California Community Foundation: Fellowships For Visual Artists 2011

The California Community Foundation offers Fellowships for Visual Artists to support Southern California artists. The program provides unrestricted grants of $15,000 for emerging artists and $20,000 for mid-career artists. Awards may be spent according to the greatest need of the artist, as the panel will consider the artist's entire career and future promise.

Mid-career fellowships (11 awards) are for visual artists with seven or more years of active professional experience in their field, with documented exhibition history or other significant proof of professional accomplishments. Emerging artist fellowships (4 awards) are for artists with up to seven years of professional experience. Applicants must be full-time residents of Los Angeles County for at least five consecutive years (mid-career) or three consecutive years (emerging) prior to the application deadline, defined as being physically present in Los Angeles County 9 months per year. Eligible visual arts include painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, installation, experimental film and video, interdisciplinary/mixed media, or performance art in which visual art is a significant and integral component. Students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees and California Community Foundation employees and their immediate family members are not eligible.

All 2011 Fellows will be required to attend a two-day Business of Art Retreat in Lake Arrowhead in Fall 2011, hosted in collaboration with the Center for Cultural Innovation. The retreat includes sessions and individual consultations on accounting and legal issues, money management and alternative financing options. Fellows will receive a complimentary copy of The Business of Art: An Artists Guide to Profitable Self-Employment. Award determination notifications will be made by June 1, 2011, with a public announcement of awardees the first week of July 2011. Finalists will receive the first installment of the award in Fall 2011. Applicants must submit 6 images as work samples.