Applications are now being accepted for artist fellowships through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. The Commission has earmarked up to $28,000 for the program. Applications must be postmarked by Sept. 1, 2005. The application materials can be downloaded here.
The fellowships are designed to honor individuals for artistic excellence and accomplishment, dedication to discipline, and potential for further professional development. The Commission will award a maximum of eight fellowships of $3,500 to artists, based solely on previous work. Use of the funds is left to the recipient’s discretion. The fellowships do not require a cash match.
Fellowship categories for fiscal year 2006 include non-fiction and poetry works in the literary arts field; film, video and audio works in the performing arts field; and painting and works on paper, including printmaking and digital art, in the visual arts field. Artists may request that their work be reviewed from the perspective of folk and traditional art.
To be eligible, artists must be at least 18 years of age and have been a legal resident of West Virginia for at least one year before the application deadline of Sept. 1. Artists who are creating work under the supervision of a master artist or instructor will be reviewed for eligibility on a case-by-case basis. Past fellowship winners may not reapply in any medium for three years, and artists may apply in only one category each year.
Applications are ranked on originality, creativity, craft and artistry of the work, level of the artist’s commitment as evidenced by the material submitted, and the fellowship’s potential to assist in the artist’s creative growth.
For more information about the artist fellowships, or to receive an application and guidelines, contact Jeff Pierson, individual artist coordinator for the Division, at (304) 558-0240, ext. 717. The applications and guidelines are also available online at http://www.wvculture.org/arts/grants.html.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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Ginny Painter
Director of Public Information
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone (304) 558-0220
Fax (304) 558-2779
ginny.painter@wvculture.org