Kala Fellowship Awards

The Kala Fellowship award is an international competition open to artists from the U.S. and around the world. Hosting nine new artists at Kala each year helps to ensure that the artistic energy and vision of Kala’s entire community of artists in residence is continually re-energized and rejuvenated.

Artists producing innovative work in book arts, electronic/digital media (video, sound, animation, etc.), installation art, social practice, photography, and printmaking are encouraged to apply. Fellowship Awards will be given based on conceptual creativity, originality and artistic excellence as well as technical knowledge.
Annually, the Fellowship Competition is juried by a panel comprised of Kala’s Directors and an outside Bay Area arts professional. Kala is pleased to announce Dr. Stephanie Hanor, Director of Mills College Art Museum as Kala’s invited Fellowship juror for the 2012 competition.

We select nine artists and each receives a fellowship consisting of: 

• a $3,000 cash award
• up to six months of studio residency at Kala Art Institute
• 24/7 access to Kala’s studio (An individual studio space may be also available depending on proposed projects and schedules.)
• a free class or equivalent tutorial sessions.
• an exhibition opportunity at the Kala gallery of the artwork created during the residency

Eight of the nine Kala Fellowships awards are available to artists from the US (including California) and around the world.

One of the nine Kala Fellowship awards is designated specifically to a California artist living outside of the main metropolitan areas. To serve a more diverse constituency, The James Irvine Foundation generously funds this Fellowship award. Artists from the North Coast, Central Coast, Central Valley and Inland Empire are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Additionally, one of the nine Kala Fellowship awards is available to artists from the US and around the world working in Social Practice. Social Practice can be loosely defined as a form of collaboration that engages social and public interaction as the primary component of the work. Examples include but are not limited to the following: alternative exchanges of goods and services, community-based projects, activating non-typical art viewing situations, social and political activism.

The Fellowship does not include housing.
(Assistance in finding appropriate low-cost housing solutions is often provided to visiting artists by the program directors.)

Currently enrolled students are not eligible to apply.

• Students currently enrolled as of May 18 application deadline, yet who will graduate over the summer of 2012 are eligible to apply for the Fellowship.
• Applicant must have graduated by the time he/she starts a Kala Fellowship residency.
• An artist can not simultaneously be enrolled in a degree program at a college, university or art school and participate in a Kala Fellowship residency.
• Kala Art Institute is not a degree-granting institution therefore artists taking workshop classes at Kala are eligible to apply.

Click here for Application Guidelines

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, May 18, 2012

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARDS: Friday, July 13, 2012at www.kala.org – No phone calls please!

 Web: http://www.kala.org