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 Fine Arts
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Fellowship
Deadline: 11/07/2025
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 more than $6 million in Fellowships to Virginians.
Fellowship Categories
- Professional Individual | $8,000
- An artist can apply to the Professional category as long as they will not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program during the Fellowship period of May 2026 through May 2027.
- Current Undergraduate and Graduate students graduating May 2026 who do not plan to enroll in a degree-seeking program within the following year must apply to the Professional category.
- 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.
- Each artist in a collaborative group must submit an application and list the other group member(s) with whom they are collaborating. Only the first artist in the group to apply will submit work samples.
- Graduate (Individual only) | $6,000
- Graduate applicants must be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking graduate-level program for the entire academic year of Aug 2026 through May 2027 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts.
- If you plan to graduate May 2026, and do not plan to enroll in a degree-seeking program within the following year, you must apply for a Professional Fellowship.
- Undergraduate (Individual only) | $4,000
- Undergraduate applicants must be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking undergraduate-level program for the entire academic year of Aug 2026 through May 2027 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts.
- If you plan to graduate May 2026, and do not plan to enroll in a degree-seeking program within the following year, you must apply for a Professional Fellowship.
- High school seniors, graduating in May/June 2026 and planning to be enrolled in a full-time degree-seeking program the entire academic year of Aug 2026 through May 2027, 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 2026 will automatically be considered for a half-year fall semester Fellowship.
Grant Period
The 2026-27 Fellowship period runs from May 2026 through May 2027.
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 2026 through May 2027. 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 2026 through May 2027.
- 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 2026 through May 2027. 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 2026 through May 2027 at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts.
For more information, visit VMFA.
