What’s happening: The first step of the application process for the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellowship program has begun. With the release of the guidelines this past Monday, Nov. 1, metro Detroit artists now have one month to prepare as the application window officially opens Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Why it’s important: The Kresge Artist Fellowship offers metro Detroit artists the chance at winning a $25,000 no-strings-attached fellowship. The 2022 award cycle totals $550,000 in fellowships for local artists, including twenty $25,000 fellowships and ten $5,000 Gilda Awards. Winners also receive professional development and mentorship opportunities.
Who’s eligible: Artists living and working in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in the Live Arts and Film & Music categories are invited to apply. The Live Arts category includes choreography, dance, interdisciplinary work, performance art, playwriting, theatre directing. The Film & Music category includes animation, film directing, interdisciplinary work, music composition, music performance, screenwriting, and sound art. Artists at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply.
Who they are: The Artist Fellowship program is run by Kresge Arts in Detroit, an arm of the Kresge Foundation. Since 2008, Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded $6.7 million to local artists.
Key dates: The online application window opens on Wednesday, Dec. 1, with an informative Q&A scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 11. The deadline for applications is at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20, and the winners will be announced in July 2022.
Visit Kresge Arts in Detroit online to learn more about the application process.
What they’re saying: “Applying allowed me to reflect on how I perceive the work I do and its impact. The application process brought awareness to what I have accomplished and helped me see a clear path to where I’m going,” says 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow Karilú Alarcón Forshee. “I was able to narrow my mission to its substance.”
Update: A previous version of this story referred to the fellowships as “grants.” An important distinction, Kresge Arts in Detroit points out that fellowships go to people while grants typically go to projects. Changes have been made to reflect this distinction.
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