NYSCA Artist Fellowship Application

2026 State of the Arts Fellowship Application

The State of the Arts Fellowship is an initiative of Governor Hochul to embed artists within New York State agencies to use their creative and collaborative arts practices to develop inspired solutions to pressing social and civic challenges. Administered by the New York State Council on the Arts, the State of the Arts Fellowship recognizes that artists are vital to New York as creative problem solvers, socially engaged individuals, and storytellers who humanize societal challenges through their work.

This program aims to 1) foster collaboration between artists and public agencies, creating new avenues for communication and connection across geographic, cultural, and political boundaries; and 2) highlight the potential for innovative, cross disciplinary solutions that are both creative and impactful for communities.

Each State of the Arts Fellowship will vary greatly in concept, scope, duration, and populations engaged, and their successes are driven by the openness of the partner agencies and the artist-led, collaborative process that the State of the Arts program framework provides. Artists who can be flexible, adaptable, and can maneuver through different situations and populations are encouraged to apply. 

In the program's second year, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is seeking four (4) artists to join the State of the Arts Fellowship program in 2026-27. One (1) selected artist will be placed in residence with each of the following offices/agencies: New York State Canal Corporation; New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR), New York State Homes & Community Renewal - State of New York Mortgage Agency (HCR/SONYMA); and New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

The four agencies hosting the 2026-27 State of the Arts Fellowship are seeking to address a range of issues at the core of their public service missions:

NEW YORK STATE CANAL CORPORATION: to interpret and share the ingenuity and innovation of Canal Craft. (Sites throughout New York State; Staff offices in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany)
NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (DHR): give meaningful expression to important dialogues around rights, identity, and belonging while also connecting these big ideas to the everyday lives of New Yorkers (New York City/Bronx)
NEW YORK STATE HOMES & COMMUNITY RENEWAL (NYSHCR) — STATE OF NEW YORK MORTGAGE AGENCY (SONYMA): help bridge gaps in awareness and perception around homeownership and connect SONYMA’s opportunities with the diverse populations and communities it serves across New York State. (sites throughout New York State; main offices in Albany and Manhattan)
NEW YORK STATE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (OPWDD): collect, share, and interpret the collective memory, lived experience, and archival materials of the Willowbrook State School. (Albany and Staten Island)

For further details, please click this link: https://arts.ny.gov/SOAfellow

1. Applicant's full name: *This question is required.

2. Street Address *This question is required.

3. City *This question is required.

4. Zip code *This question is required.

5. County *This question is required.

6. Your email address *This question is required. This question requires a valid email address.

7. Daytime phone number *This question is required.

8. Website (if applicable)

9. Please select the artistic discipline that best describes your artistic practice: *This question is required.

11. Statement of Interest (Up to 300 words):

What resonates with you, based on the background information provided by the Host Agency in the Opportunity Guidelines? What framing question or area of inquiry would you hope to address during the residency? Please note that this open call is not a request for project proposals or predetermined projects; we expect questions and areas of inquiry to evolve during the first phase of the fellowship. *This question is required.

12. Relevancy of Practice (Up to 500 words):

 How does your previous work and process of collaboration relate to your framing question or area of inquiry? Using examples from your past work, explain how your practice has intersected with the agency’s constituents and/or areas of focus. Describe a challenge that you previously faced during this work and how you addressed it. *This question is required.

13. Artist Statement (Up to 500 words) 

Provide a statement describing your artistic practice. *This question is required.

14.

Resume or CV (PDF Upload) 

Provide a resume or CV, highlighting artistic practice and any community engagement work, foreign language skills, teaching experience, experience working with multiple stakeholders, and/or any experience related to the specific agency or challenge set forth in this call.

*This question is required.

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15.

I certify that I am currently resident of New York State or of one of the Tribal Nations located therein. I understand that if my application proceeds, I will be required to provide two documents of different types from the list below, each current and showing the artist's name and an address within New York State or a Tribal Nation located therein:

Telephone or home utility bill
Credit card or bank statement (name and address page only; financial and account information must be redacted)
NYS or Federal tax form (first page only; Social Security number and financial information must be redacted)
Current lease or mortgage agreement listing the artist's name
NYS Driver's License or NYS Non-Driver ID Card
Voter Registration Card

*This question is required.

16. References.

Provide the names, phone numbers, and emails of two (2) professional references. Please indicate your relationship to each reference. *This question is required.

17.

Work Samples with a list of submitted work: Upload a PDF of work samples that includes any of the following:

Up to 5 digital images of recent works. Include caption information (title, date, materials, size/length) and 1-2 sentence description of the project for each photo.
No more than 3 URL links to video or audio samples with maximum lengths of 5 minutes each. Each URL listed in the work sample PDF must include the title, the name of the work, and the year it was presented/completed. URLs cannot be password protected and must remain live until 12/31/2026. NYSCA is not responsible for any broken, inactive or password protected links.
For literary projects, submit samples no longer than 4 pages of scripts, poetry, prose, or other relevant materials.

*This question is required.

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NYSCA Artist Fellowship Application - 2026

2026 State of the Arts Fellowship Application