OPEN CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2027 DVAA Fellowship
2027 Fellowship & Residency program runs
december 2026 - december 2027
Fellowship exhibitions - September & October 2027
DVAA is now accepting applications for our 2027 FELLOWSHIP & Residency program:
Inspired by the vision of our founders, the DVAA Fellowship & Residency Program offers underserved artists and curators living within the Greater Philadelphia region an opportunity to access space, mentorship, and community with other local artists. Split between two distinctive tracks, a curatorial fellowship and artist-in-residence, the program offers creatives at different stages of their careers opportunity to grow alongside one another in a cohort setting. Designed to support underrepresented artists and curators from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages, and experience levels at pivotal stages in the development of their practice – all cohort members receive one-on-one support from DVAA staff, collaborative support through studio visits and critiques, targeted professional development workshops, exhibition planning support, and installation technical guidance and support.
What The fellowship offers:
3-week long exhibition at DVAA curated by the Fellowship artist in September or October of 2027
2-years of free Artist Membership with DVAA
Financial Stipend for each Fellowship track - $500.00
Support over the course of the year through monthly events, studio visits, workshops, cohort critiques, and one-on-one meetings
Logistical & conceptual assistance from DVAA’s staff
Artist profile on the DVAA website
artwork courtesy of 2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024 Fellowship cohorts
Guidelines and Submission Requirements
What is Expected:
Attendance at cohort events including group meetings (4 a year) and Resident open studios (1 a month).
Attendance at the DVAA annual members meeting (usually held on a Sunday afternoon in May or June).
Attending at least one DVAA program each month.
DVAA believes in the liberatory power of skill sharing and collective knowledge. Each Fellowship artist is expected to collaborate with the DVAA Staff to create programs that engage the public relating to their exhibition.
DVAA’s Fellowship Director and the rest of the staff will be able to provide guidance and assistance towards the installation of the exhibition and any corresponding events. However, as the leader of their Fellowship project, each Fellow is responsible for ensuring all deadlines are met on time, and project needs are communicated with ample time. The Fellows are the main point of contact for their exhibition and related programming.
Stipends are paid in the early summer, prior to the Fellowship exhibitions. Fellows must provide a W9, a plan for public programming during their exhibition, and a completed marketing form in order to receive payment of their stipend.
FELLOWSHIP TRACKS:
The DVAA Fellowship & Residency Program is designed to support historically underrepresented and underserved artists at any point in their careers. The Fellowship offers aspiring curators the opportunity to access the space and collaborative environment to build their concepts into fully formed exhibitions and related programs. The Fellowship offers four distinctive tracks applicants can apply to named and thematically centered after Philadelphia artists who have made an impact on the city.
(click title of track for more information)
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In honor of Linda Dubin Garfield’s lifelong commitment to using art as a medium towards advocacy work, this Fellowship track is awarded to a Philadelphia printmaker or collective to develop a curatorial project using the medium of printmaking. Proposals for this track must center their curatorial project around collaborative opportunities that address issues people in Philly are facing and find space for solutions. Artists within this track receive a month of studio time at a local community printshop, BYOprint.
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Named after Michelle Angela Ortiz and her 25+ years of work in our neighborhood using art as a vehicle to represent people and communities whose histories are often lost or co-opted. This Fellowship track provides an opportunity for one artist/curator to explore personal narratives of marginalized identities by engaging with local communities to examine, explore, and challenge Euro-centric narratives through an exhibition and related programming.
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Kathryn Pannepacker revitalized DVAA in 1997 and continues to work deeply in partnership with local communities around criminal justice, the opioid crisis, and the politics surrounding displacement. This Fellowship track offers an opportunity for one artist/curator to create an exhibition and related programming exploring social, political, and/or cultural content that engages local communities in and external to the DVAA space.
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Created to honor Lee Alter, a renowned Philadelphia artist, collector, philanthropist, and founder of the Leeway Foundation, the Linda Lee Alter track annually provides an opportunity for one queer artist/curator each year to create an exhibition and related programming that explores connection, transformation, liberation, and LGBTQ+ narratives.
Who Can Apply:
To qualify, applicants must be:
Over 18.
Planning to live in the Greater Philadelphia region during the full year of the program.
Not currently enrolled or planning to enroll in a degree-granting program at time of application or during the cohort year.
The Fellowship is open to artists/curators working in any medium, including writers and performers.
The DVAA Fellowship & Residency Program is designed to support historically underrepresented and underserved artists. Our definition of underrepresented and underserved refers to people who have disproportionately been denied access and/or experienced insufficient and inadequate representation in the visual arts due to institutional discrimination and/or lack of financial means. All applicants must be able to articulate how they define this within their own lived reality in the arts world.
DVAA's Commitment to Equity
DVAA welcomes all artists to apply for membership and attend programs while maintaining a strong commitment to equity. We give priority consideration to artists from historically underrepresented groups in the arts. Our Fellowship & Residency program supports artists and curators at all career stages.
Selection Criteria
After an initial 2-step review by the Exhibitions Committee, finalists will undergo an interview process with DVAA staff who will alert all candidates with their decision by September 15th.
The Exhibition Committee will be making decisions based on their annual rubric as well as the following criteria:
Description of personal need for the Fellowship and cohort experience.
A portfolio that demonstrates a dedication to curatorial/artistic practice.
Please review the annual rubric for a better understanding of what our artist collective looks for within submitted applications.
Reflection Questions for Your Proposal
When preparing your application, consider addressing:
How will this opportunity specifically advance your artistic practice?
How might your participation benefit the DVAA community?
Have you previously had access to similar opportunities or resources?
What privileges or barriers have shaped your artistic practice and career?
These reflections will strengthen your proposal and help us understand your unique perspective and needs.
Submitting an Application:
Only digital applications submitted through the button below will be accepted.
Any applicants who do not submit an application fee or an application will not be reviewed.
Applicants may only apply for one track within the Fellowship & Residency program. Duplicate applicants will not be reviewed.
Application Fee $5
Deadline to Apply May 31st, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Applicant Notification By September 15th, 2026
Starting in our 2027 application cycle, all applications must include a proposal for both the 1st and 2nd floor galleries. This change allows Staff to schedule curatorial projects that are best suited to the space and allow a path forward for adjustments in the case of an emergency. Please view the floor plans below to get a better understanding of the gallery spaces.
Click to expand Gallery 2 floor plan
Click to expand Gallery 1 floor plan
Agreement:
By submitting artwork to this call, the artist is agreeing to allow DVAA to use images of the artwork on its website and social media if accepted into the residency program. Artist retains full copyright of the work. Images will not be used by DVAA aside from the DVAA website, marketing content, and social media posts.
If you have questions about the DVAA Fellowship & Residency program or need support in the application process, please contact info@davinciartalliance.org