hard, and we want to help you. Artist Trust offers the following support services and resources to guide you through the application process:

2025 Fellowship Info Session
Attend this Info Session on Thursday, October 10, 5:30 – 6:30 pm to learn about 2025 Artist Trust Fellowships! During this event, our Program Co-Directors will share general information about applying for 2025 Fellowships. This is not a private session, but rather a space for learning and asking basic questions about the application process. Register here.

How to Apply for 2025 Fellowship Walkthrough
A brief walkthrough of how to apply, the process, and selection criteria. Click here to view this pre-recorded webinar.

Office Hours
20-minute consultations with our staff, provided in person, over Zoom, or by phone, on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25. Make an appointment at artisttrust.org.

Study Hall
Pop into this open Zoom session on Tuesday, October 15, 1-3 pm to work on your 2025 Fellowship Award application. During Study Hall you can speak with program staff, work through your application on mute, or request a breakout session for direct support. This is not a private session, but rather a space for information sharing and work time.

Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83230688098
Meeting ID: 832 3068 8098

Reference Guide
Review examples of successful applications from past year’s grantees at artisttrust.org/resources/fellowship-awards-reference-guide.

Contact Us
We are happy to answer questions about your application. Jump to contact information.

Please note: It’s hard for us to answer questions on the day of the deadline. Start your application early and don’t wait to contact us with questions. If you require a translator to complete your application or have other accessibility needs, please get in touch.

Tips & hints

Read the guidelines and instructions carefully and follow them.
Start your application at least a week before the deadline and give yourself plenty of time to prepare your materials. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit. Submittable slows down from high traffic in the hours before the deadline. We do not accept late applications.
Write and save your application in a word processing program. Copy and paste the text into Submittable when you are ready to submit.
A discipline statement (50 words or less) describes your artistic practice. It can be as simple as “I am a poet” or give a more detailed explanation of your practice. You will also be asked to select a disciplinary category. A list of our disciplinary categories can be found above, in the disciplinary categories section.
A biography (150 words or less or up to 1.5 minutes of video/audio) tells your story as an artist. It provides details about you and your work, such as where you were born or grew up, your training, career development, accomplishments, or other information that may not be found elsewhere in the application. This can be in written, video, or audio format.
An artist statement (350 words or less or up to 3 minutes of video/audio) is an introduction to your work or a specific body of work. It gives an overview of its concepts, ideas, and themes. It may include information about how your work developed, why you have created it, your vision, influences and inspirations, your philosophy of art-making, and other details that introduce your work. A strong artist statement is clear and specific, captures your speaking voice, and avoids clichés and jargon. This can be in written, video, or audio format.
Work samples are the most important part of your application. Include your strongest work. Make sure your work samples are well-documented, cohesive with your artist statement, and follow the work sample guidelines. See the Work Sample Guidelines for more information. Upload your work samples in the order you’d like the panel to review them.
An artist résumé (5 pages or less) is an overview of your professional experience, accomplishments, education, training, and other information about your artistic career. It’s much like a job resume, except its focus is your art. The résumé must be submitted as a .pdf file.
The impact statement (150 words or less) explains how this award will make a difference for you. What will the funding and recognition do for you, your work, and your practice? How will you use the money?
Do not include links to external websites, portfolios, social media, etc. in any of your submitted materials.
Take advantage of our support services and resources listed on page 5. You can find examples of each component of the Fellowship application in the reference guide at artisttrust.org.
Have a friend, colleague, or another artist review your application before you submit.
If you have questions about your application, the guidelines, your eligibility, or anything else, give us a call or email. Our contact information is on page 8.

Work sample guidelines

You may submit work samples in audio, video, image, and manuscript formats. The works in your samples should have been created within the past 10 years. Review the guidelines for information on file types, sizes, lengths, and total number of work samples. We do not accept physical artwork in any format, slides, or files sent via email. All work samples must be submitted within your Submittable application. The total amount submitted must equal no more than 10, which may not necessarily be how many files you upload.

If you are submitting multiple file formats, you may submit no more than 10 files. One image is equal to one minute of video, audio, or manuscript page. For example, you can submit a single 10-minute video, 10 images, or 10 manuscript pages. Or you can submit a combination. For example, you can submit 2 minutes of a video, 5 pages from a manuscript, and 3 images—these equals 10 work samples. Failure to meet the work sample guidelines may result in your application becoming ineligible. Links to third party websites, such as SoundCloud, Vimeo, and YouTube, are not accepted anywhere in the application.

Audio

Maximum of 10 minutes total.
Begin and end each sample where you want the panel to begin and end.
Choose a selection that will make the panel want to see/hear more (avoid long intros, etc.).
Do not submit samples with cue times.
Do not submit work samples designed for promotional purposes (such as a performance reel).
Links to work samples on third-party websites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. are not accepted.
Submit an individual file for each song or work.
File type(s): .aiff, .mp3, .wav.
Music and Music Composition: No scores please.

Images

Maximum of 10 images.
Recommended no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side.
Recommended 72 ppi/dpi (standard web resolution).
Submit one piece per file (do not collage several angles or multiple pieces within one image).
Each piece well-lit and focused.
Links to work samples on third-party websites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. are not accepted.
File type(s): .gif, .jpeg.

Manuscript

One manuscript with a maximum of 10 pages, plus one synopsis page.
All manuscripts must be double-spaced with a 12-point font size or larger (except poetry, plays, or experimental works).
Multiple poems, stories, pieces, or excerpts should be combined into one file.
Each excerpt, story, poem, or piece should start on its own page. Do not put different pieces on a single page.
One synopsis page is allowed. Include it as the first page of your work sample (one synopsis page + maximum 10 manuscript pages). If the work sample consists of multiple excerpts, use the synopsis page to give information for each. A synopsis page can include publication dates, whether the selections are from a larger series, additional description, or details about where the piece fits within a larger body of work.
Links to work samples on third-party websites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. are not accepted.
File type(s): .pdf.

Video

Maximum of 10 minutes total.
Do not submit work samples designed for promotional purposes (such as a filmography or choreography reel).
Submit an individual file for each distinct work.
Video compilations of still images are not allowed
Begin and end each sample where you want the panel to begin and end.
Do not submit samples with cue times.
Choose a selection that will make the panel want to see/hear more (avoid long intros, fade-ins/outs, etc.).
Links to work samples on third-party websites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. are not accepted.
Resolutions: recommended minimum 640 x 480, maximum 1920 x 1080.
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 or 16:9.
Bit Rate: recommended above 240 kbps.
Frame Rate: recommended minimum 12 fps, maximum 30 fps.
Format: .avi, .m4v, .mpg, .wmv.

Submittable has a default maximum file upload size of 400 MB and a default maximum total submission size of 800MB. This means individual files cannot exceed 400MB, and in total, your application cannot exceed 800 MB.

Work sample descriptions
You may add Work Sample Descriptions as metadata when uploading each file. A window will pop up once you have uploaded the work sample. Work sample descriptions should include the title, materials, dimensions, time or pages, and the year work was completed. Also, use the description to clarify your role (e.g. cinematographer, lighting designer, “I’m the second to the left in this image.”). You may include a short (1-2 sentence) description of the work.

Work sample order
Submittable orders your files in the order that you upload them.

Selection process

Selection Criteria
All applications are reviewed by one multidisciplinary panel consisting of five artists from across the state with expertise in a range of artistic disciplines. Panelists review all eligible applications online through Submittable and meet to discuss applications and recommend recipients. Panelists are asked to review all applicants through a lens of racial equity and consider geographic diversity, highlighting a range of disciplines and practices. The panel selects the recipients based on:

Artistic excellence
The background and experience of the artist
Artist’s continued dedication to their artistic practice

Racial Equity
Artist Trust is a nonprofit organization that helps Washington State artists of all disciplines thrive through direct support, connections, and advocacy. We believe a fair and just society ensures artists of all backgrounds and identities are included in its cultural narratives.

Artist Trust Racial Equity Statement
Artist Trust is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization, and to working against the systems of racism we have inherited, upheld, and perpetuated. We know we are not there yet. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have been systematically oppressed, and we are committed to partnering with them to eradicate white supremacy throughout our organization and to support historically marginalized artists across Washington State. Artist Trust recognizes that Black and Indigenous people experience more barriers and less opportunities than other people of color. We use the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) to acknowledge this reality. Read more about our work towards racial equity here.

Selection Panelists
Selection panelists are chosen by Artist Trust staff and represent a range of practices, ages, genders, geographies, ethnicities, and stages in their careers. Panelists are kept confidential until the announcement of the awards.

Schedule
Application opens October 4
Application deadline November 4
Panel review November – January 2025
Board Votes February 2025
Notification February 2025
Public announcement March 2025

Questions?

Contact Artist Trust

With questions about applications, guidelines, eligibility, support services, and resources;
If you need to access or edit a submitted application prior to the deadline of November 4, 2025.

Contact Submittable

With website access issues;
With questions about uploading or formatting files;
With other technical support needs.

Submittable Contact Information
http://help.submittable.com/

Artist Trust Contact Information
Monday–Friday: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm PST

Luther Hughes (they/them) // Program Co-Director
luther@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x20

Lydia Boss (she/her) // Program Co-Director
lydia@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x25

Anna Teiche (she/her) // Program Coordinator
anna@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x23