Fellowships in the Arts

About this Fellowship

In 1999, Independence Foundation established the Fellowships in the Arts.  Fellowship grants of up to $10,000 are awarded to individual originating artists (painters, sculptors, choreographers, playwrights, composers, etc.) and interpretive artists (actors, dancers, musicians, etc.) There are two grant cycles annually, one in the Visual Arts (spring) and one in the Performing Arts (fall).

Program Description

Artists are encouraged to be creative in discovering the best possible way to expand their artistic horizons. There are no set boundaries for what is possible or what types of projects might be funded. However, a successful project should be well designed and of maximum practical value to the artist. In addition, the project must provide the artist with an opportunity for artistic growth and improvement in their primary area of work, such as assisting the artist in acquiring new skills relevant to his/her work; or providing the artist with a unique developmental opportunity.

Eligibility Requirements

ALL APPLICANT ARTISTS MUST BE NOMINATED BY AN OFFICIAL NOMINATING ORGANIZATION.

• Official nominating organizations are comprised of local non-profit arts and cultural organizations who have been grantees of Independence Foundation, and who elect to participate in this program.
• Criteria for nomination may include overall artistic merit; future artistic promise; the strength of the proposed project; the likelihood that the project will be completed; and financial need.
• All applicant artists must be Pennsylvania residents of the five county Philadelphia region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties).
• All applicant artists must have 3-5 years professional experience in the visual or performing arts.
• Artists who have received an Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts within the last five years are ineligible.