Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowships

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship Program is a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia. VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists as well as art and art history students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline and, as such, has awarded nearly $6 million in Fellowships to Virginians.

The Fellowship Program was established in 1940 through a generous contribution made by the late John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg. 2024 marks the 84th anniversary! Offered through VMFA Statewide, Fellowships are still largely funded through the Pratt endowment, supplemented by the J. Warwick McClintic Jr. Scholarship Fund.

Please be sure to start the application process early and contact the Fellowship Office before Friday, November 1 if you need any assistance completing the online application.

Please allow the appropriate amount of time—based on your upload speed—to upload all samples of your work well before the 5 pm deadline.

Paper applications, incomplete applications, and applications not received by the deadline will not be considered.

A complete application includes:

1. Applicant’s basic Information (name, contact info, etc.)
2. Resume/CV
3. Unofficial Transcript (Graduate or Undergraduate Fellowship applicants only)
4. Work Samples (images/videos/research papers)
5. Work Sample Details (title, date, medium, dimensions, etc. of each submitted work)
6. Artist Statement (200 words maximum)

Categories

• The 2025-26 Fellowship period runs from May 2025–May 2026.
• When selecting the category to which you wish to apply, please remember to base your decision on what your student status will be during the Fellowship period, rather than your status at the time you submit your application.
• Art History is only included as a discipline in the Graduate category.

Eligibility

Professional Artists

1. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, as well as a current legal resident of Virginia, and have been so for at least 24 consecutive months prior to the application deadline.
2. You must continue to be a legal resident of Virginia for the Fellowship period of May 2025–May 2026. A legal resident has a valid Virginia driver’s license, and/or pays income taxes in Virginia, and/or is a registered Virginia voter. Applicants must be able to provide verification of residency upon request.
3. You cannot be a degree-seeking student during the Fellowship period of May 2025–May 2026.

Professional Artists who are NOT ELIGIBLE include the following:

1. Recipients of a VMFA Professional Fellowship in the last 5 years/Fellowship cycles (2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21)
2. Recipients of three or more Fellowships in any category
3. Full-time VMFA employees
4. Undergraduate and Graduate students who will be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program during the academic year of Aug 2025–May 2026.