The Mayor’s Office of Arts in Culture has recently announced a new artist fellowship program, providing Boston artists with a new opportunity for professional funding, according to the press release.
The Artist Fellowship Award is a pilot program designed to invest in artists living in Boston. The program offers five fellowship awards of $10,000 each for artists to advance their careers and be able to continue their work.
“Boston has a deep community of talented artists who have been creating extraordinary work,” said Julie Burros, chief of arts and culture for the City of Boston, according to the press release. “The Boston Creates Cultural Plan has allowed us to provide artists with additional support. The Artist Fellowship Award will help artists to grow and develop their careers while reinforcing their importance to the city.”
The funds from the award are unrestricted, meaning they can be used for expenses at the discretion of the recipient. Recipients of the fellowship will collaborate with the City on planning an event to showcase their individual work, and the artists will also receive mentorship tailored to their needs and the support of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.
“The Artist Fellowship Award recognizes that artists offer an essential contribution to our city and will provide them with the resources necessary to dedicate their time to continuing to create high quality work,” said Mayor Martin Walsh, according to the press release.
The program aims to award fellowships to a diverse group of artists from different backgrounds and neighborhoods throughout the city. The Artist Fellowship Award is open to all individual artists who work professionally in art disciplines.
The application is available in English, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Applicants must be a Boston resident that has lived in the city for at least three years, and must maintain residency throughout the year of the fellowship. The artist must also be able to demonstrate at least three years of experience creating art, and cannot be enrolled in a degree program when applying for the fellowship.
Applications for the Artist Fellowship Award are now available and will be accepted through July 10. All applications will be reviewed by members of the Boston Cultural Council. Award recipients will be announced in late summer. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/arts-and-culture/artist-fellowship-award.