Click here to see the guidelines for the 2023 Kresge Artist Fellowship application cycle.

Kresge Artist Fellowships are $25,000 no strings attached awards for emerging and established artists. Fellowships are not project grants. Instead, awards may be used to cover any aspect of the artist’s life, such as living expenses, residency fees, art supplies, equipment, classes, travel expenses, etc. Kresge Artist Fellowships also include professional practice opportunities and a short film about the artist’s practice.

Kresge Artist Fellows receive a tailored professional development experience that provides skill-building, networking, promotion, and coaching opportunities. Produced by Kresge Arts in Detroit, programming is created and delivered in collaboration with local and national artists and arts and culture organizations. Within the catalog of offerings, fellows are encouraged to determine what best suits their goals and definitions of success. Gilda Award recipients are also invited to participate in the majority of professional development programming.

In the online application for a Kresge Artist Fellowship, you may check a box stating that you would like to be considered for a Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Award.

All applicants receive email notification in early summer after the final decisions are made. The names of all Kresge Artist Fellows and the panelists who selected them will be listed on the Kresge Arts in Detroit website.

After the application deadline, Kresge Arts in Detroit staff reviews all applications to ensure they meet the application guidelines and eligibility criteria. Staff may request additional information from an applicant at any time during the process. Applications that appear to meet the eligibility criteria and application guidelines are forwarded for consideration by a selection panel.

Over several months, through multiple rounds, local and national panelists review those eligible applications and select the fellowship recipients. New panelists participate each year.

In the final stage of review, Kresge Arts in Detroit staff contact artists whose applications remain in consideration. Applicants are asked to confirm and document that they meet the eligibility criteria. At all stages, Kresge Arts in Detroit makes the determination, in its sole discretion, as to whether the eligibility criteria—including proof of past, current, and future residency—and application guidelines have been met.

Each year, a new group of fellowship panelists reviews eligible applications and selects the Kresge Artist Fellows. Staff makes determinations that eligibility criteria and application guidelines are met, but otherwise does not contribute to the decision-making or selection of the Kresge Artist Fellows.

No. You may not apply if you are working toward or planning to work toward a degree during the course of the year-long fellowship. ABD (all but dissertation) status Ph.D. candidates are able to apply.

Artists who collaborate, and who have an ongoing demonstrated history of collaborative work, are permitted to apply under a collaborative application. Applications should have one primary applicant and include the contact information for up to four additional collaborators.

Should a collaborative artist group receive a fellowship, the $25,000 award is split evenly among the collaborators. Should a collaborative artist group receive a Gilda Award, the $5,000 award is split evenly among the collaborators.

Each collaborative artist must meet all eligibility requirements listed in the selection criteria. Please see guidelines for further information.

Applicants may only apply in more than one category if they can demonstrate a significant commitment to each of the individual categories. If an applicant applies in more than one category, a completely separate application and set of support materials should be submitted for each application. Applicants that submit an application to more than one category may only receive a fellowship in one category.

Yes! Oftentimes, selected artists have applied several times before receiving a fellowship. Every year a new set of panelists review applications, bringing fresh perspectives to the selection process. Previous applicants are strongly encouraged to re-apply.

Your application would be deemed ineligible.

No. Kresge Artist Fellowships are only awarded to individual artists.

While we are available to help with general questions you may have about how to apply and craft a strong application, we are unable to provide feedback regarding the specific content of your in-progress application.

However, Kresge Arts in Detroit staff are available to review your work samples for compliance after you submit, as long as you submit at least one week in advance of the January 19, 2023 deadline.