NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). An unrestricted cash grant offered in 15 disciplines to artists living in New York State or within one of its Tribal Nations.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship - Nyfa NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Image Credit: Eva Davidova Grant History & Recipients The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is an $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein. This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete.

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Additional funding is provided by Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Joy of Giving Something, the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Lawrence Foundation, and individual donors. You can join NYFA’s generous benefactors in helping artists. Visit our Donate page to learn more about the impact of your gift.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 10:00 AM ET Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 5:00 PM ET* *Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close and stop accepting applications at this time.

Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts 2027 Award Cycle (Applications open in Fall 2026) 2028 Award Cycle (Applications open in Fall 2027) Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design Playwriting/Screenwriting Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements: 25 years or older by the application deadline date Current residents of New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located in New York State Must have maintained New York State residency, and/or residency in one of the Tribal Nations located therein, for at least the last two consecutive years (2024 & 2025) Not enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind Are the originators of the work , i.e. choreographers or playwrights, not interpretive artists such as dancers or actors Did not receive a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in any discipline in the past five consecutive years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Cannot submit any work samples that have been previously awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship While collaborating artists are eligible to apply, the total number of artists cannot exceed three individuals (this includes the submitter). Each artist applying must all meet the eligibility criteria for this award.

Artists applying as a collaboration cannot apply separately as an individual in the same year Applicants can apply in a maximum of 2 categories each cycle Are not a current NYFA employee or have been in the last 12 months, a member of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists’ Advisory Committee, 2026 panelist, or an immediate family member of any of the above.

Artists that have been awarded five NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships receive Emeritus status and are no longer eligible for the award Learn more about the specific application requirements for each discipline below. Download the Application Tips PDF for guidance on confirming your eligibility and crafting a strong application.

This category accepts work in all forms of craft, including ceramics, glass, wood, metal, fiber, textiles, jewelry, and mixed media. This category accepts work in all forms of sculpture, including kinetic works and installations. Work-for-hire or mass-produced works are not eligible for this category.

View Craft/Sculpture Guidelines as PDF Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review. Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly.

This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work. TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended. If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section.

Applicants can submit up to 10 images total (submitting no less than 5 images is recommended). Images can be representative of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. Formats Accepted: Artists can select one of the following options: JPG or JPEG – Maximum of 10 uploads.

Each upload should represent one single work sample. PDF File – 1 upload with a maximum of 10 pages. Each page should represent one single work sample.

Do not include links within your PDF. Images of diptychs, installations, and multi-part works are accepted. Providing multiple images of one work sample on a single JPG or page of your PDF is acceptable in the Craft/Sculpture category.

TIP: You can upload files up to 400 MB each, with a total submission limit of 800 MB. When formatting your images, RGB is the recommended color profile for screen viewing. You can use image editing software such as Photoshop, Canva or Preview to edit, resize, and format your images.

Metadata Section in Application: A metadata section will appear on your application form after each work sample has been uploaded. In this section, you will be able to provide the following information: (Required, 250-Words Max.) : In addition to your submitted images, briefly describe the context, concept, and execution of your work sample(s).

If your submitted work samples include multiple works, you can talk about them collectively or itemize each one and talk about them individually.

If relevant, you may also include: How your work samples (or a portion of your work samples) represent a larger body of work Whether the images document an installation, experience, performance, or time-based piece The intended circumstances in which the viewer/audience should experience the work such as instructions for navigating the work, if it’s interactive Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes.

We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. (Required, 250-Words Max.) : A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice.

This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you make what you make). This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples. Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work.

This is not an Artist Bio. (Optional, 250-Words Max.) : A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community.

This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s). This category accepts work in which technology is an essential element of the work’s creation, presentation, or understanding.

Examples include: works created or displayed on computers or other electronic media; work created with computer models such as sculptural works or algorithmic art; interactive installations including immersive virtual environments; internet projects; hypertext documents; other image, text, audio, or video works rooted in technology. This category also includes work that critically engages with artificial intelligence (AI).

View Digital/Electronic Arts Guidelines as PDF Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review. Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly.

This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work. TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended. If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section.

Work Samples can be in one following formats: Work Samples (Images only) – up to 10 digital images Work Samples ( Audio / Video Only) – 2 audio or video links, 5-minutes each in maximum length Work Samples ( Images and Audio/Video) – up to 5 digital images and 1 audio or video link, 5-minutes maximum in length Formats Accepted: JPG or JPEG only Each upload should represent one single work sample.

The submitted images can be representative of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. TIP: You can upload files up to 400 MB each, with a total submission limit of 800 MB. When formatting your images, RGB is the recommended color profile for screen viewing.

You can use image editing software such as Photoshop, Canva or Preview to edit, resize, and format your images. Metadata Section in Application: A metadata section will appear on your application form after each work sample has been uploaded.

In this section, you will be able to provide the following information: Formats Accepted: Audio or Video links from YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Google Drive, Bandcamp, or Soundcloud Submitting a video sample consisting of multiple clips from different projects, such as “demo reels” or highlight reels, is not allowed. Do not submit links to videos that need to be downloaded for access. Do not submit links to interactive websites.

For online experiences or simulations, a video of the site in action is acceptable. Passwords for Video Links (if applicable): After you provide the link to your video, you will be requested to provide a password if applicable. Please ensure that the link and password you share will remain accessible until July 2026 .

Any broken links cannot be corrected after you submit your application. Metadata Section in Application: A metadata section will appear on your application form below your link. In this section, you will be able to provide the following information: (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: In addition to your submitted images, audio and/or videos, briefly describe the context, concept, and execution of your work sample(s). If your submitted work samples include multiple works, you can talk about them collectively or itemize each one and talk about them individually.

If relevant, you may also include: How your work samples (or a portion of your work samples) represent a larger body of work Whether the images, audio and/or videos document an installation, experience, performance, or time-based piece The intended circumstances in which the viewer/audience should experience the work such as instructions for navigating the work, if it’s interactive Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes.

We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. Document uploads for Support statements will not be accepted. (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you make what you make). This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples.

Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. This is not an Artist Bio. ( Optional, 250-Words Max.)

: A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s).

This category accepts work in all varieties and genres of nonfiction literary prose, including essays, criticism, journalism, autobiography, monographs, memoir, creative non-fiction, and experimental forms. View Nonfiction Literature Guidelines as PDF Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review.

Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly. This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work. TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended.

If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section. Applicants must submit 1 manuscript , up to 20 pages in maximum length, plus an additional title page (21 total pages). The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion .

Your manuscript can consist of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. If your work sample includes a combination of excerpts from larger works, you are strongly advised to include substantial portions from each larger work, rather than small fragments. Do not include publication and/or production information anywhere on your manuscript.

Materials can be previously published or not. If published, scanned excerpts from books or periodicals, in published form, will be ineligible. Do not include your artistic résumé in your PDF.

Manuscripts must be in English, or can be translated into English by someone other than the artist. Note: Panelists are instructed not to review any materials beyond the maximum number of pages allowed (21 pages, including the title page). (Required, 150-Words Max.)

: Provide a synopsis for your work sample. The synopsis should offer a clear and concise summary of your manuscript. If your manuscript includes multiple works, you can itemize each one and talk about them individually.

Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes. We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. Document uploads for Support statements will not be accepted.

(Required, 250-Words Max.) : A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you make what you make).

This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples. Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. This is not an Artist Bio.

(Optional, 250-Words Max.) : A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s).

This category accepts original work in all forms of poetry, for either the page, the stage, or lyrics for a music composition. View Poetry Guidelines as PDF Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review.

Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly. This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work. TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended.

If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section. Applicants must submit 1 manuscript, up to 20 pages in maximum length, plus an additional title page (21 total pages). Spacing and page formatting at the discretion of the artist The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion .

Your manuscript can consist of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. If your work sample includes a combination of excerpts from larger works, you are strongly advised to include substantial portions from each larger work, rather than small fragments. Do not include publication and/or production information anywhere on your manuscript.

Materials can be previously published or not. If published, scanned excerpts from books or periodicals, in published form, will be ineligible. Do not include your artistic résumé in your PDF.

Manuscripts must be in English, or can be translated into English by someone other than the artist. Note: Panelists are instructed not to review any materials beyond the maximum number of pages allowed (21 pages, including the title page). (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: In addition to your submitted manuscript, briefly describe the context, concept, and execution of your work sample(s). If your submitted work samples include multiple works, you can talk about them collectively or itemize each one and talk about them individually.

If relevant, you may also include: How your work samples (or a portion of your work samples) represent a larger body of work Any particular conditions under which the work is best experienced (e.g., read aloud, performed, or in a certain setting) How to navigate or engage with the work if your poetry is interactive in some way (such as through multimedia or audience participation) Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes.

We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. Document uploads for Support statements will not be accepted. (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you make what you make). This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples.

Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. This is not an Artist Bio. (Optional, 250-Words Max.)

: A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s).

Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts This category includes work in visual media other than painting, including artist’s books, aquatints, collages, engravings, etchings, lithographs, monotypes, prints, serigraphs, woodcuts, cut paper, and drawings. Artists whose work involves painting only, including watercolorists, should apply to the Painting category.

Artists whose work involves the computer as primary medium should apply in the Digital/Electronic Arts category. View Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts Guidelines as PDF Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review.

Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly. This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work. TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended.

If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section. Applicants can submit up to 10 images total (submitting no less than 5 images is recommended). Images can be representative of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work.

Formats Accepted: Artists can select one of the following options: JPG or JPEG – Maximum of 10 uploads. Each upload should represent one single work sample. PDF File – 1 upload with a maximum of 10 pages.

Each page should represent one single work sample. Do not include links within your PDF. Images of diptychs, installations, and multi-part works are accepted.

Providing multiple images of one work sample on a single JPG or page of your PDF is acceptable in the Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts category. TIP: You can upload files up to 400 MB each, with a total submission limit of 800 MB. When formatting your images, RGB is the recommended color profile for screen viewing.

You can use image editing software such as Photoshop, Canva or Preview to edit, resize, and format your images. Metadata Section in Application: A metadata section will appear on your application form after each work sample has been uploaded. In this section, you will be able to provide the following information: (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: In addition to your submitted images, briefly describe the context, concept, and execution of your work sample(s). If your submitted work samples include multiple works, you can talk about them collectively or itemize each one and talk about them individually.

If relevant, you may also include: How your work samples (or a portion of your work samples) represent a larger body of work Whether the images document an installation, experience, performance, or time-based piece The intended circumstances in which the viewer/audience should experience the work such as instructions for navigating the work, if it’s interactive Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes.

We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. Document uploads for Support statements will not be accepted. (Required, 250-Words Max.)

: A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you make what you make). This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples.

Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. This is not an Artist Bio. (Optional, 250-Words Max.)

: A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s). NYFA regularly revisits its grant guidelines and eligibility requirements to improve clarity and accessibility and reduce unintentional bias.

We invite feedback and suggestions that we can consider within the parameters of the program funder’s goals and NYFA’s required processes. Applications are reviewed over the course of 3 elimination rounds. Rounds 1 & 2: The panel will carefully review and score assigned applications independently.

The highest scoring applications will move forward into the next round of review. Round 3: The panel will meet as a group and collectively discuss the applications that have made it into this round, and conclude by selecting the Fellows and Finalists.

Peer review panelists will assess eligible applications according to the following evaluation criteria: A competitive application demonstrates excellence in their discipline through strong Work Samples that highlight the applicant’s creativity, technical proficiency, and overall artistic vision.

Clarity and Cohesiveness: A competitive application presents clear, concise, and compelling Support Statements that provide valuable insights into their practice and motivations. The Support Statements should work together with the submitted Work Samples to provide a comprehensive understanding of the applicant’s vision and goals.

Originality and Innovation: A competitive application showcases innovative methods, ideas, and/or concepts that makes their work stand out within the discipline. Panelists will assess the uniqueness and originality of an applicant’s approach, including the quality of execution, innovation in materials or techniques, and the overall impact of your work.

Applicants may also demonstrate innovation through place-based work that is informed by or responsive to a specific location, community, or environment. As part of the evaluation process, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship prioritizes applications from New York State residents who live outside of the New York City metropolitan area.

While this prioritization is considered within each round of review, it does not guarantee any specific outcomes regarding who will ultimately be awarded a fellowship. Panelists are integral to the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship grant-making process.

Panelists are New York-based artists, cultural workers, educators, and community leaders who carefully review NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship applications throughout multiple scoring rounds and participate in a virtual panel discussion. Panelists receive an honorarium based on the number of applications reviewed, and public recognition for their panel participation at the time of recipient announcement.

The panelist nomination deadline was January 6, 2026. NYFA staff will reach out to submitted nominees on a rolling basis, no later than January 2026 if they are selected for a panel. We only accept applications via Submittable .

First-time users will need to register with the free Submittable platform to access the application portal. Applications for 2026 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are now closed. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted and no exceptions will be made.

We strongly recommend that applicants complete their applications in advance of the deadline to allow time for work samples to upload and to avoid potential technical problems. Applicants will receive an automatic response from Submittable once their application has been successfully received. The NYFA Grants team hosted a series of virtual information sessions designed to help artists build a strong application.

Each live session included a Q&A section where artists could ask the Grants team questions about the application process. All info sessions were held virtually over Zoom and were conducted in English. Recorded info sessions are available below for viewing, with closed captions.

General Information Session This is a pre-recorded information session that covers a general overview of the 2026 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program.

Craft/Sculpture Information Session Digital/Electronic Arts Information Session Nonfiction Literature Information Session Poetry Information Session Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts Information Session How many applications are received for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in each cycle, and how many fellowships are awarded per category? NYFA receives between 2,000 – 4,000 applications each application cycle.

The number of grants awarded is predetermined by the amount of funding available for distribution. The number of awards distributed per discipline category is dependent on the number of applications we receive in each discipline. In 2025, NYFA awarded 92 Fellowships (99 artists) and 15 Finalists, totaling an amount of $753,000.

How much funding do Fellows receive? Do Finalists receive funding? Fellows receive an $8,000 unrestricted cash grant.

Each year 3 finalists are selected in each offered category. Starting in 2024, finalists are recognized with a $1,000 cash grant. How are NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellows selected?

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellows are selected based on their artistic vision and voice presented within their application. Materials are reviewed and voted on by the panelists through multiple elimination rounds, producing a smaller pool for each round. An artist’s advancement is a product of the collective vote of the panel.

A single panelist cannot ensure an applicant’s success or failure. The panel’s selection of Fellows and Finalists is reviewed by NYFA’s Artists’ Advisory Committee and by NYFA’s Board of Trustees. Neither the Committee nor the Board reviews the work of applicants or makes any aesthetic judgments.

Panelists’ names are kept confidential until the awards are announced. How are panels assembled? The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is peer reviewed by panelists who are practicing artists experienced in the discipline they are reviewing.

Recommendations for potential panelists come from many sources including: NYFA’s Artists’ Advisory Committee, arts and cultural organizations around New York State and Tribal Nations located therein, and suggestions from practicing artists. NYFA also accepts nominations for the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship panel.

NYFA makes every effort to assemble diverse panels, considering genre, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, and geographic location. Each discipline is reviewed by a unique panel, and panelists change every year. Panelists’ names are kept confidential until the awards are announced.

Where do the funds for this program come from? The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding is provided by Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Joy of Giving Something, the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Lawrence Foundation, and individual donors.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for applying? Applicants must be at least 25 years old at the time of the application deadline, and must also be a resident of New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located in New York State for at least two years prior to the deadline. Applicants cannot be matriculated in a graduate or undergraduate degree program regardless of their field of study.

Fellowships are not awarded to interpretative artists such as dancers or actors; applicants must be the originators of the work, i.e. choreographers or playwrights. Recipients of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship within the past 5 years are ineligible, as well as NYFA employees, members of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists Advisory Committee, or immediate family members of any of the above or of a panelist from the current cycle.

Artists that have been awarded five NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships receive Emeritus Status and are no longer eligible to apply. Please review the entire list of eligibility requirements under “Who Can Apply. ” Can I apply if I am taking a class in an unrelated subject towards a degree, or am a student in a degree-granting program that is unrelated to my application?

No. Regardless of your field of study, no matriculated students are allowed to apply for a fellowship. Can I apply for one of the Named Fellowships? No. In addition to funding we receive from the New York State Council on the Arts, NYFA receives support from other sources to make grants to individual artists.

The Deutsche Bank Fellowship, Geri Ashur Screenwriting Award,* Gregory Millard Fellowship, and Shelley Pinz Fellowship are all selected as part of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship selection process. *Geri Ashur Screenwriting Award Fellows receive $10,000. If I work with another artist, can we apply together?

Yes, collaborating artists should apply together under one application. A collaboration is defined as up to three artists who can clearly demonstrate an ongoing collaborative career. Collaborators only need to establish one online account and must submit only one application.

Should a collaborative application receive an award, the grant will be divided evenly between