The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowships

The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowship Fund, established at the Rhode Island Foundation in 2003, provides up to three $25,000 artist fellowships each year, rotating among composers, writers, and visual artists on a three-year cycle. The 2010 Fellowships are in the visual arts. The Fellowships honor and enhance public recognition of Rhode Island artists producing work of high aesthetic quality and are awarded to emerging to mid-career artists whose work demonstrates exceptional creativity, rigorous dedication through consistent artistic practice, and significant artistic merit.

The Fellowship seeks to advance the careers of visual artists committed to their artistic practice. The significant financial support enables artists to concentrate time on the creative process, personal and professional development, expand their body of work, and explore new directions. Although Fellowships are unrestricted, Fellows are expected to devote concentrated time to their work during the term of the Fellowship and engage in activities which further their artistic growth, such as creation of new work, training in technologies or techniques, purchase of equipment or materials, travel, or research and development of artistic endeavors. Fellows will be required to submit a final report documenting activities supported by the Fellowship.

Applicants must be Rhode Island residents 12 months prior to the application deadline and during the period of the fellowship. Eligible disciplines include traditional forms such as painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture and installation as well as new forms of media in which visual art is a significant and integral component, with the exception of film, video and animation. Applicants must demonstrate emerging to mid-career stage status, with emerging artists having at least 3 years of professional practice and mid-career artists having at least 7 years of sustained professional practice. Students enrolled in degree-granting programs are not eligible. Work samples must have been created within the past five years. Applications require 10 samples of work, descriptions of each work, resume or CV, artist statement, and statement of plan. All applications must be submitted digitally through the CaFÉ online system.