Apply now for Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship (California)

The California Arts Council is seeking applications for its Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship.

Donor Name: California Arts Council

State: California

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Fellowship

Deadline: 05/06/2026

Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000

Grant Duration: 1 Year

Details:

The Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship provides unrestricted funding and statewide recognition to California artists at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contributions to the field and the state.

The Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship will regrant $240,000 among California-based individual artist and culture bearers. As the Administering Organization, Nevada County Arts & Culture will manage the application, review process, and professional development for this region.

Goals

The Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship:

Recognizes artistic excellence across all disciplines and traditions.
Provides unrestricted financial support to empower artists at key career stages to strengthen artists’ long-term resilience and impact.
Strengthens artists’ capacity and resilience through coaching, networking, and professional development.
Engages communities by showcasing the social impact and cultural leadership of Upstate Individual Artists Fellows.

Categories

Fellowships are available in the following three categories:

Emerging Artist Fellows
- Emerging artists are those at the beginning stages of making their work public, and engaging the larger community in their practice. Individuals at this career stage may have had a few public showings of their work, but do not yet have ongoing resources or support.
Established Artist Fellow
- Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public, and engage the larger community in their practice. Individuals in this tier can give multiple examples of artistic and/or cultural works that have made significant social impact.
Legacy Artist Fellow
- Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work—produced over a substantial period of time—that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact. Artists in this tier may be able to point to Emerging and Established Artists that they have mentored or otherwise positively influenced.

Funding Information

Fellowships are available in the following three categories:

Emerging Artist Fellows: $5,000
Established Artist Fellows: $10,000
Legacy Artist Fellows: $50,000

Grant Period

1, 2026—July 31, 2027.

Eligibility Criteria

Residency and Geography
- State Residency: Applicants must have maintained a primary residence in the State of California for a minimum of two (2) consecutive years prior to the application deadline.
- Regional Residency: Applicants must have their primary residency in one of the 19 counties within the Upstate Region at the time of application. As part of the application, you will be asked to provide proof of residency e.g. utility bills, lease agreements, bank statements, or government-issued IDs).
Artist Identity and Experience
- Age: Must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
- Student Status: Full-time college / higher education students are currently eligible for this fellowship. Students currently enrolled in a K 12 school are not eligible to apply.
- Professional Practice: This fellowship is for individual artists and culture bearers. You must be the primary creator of your work (not an interpreter of others’ work).
- Artistic Discipline: Artists may apply in any discipline, including but not limited to: performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, media arts, traditional and Indigenous practices, interdisciplinary work, and social practice / community-based art.
Fellowship Tiers and Re-application Rules
- This program supports artists at three distinct career stages. You may only apply for one tier.
  - Same Tier: If you have previously been awarded a CAC Individual Artists Fellowship, you are not eligible to apply for the same tier again.
  - Leveling Up: Previous awardees are encouraged to apply for a higher tier if their career stage has progressed (e.g., a past Emerging Fellow may apply as an Established Fellow).
  - Legacy Cap: Artists who have previously received a Legacy Artists Fellowship are ineligible for any future awards in this program.
Financial and Tax Requirements
- Taxpayer Identification: To receive payment if awarded, fellows must provide a valid U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (such as a Social Security Number or ITIN). Awardees will receive a Form 1099 for the tax year in which funds are disbursed. They strongly recommend consulting a tax professional regarding how this award may affect your specific financial situation.
- Fiscal Sponsors: The use of fiscal sponsors is not permitted. This grant is awarded directly to the individual artist and applications submitted through a non-profit or third-party organization will not be considered.