Fellowship Awards

About the Fellowship Awards

Artist Trust Fellowship Awards are merit-based awards of $10,000 to practicing professional artists of exceptional talent and ability residing in Washington State. These unrestricted awards are open to artists of all disciplines and are given annually to 8+ artists of in recognition of artistic excellence and dedication to their practice. In addition to the Artist Trust Fellowship Awards are the Fellowship Award for Black Artists, the Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Fellowship Award, The Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists, and The Vadon Foundation Fellowship Award for Native Artists.

The first Fellowship Awards were selected in 1987, making it Artist Trust’s longest-running award program.

Guidelines

Read the 2025 Fellowship Guidelines (PDF).

Read the 2025 Fellowship Guidelines (webpage).

Printable plain text guidelines (PDF).

Reference Guide

Click here to read the 2025 Fellowship Reference Guide to see excerpts from past recipients’ applications.

Selection Criteria

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

Selection Process

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, consider geographic diversity, and highlight a range of disciplines and practices.

Timeline

September 6  Guidelines available.

October 4  Application opens.

October 15 Study Hall.

October 24 & 25  Office hours.

November 4  Application closes.

November – January 2025 Panel review.

February 2025  Board votes.

February 2025   Notification of award status.

March 2025   Public announcement.

Eligibility Information

The 2025 Fellowship Awards will be 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): those who are the originators of works of art.

APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:

• Fellowship recipients from 2017–2024 (this includes recipients of the Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award, the Fellowship Award for Black Artists, and the Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Fellowship);
• 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;
• Graduate or undergraduate matriculated students enrolled in any degree program at the deadline date of November 4, 2024 and the time of payment (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. 

2025 Fellowship FAQ

Am I eligible for the 2025 Fellowship Awards? 
The 2025 Fellowship Awards are open to all Washington State artists working in any discipline. 

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 may not be: 

• Fellowship recipients from 2017-2024 (this includes recipients of the Vadon Foundation Fellowship for Native Artists, Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award, the Fellowship Award for Black Artists, and the Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Fellowship); 
• Previous recipients of two or more Fellowship Awards in a lifetime; 
• Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in 2025; 
• Graduate or undergraduate matriculated students enrolled in any degree program at the deadline date of November 4, 2024 and at the time of payment (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 

Is this award for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) only?
No. Artists of all backgrounds may apply to the 2025 Fellowship Awards. Throughout all of our grants, panelists are asked to use a lens of racial equity. To read more about how we do that, please click here. 

I’m interested in applying for the named Fellowships. Can I apply?
In addition to the Artist Trust Fellowships, there are 4 named Fellowships with additional eligibility requirements:

• 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 automatically be 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.
• The Greg Kucera & 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.
• 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 who identify as the above will have to opt into being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship application. Read more about this award here.
• 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. 

If awarded, how much money will I receive? 
Recipients will receive $10,000.  

How do I choose my disciplinary category?
A list of our disciplinary categories can be found here.

Can I apply as part of a collaboration or team?
A team of two or more artists may apply if you have a documented history of creating and presenting work as a team. Artists applying as a team must contact Artist Trust to confirm eligibility before applying. If eligible, one artist will submit the application and list team members. All team members must meet the eligibility requirements for the respective award. Applications made on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, community group, or a fiscally-sponsored entity will not be accepted.   

If I apply as part of a team, how much money will we receive?
The team will receive $10,000. 

When can I apply?
The 2025 Fellowship Awards application will be available online on October 4, 2024. The application deadline is November 4, 2024, 11:59 PM PST. 

How do I apply?
To apply, you must create a Submittable account and submit an application through Submittable, which will be linked here once applications are open.  Applications must be submitted through submittable. Emailed or physical applications will not be reviewed.   

Do you accept late applications?
We do not accept late applications under any circumstances. 

Can I edit my application after I submit?
If you submit your application before the deadline, we are able to open your application for edits with advance notice. You will be responsible for re-submitting your application after it’s opened for editing, by the application deadline. 

After the deadline, applications cannot be edited. 

What materials do I need to include in my application?
In your application in Submittable, be sure to include: a Discipline Statement (50 words or less), a biography (150 words or less or up to 1.5 minutes of audio/video), an Artist Statement (350 words or less or up to 3 minutes of audio/video), Work Samples, an Artist Resume (5 pages or less), and an Impact Statement (150 words or less). 

How were the Submittable file formats chosen?
Due to panelist feedback from reviewing past applications and compatibility with Submittable, we suggest only uploading the file formats listed on page 7 of our Guidelines. This is because unlisted file formats have caused errors in applications – showing up as either broken files or not at all.

Can I see examples of these materials?
Yes! Examples of past successful application materials can be viewed in the 2024 Fellowship Reference Guide.

What’s the most important part of the 2025 Fellowship application? 
Your work samples are the most important part of your application. Spend the most time honing your samples. If you are submitting images, audio, or video, make sure your documentation is high quality. Be sure to follow the work sample guidelines. 

The written part of your application helps panelists understand your vision, process, and philosophy, and give context for your work in your work samples. Start on these parts early and have friends or colleagues read them. 

I can’t decide on my career stage. Will that affect the panelists’ decisions?
Career stage is not part of the selection criteria for this award and does not have an impact on whether or not you are chosen for an award. 

Where can I find help with my application?
We offer several support services and resources to help you with your application, including virtual Office Hours and Study Hall, workshops, references guides, and other resources. Visit our Events page to learn more and sign up.

What do I do if I’m having technical difficulties with my grant application?
If you aren’t able to sign into Submittable, have questions about uploading or formatting files, or other technical questions, visit https://help.submittable.com.  

How are the awards selected?
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 over Zoom to discuss applications and recommend recipients. Panelists are asked to review all applications through a lens of racial equity, consider geographic diversity, and highlight 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 

How does racial equity impact the selection of awardees?
We have a strong commitment to racial equity throughout our organization. Within our award programs, we ask selection panelists to review all applications through a lens of racial equity. This means when a panelist is considering an applicant, we ask them to be mindful of structural, institutional, and historical barriers artists of color face and how those barriers may impact their work and their career. Additionally, panelists are encouraged to have an intersectional approach and to highlight a range disciplines and practices as well as discuss marginalized identities within BIPOC communities.  

Read more about our work towards racial equity here.