Individual Artist Fellowship is sponsored by Maine Arts Commission. Supports Maine artists with the creation of new work, continuation of existing practices, and participation in professional development programs.

Skip to main page content Skip to right sidebar content 2026 MAINE ARTIST FELLOWSHIP Opens: July 23, 2025 (9:00 a. m.) Deadline: Sept 3, 2025 (5:00 p.

m.) The deadline has passed for this program, this page is for reference only. Guidelines will change for next year.

Award Cycle: January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 PDF of Fellowship Guidelines The Maine Artist Fellowship recognizes artistic excellence in the overall career of a Maine artist. Fellowships are not grants for artist projects; they are merit-based awards that are evaluated by a review panel on the level of artistic creativity and vision shown in the artists’ support materials.

One artist will be selected for each discipline, creating a cohort of six Maine Artist Fellows.

Maine Artist Fellowships are available in each of the following artistic disciplines: WHAT AN ARTIST CAN EXPECT AS A MAINE ARTIST FELLOW Unrestricted award to help advance artist's career as they see fit Artist Bios hosted on Maine Arts Commission website and included in all digital publications Year-long promotion/communications of fellow's activities Fellowship Reception with Maine Arts Staff and Commissioners at the Blaine House in early 2026 Networking and other collaborative opportunities throughout the year Opportunities for fellows can change year to year and this list is subject to change throughout the year.

(*Award amount is not subject to change in this FY2026 cycle.) Specific Fellowship Requirements *Note: You can only apply in one discipline. Fine Craft - Available for craft artists engaged in contemporary studio practice and/ or traditional materials such as clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, stone, wood, or other mediums.

Craft artists residing in Washington or Hancock counties should apply for the Belvedere Handcraft Fellowship. Literary Arts - Available to contemporary literary artists in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, and other writing genres. Literary artists who work in the medium of scriptwriting for the stage or screen should apply in the performing arts fellowship category.

Media Arts - Available to media artists and filmmakers working in the disciplines of film, video, animation, podcasts, web series, and other performative works that are presented through a mediating technology (not meant to be experienced live). Photography artists should apply to the Visual Arts Fellowship.

Performing Arts - Available to artists working in disciplines including theatre, dance, music, scenic design, opera, script writing and other genres intended to be presented as a live performance. Traditional Arts - Available to a person for the experience and commitment to the traditional art form they practice. The program honors Maine traditional artists who have devoted their lives to keeping a particular traditional art form alive.

These arts call for a deep connection to place and local practices and play an essential role in shaping a traditional artist’s work and repertoire. This could include maintaining cultural traditions in building, writing, music, dance, textile arts, carving, weaving, boatbuilding, and other heritage expressions practiced by established populations or new immigrant artists.

Visual Arts – Available to artists working in disciplines including painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, installation, and other visual arts genres. Digital art can fit within this category, but artists working with the moving image may wish to apply to the Media Fellowship.

Is an individual Maine artist or part of an artist collective (collectives may only apply once per award cycle, with one member as the primary contact and who submits the application). If applicable, has completed Final Reports required by the Maine Arts Commission for previous awards. Is a current Maine resident who has resided full-time in Maine for at least 2 years prior to the application deadline.

Will be a Maine resident throughout the Fellowship period. Is at least 25 years of age or older by the application deadline. Is not an enrolled student at the start of the award cycle (July 1) (Please contact the agency if you have questions).

Has not been previously awarded a Maine Artist Fellowship. There are no eligibility restrictions on how awardees may use funding. All applications and materials must be submitted using the online Application Portal.

If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to carefully review these details and call us with questions prior to beginning an application. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to write a strong application, so be sure to start the process early! Create a Maine Arts Commission account.

Create Now! Once you start an application, you can make changes anytime before you submit. Upload support materials (see details below) Traditional Arts Fellowship Only: Complete grant Narrative (to be completed in the application portal): Provide an overview of your traditional art form.

(700 characters max) Provide a description of how you learned your art including who taught you as well as other family, tribal, ethnic, occupation influences on your work (700 characters max.) How long have you been practicing your art form? (500 characters max.)

Provide a description of the community where you practice your art. What is your role as an artist in this community? (700 characters max.)

Include a description of local, state, or national recognition of your work. (700 characters max.) If you do not have a resume, you may instead submit a bio that gives an overview of your relevant experience and achievements.

Be sure to include contextual information about your experiences and achievements, e.g., when and where they took place, and with what groups, organizations, communities, and or individuals. A brief statement about your work as an artist. Artist samples (see below for details) Artistic Sample Guidelines: This could include images, audio, or video materials ( Max.

length: five minutes each ), prose samples, poetry, etc. # of Samples to include (for each fellowship): Uploads File Type Format and Tips Recommended that each image size is under 3MB Images will be viewed digitally and not printed Include only the material intended for panel review.

MP4, WMV, Youtube or Vimeo link 20MB/video max for MP4 or WMV No video slide show of still images 12pt, Times New Roman font If providing links to access supporting materials, they can be listed in one document not to exceed the max. allotment for the grant.

1 link = 1 support material * Literary Arts applicants are limited to uploading only writing samples such as prose samples, poetry, etc. ** For ANY link submitted for review: 1 Link = 1 Support Material. Applications missing any of the required uploads or containing more than allowed artistic samples cannot be accepted.

The Maine Arts Commission may use submitted materials solely for the non-commercial promotion of the artist and/or Maine Arts Commission programs. Submitted applications are reviewed by Agency staff for completion, eligibility, and adherence to the guidelines. Compliant applications are read by a diverse panel of arts and culture professionals with appropriate expertise related to the fellowship program.

Award recommendations are submitted by the panel to the Maine Arts Commission members at their bimonthly meeting for final approval. All applicants are soon notified of the awards. The delivery of funds may take up to six months from the time of award notification.

All applicants are notified of their award status (approved or declined) via email. Successful applicants also receive emails with documents and instructions on award acceptance. Awardees are listed on the Maine Arts Commission website.

Our goal is for all potential applicants to have the resources they need to submit a competitive application. If you have questions about your project or the application process, please call us at 207-287-2724. We are happy to help!

If you have questions about the technical aspects of the application form, or questions about electronic submission, please contact: Eli Cabañas, Grants and Web Manager, vog. eniam@sanabac. ile or call 207-287-6746 Important Disclaimer: The acceptance of applications for this program does not guarantee the allocation of funds.

Grant information is available in large print format by request. If you require an alternate format or need assistance to access the guidelines or application, please contact our ADA Accessibility Coordinator Eli Cabañas by email at vog. eniam@sanabac.

ile or at 207. 287. 6746.

It is the policy of the Maine Arts Commission not to discriminate on the basis of disability, and the Commission is dedicated to making our programs accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assist individuals with disabilities in connecting them with resources for access to the arts. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible. Congressional Art Competition