The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship Program is a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia.
Donor Name: Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC)
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Fellowship
Deadline: 11/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists as well as art and art history students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline and, as such, has awarded nearly $6 million in Fellowships to Virginians.
Categories
- Professional Individual | $8,000
- An artist can apply as a professional as long as they will not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program during the Fellowship period of May 2025–May 2026. This includes Undergraduate and Graduate students graduating May 2025 who do not plan to enroll in a degree-seeking program within the following year.
- Professional Collaborative| $8,000
- Professional artists who can clearly demonstrate a history of ongoing collaboration may apply together for one fellowship. Collaborating winners will receive one $8,000 fellowship to divide among themselves.
- Graduate (Individual only) | $6,000
- Graduate applicants must be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program for the entire academic year of Aug 2025–May 2026 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts. 1st year and 2nd year graduate students that meet the qualification are allowed to apply. If you plan to graduate May 2025, and do not plan to enroll in a degree-seeking program within the following year, apply for a Professional Fellowship.
- Undergraduate (Individual only) | $4,000
- Undergraduate applicants must be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program for the entire academic year of Aug 2025–May 2026 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts. High school seniors, graduating in June 2025 and planning to be enrolled in a full-time degree-seeking program the entire academic year of Aug 2025–May 2026, are eligible to apply for an Undergraduate Fellowship.
- Half-year Student | $3,000 (Graduate)| $2,000 (Undergraduate)
- Full-time students in their final year of a degree program who plan to graduate in December 2025 will automatically be considered for a half-year fall semester Fellowship (worth $3,000 for graduate students and $2,000 for undergraduate students).
Grant Period
The 2025-26 Fellowship period runs from May 2025–May 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
Professional Artists
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, as well as a current legal resident of Virginia, and have been so for at least 24 consecutive months prior to the application deadline.
- You must continue to be a legal resident of Virginia for the Fellowship period of May 2025–May 2026. A legal resident has a valid Virginia driver’s license, and/or pays income taxes in Virginia, and/or is a registered Virginia voter. Applicants must be able to provide verification of residency upon request.
- You cannot be a degree-seeking student during the Fellowship period of May 2025–May 2026.
Professional Artists who are NOT ELIGIBLE include the following:
- Recipients of a VMFA Professional Fellowship in the last 5 years/Fellowship cycles (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21)
- Recipients of three or more Fellowships in any category
- Full-time VMFA employees
- Undergraduate and Graduate students who will be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program during the academic year of Aug 2025–May 2026.
Students (Graduate and Undergraduate)
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, as well as a current legal resident of Virginia, and have been so for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the application deadline.
- You must continue to be a legal resident of Virginia for the Fellowship period of May 2024–May 2025. A legal resident has a valid Virginia driver’s license, and/or pays income taxes in Virginia, and/or is a registered Virginia voter.
- Students paying in-state tuition to an accredited Virginia college, university, or school of the arts qualify as legal residents of Virginia. If you do not qualify for in-state tuition in Virginia, you may not apply for a VMFA Fellowship until you establish Virginia residency. If you are a legal Virginia resident but attend school full-time outside of Virginia, you may still apply. Applicants must be able to provide verification of residency upon request.
- You must be planning to be enrolled full-time and qualify as a Virginia resident as outlined above for the entire academic year Aug 2024–May 2025 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts.
- Half-year fall semester Fellowship awards (worth $3,000 for graduate students and $2,000 for undergraduate students) may be considered on a case-by-case basis for full-time students in the final year of a degree program who plan to graduate in Dec 2025.
Student Artists who are NOT ELIGIBLE include the following:
- Recipients of three or more Fellowships in any category
- Full-time VMFA employees
- Undergraduate and graduate students who will NOT be enrolled full-time in a degree seeking program during the academic year Aug 2025–May 2026.
For more information, visit VMHC.
