KRESGE ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
What is a fellowship?
How do I choose the appropriate category (literary arts, performing arts, visual arts) in which to apply?
Can I apply in more than one category in the two-year cycle?
If I work in collaboration with another artist(s), how do I apply?
Can I apply if I am taking classes towards a degree-granting program?
What should I include in an abbreviated artist resume?
What is an artist statement?
What is a community impact statement?
What is a narrative statement?
How does the artist statement differ from the narrative statement?
How should I choose the work samples to submit in my application?
What happens after I submit my application?
What if I move out of the area after I have applied?
What are the criteria for selecting the fellows?
Who selects the fellows?
How are the applications reviewed?
How and when will I learn if I received a fellowship?
How are an applicant's residency requirements verified?
If I am awarded a fellowship, when should I expect to receive funding?
If I have a green card, am I eligible to apply?
What is a fellowship?
Kresge Artist Fellowships are for emerging and established artists and are intended to fund an artist's creative vision and voice. Fellowships are not project grants and no special conditions are attached to them. Fellowship funding may cover any aspect of the artist's life, such as, but not limited to, informal study, exploration of new artistic directions, overhead costs, travel as it directly relates to the artistic career, living and other expenses.
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How do I choose the appropriate category (literary arts, performing arts, visual arts) in which to apply?
Ultimately, this decision begins and ends with the applicant; please review the GUIDELINES carefully. Applicants are likely to be most competitive in a category if they can demonstrate a significant commitment to that particular arts category.
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Can I apply in more than one category in the two-year cycle?
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 must be submitted for each application. Please note: Applicants that submit an application to more than one category may ONLY receive a fellowship in one category per two-year cycle.
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If I work in collaboration with another artist(s), how do I apply?
Artists who collaborate with other artists and who have an on-going demonstrated history of collaborative work are permitted to apply under one collaborative application. Collaborators ONLY create one account in the online application system. Applications should have one primary applicant and include the contact information for the additional collaborators. Literary Arts applications may have up to two additional collaborators. Performing Arts applications may have up to four additional collaborators.
Collaborative applicants submit only one application as a team that includes one collaborative artist resume, one collaborative artist statement, one collaborative community impact statement, one collaborative narrative statement and one set of collaborative work samples. Please note: Each collaborative artist must meet all eligibility requirements in the Selection Criteria. Please see the GUIDELINES.
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Can I apply if I am taking classes towards a degree-granting program?
You may NOT apply if you are working toward a degree, arts or non-arts related, at the time of application or planning to work toward a degree during the course of the fellowship.
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What should I include in an abbreviated artist resume?
An abbreviated artist resume should include your most notable achievements that relate to your creative practice. This may include your education and a selection of your most important exhibitions, performances, recordings, compositions, readings, honors, awards, commissions, collections, residencies, lectures, publications, etc. You should not include work or achievements that do not relate to your creative practice.
Tips:
- The Kresge Artist Fellowships award both emerging and established artists. If you are an emerging artist, your artist resume may be brief. If you are an established artist, you may have to select the most notable accomplishments from your resume in order to meet the 2 page limit in the online application system.
- Often, accomplishments are listed in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. It is also common to order your resume by headings (i.e. awards, bibliography, commissions, discography, performances, readings, publications) or by listing the most important experiences first.
- It is not uncommon to have pursued study without completing a degree; you may still want to include these periods of study in your resume.
- If you are including collaborative works in your artist resume, please note your specific contribution to the work.
- If applicable, under the bibliography section of a resume, you should include material written about you and publications that include your work. If applicable, under the publications section of a resume, you should include material where you are the author.
- In the online application, please keep your text formatting simple, as only basic spacing will be saved in the system.
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What is an artist statement?
An artist statement explains and contextualizes your artistic work and vision clearly and concisely. You should describe your work, and you may want to address what your work means to you, what materials/techniques you use and why, what is your inspiration to create, what messages you are trying to communicate, what life experiences influenced your artistic vision, how your work responds to your development as an artist or how your work relates to other artists’ work. Your artist statement should provide clarity and insight into your art work, so avoid obscure or complex language that may confuse the audience. An artist statement can address one body of work or multiple bodies of work that share a theme.
Tips:
- Artist statements can be as short as a paragraph. A longer artist statement is not necessarily a better one.
- Artist statements are generally written in the first person and in present tense.
- Successful artist statements often respond directly to the work samples submitted in your application.
- Have a friend, especially someone who is not an artist, read your statement and give feedback. Your statement should explain your creative work clearly, so that it is understandable to someone outside of the field.
- An artist statement should evolve just as an artist’s work evolves. Be sure your artist statement reflects your current work.
- In the online application, please keep your text formatting simple, as only basic spacing will be saved in the system.
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What is a community impact statement?
The community impact statement should explain how your work impacts and inspires individuals and groups around you. Although your community impact statement is only supplementary material, it provides insight into how your work reflects or enhances communities within metropolitan Detroit, such as artistic communities, educational communities, neighborhoods, specific populations or audiences, or those you mentor.
Tips:
- Community impact statements can be as short as a paragraph. A longer statement is not necessarily a better one.
- Have a friend, especially someone who is not an artist, read your statement and give feedback. Your statement should be clear and concise so that it is understandable to someone who is not familiar with your work
- How your work impacts the community should evolve as your work evolves. You may speak to the communities you impact currently and also those you hope to impact in the future.
- In the online application, please keep your text formatting simple, as only basic spacing will be saved in the system.
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What is a narrative statement?
The narrative statement should explain what you would like to accomplish or develop should you be selected as a Kresge Artist Fellow. Although your narrative statement is only supplementary material, it provides insight into the next phase of your artistic career/development. In the narrative statement you must address the following questions: your overall plans for the fellowship period, how you will use the fellowship time, why the fellowship will be pivotal in the exploration of your art form and what the fellowship will contribute to the advancement of your career.
Tips:
- Narrative statements can be as short as a paragraph or up to one page. A longer narrative statement is not necessarily a better one.
- You do not have to propose and outline a specific project you’d like to complete in the narrative statement. However, if you do, you do not need to include budgetary information.
- Have a friend, especially someone who is not an artist, read your statement and give feedback. Your statement should be clear and concise so that it is understandable to someone outside of the field.
- In the online application, please keep your text formatting simple, as only basic spacing will be saved in the system.
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How does the artist statement differ from the narrative statement?
The artist statement provides context and insight into the work you have created. The narrative statement explains what you would like to accomplish or develop in your artistic practice in the future, should you be selected as a Kresge Artist Fellow.
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How should I choose the work samples to submit in my application?
Work samples in the appropriate format should represent your recent artistic work (preferably within the last five years). Work samples should demonstrate the depth and the strong stylistic presence of your current creative vision and voice. Please see the GUIDE (pdf) for media specifications and work sample tips.
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What happens after I submit my application?
Kresge Arts in Detroit staff initially reviews all applications for compliance only. The panelists convene in Detroit in May/June each year to select the fellows. The Kresge Arts in Detroit staff contact all the finalists to confirm eligibility before the fellows are announced. Decision letters are sent to all applicants at that time.
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What if I move out of the area after I have applied?
Your application would be deemed ineligible. Applicants must maintain permanent residence in metropolitan Detroit (Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne counties) throughout the selection process and the fellowship period.
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What are the criteria for selecting the fellows?
High-quality work, as determined by the independent fellowship panel, is the key determinant to the selection of a Kresge Artist Fellow. The artist resume, artist statement, community impact statement and narrative statement are made available to the panelists as secondary information to support your application. Both emerging and established artists are eligible to receive a fellowship.
Kresge Arts in Detroit is committed to supporting artists from diverse backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers.
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Who selects the fellows?
For each arts category (literary, performing, visual), a new independent fellowship panel is selected each year. Each panel is comprised of five distinguished national and local artists and arts professionals (2 local panelists and 3 national panelists). The Kresge Arts in Detroit Advisory Council nominates panelists with knowledge of the art forms being reviewed and a balance of artistic perspectives. Panelists represent the diversity of artistic styles within the disciplines, as well as diversity of geography, ethnicity, age and gender. The panelists remain anonymous and confidential during the selection process, however, their names will be revealed once the fellows are announced.
Kresge Arts in Detroit staff and the Kresge Arts in Detroit Advisory Council do NOT contribute to the decision-making process or the selection of the Kresge Artist Fellows.
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How are the applications reviewed?
The panel review is conducted using a fair and balanced voting system. Application materials are reviewed and voted on by the panelists in multiple rounds; each round eliminates applicants producing a smaller pool. An artist's advancement is the outcome of the averaged, collective vote of the panel, therefore, one panelist cannot ensure an applicant's selection. Panelists are asked to abstain from voting for any applicants with whom they cannot fairly evaluate their application.
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How and when will I learn if I received a fellowship?
All applicants will receive a letter after the final decisions are made in the summer of 2012. The names of all Kresge Artist Fellows and the panelists who selected them will be listed online at www.kresgeartsindetroit.org.
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How are an applicant's residency requirements verified?
The fellowship guidelines state that all Kresge Artist Fellowship applicants must be current legal residents of the metropolitan Detroit tri-county area (Macomb, Oakland or Wayne counties) in Michigan, and must have resided in the area for the past two years prior to the application deadline. To verify an applicant’s legal residency, the following documentation for the past two years must be submitted to the Kresge Arts in Detroit office – income tax forms, plus utility bills, pay stubs, lease agreements, auto registration, etc. Documents must be dated and must be addressed with the applicant name at an address within metropolitan Detroit. If an applicant can furnish these documents, they are eligible to receive a fellowship.
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If I am awarded a fellowship, when should I expect to receive funding?
The fellowship period is 12 months and begins immediately upon an orientation provided for the awarded fellows in July each year. Funds are given in one payment at the beginning of the fellowship period. Most recent tax laws state that fellowships are taxable income; fellows are encouraged to consult a tax advisor regarding their award funds.
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If I have a green card, am I eligible to apply?
Yes.
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