Individual Artist Fellowships

Read the information provided below for details and links.

Before you begin, please read through the appropriate Guidelines document, available in PDF format on the PCA website here.

To access the online CueRate application, please use this link: http://maaf.egrant.org/.

Note: The Fellowships CueRate application is a separate system from the other online PCA applications. The Fellowship system is hosted and supported by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Please contact MAAF with any technical support questions, as listed on the website. The PCA does not have system access to assist you.

Visual artists: For information on digital work samples, click here.

Questions about the PCA Fellowships should be directed to the appropriate Fellowship Partner Organization below.

Activity Period: January 1 through December 31. All Fellowship funds must be expended during this period.

Award Amounts: PCA awards these Fellowships in fixed amounts of $5,000 or $10,000 to eligible Pennsylvania artists of exceptional talent to enable them to pursue their artistic goals.

Description:

Individual creative artists residing in Pennsylvania, who meet all the eligibility criteria, can apply for one non-matching Fellowship.  PCA selects these artists using a highly qualified jury of arts professionals whose recommendations are reviewed and acted upon by the Council.

Fellowships awards are highly competitive.  Only a small percentage of all applicants from all categories receive awards.  All results are made public on or about January 31. 

Please read carefully which categories are offered as they change annually.

NOTE: 

• Applicants can apply in only one category in a given year.  Do not send in more than one application or all applications will be disqualified.
• Collaborations are accepted buy are limited to only two collaborating artists.

Fellowship Categories:

Application Process

Application to the PCA Fellowship program is available for submission via eGRANT.  The  eGRANT enables you to fill out and submit your Fellowship application electronically.

Before you get started keep the following things in mind:

• You should have a hard copy of the Fellowship guidelines available for reference.
  

• You may use the cut and paste feature of any word processor program to save "on-line time" in completing the Description of Work Samples and Resume sections.
  

• You can save and return to eGRANT as often as you want before officially submitting your application.
  

• You can access eGRANT via Mid Atlantic Arts.
  

• Questions may be directed to the PCA or the Fellowship partner.
  

Important Note: Work samples, along with a Consent Form, must be sent separately by mail.  Applications that are submitted without the mandatory enclosures will be considered incomplete; incomplete applications are not accepted for review.

Eligibility

Applicants must be individual creative artists who are current residents of Pennsylvania.  Applicants must be domiciled in Pennsylvania at least two years prior to the application deadline.  Grantees must be domiciled in Pennsylvania for the duration of the use of the grant, whether or not the grant activity is in Pennsylvania.  Activity may take place outside of Pennsylvania.

The PCA recognizes "domiciled" as a permanent legal residence, which is the residence where you have your permanent home or principal establishment and to where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return; every person is compelled to have one and only one domicile at a time.

The following individuals are NOT eligible to apply

• Individuals enrolled in high school, or enrolled in a higher education degree program (associate's, bachelor's, master's or PhD).
• Recipients of a prior year PCA Fellowship

Please contact the PCA if you  have eligibility questions.

Collaborative Applications

Two individuals who can clearly demonstrate a history of ongoing collaboration and who plan to continue such a collaboration may apply together.  Collaborators will submit one application through eGRANT and mail one signed consent form and one set of work samples that demonstrate the applicants' collaboration.  If a collaborative application receives an award, the award will be divided equally between collaborators.  Neither of the collaborators may be a PCA prior year Fellowship recipient and both must meet eligibility requirements.

Review Process

The Fellowship partners process the applications and prepare them for review by the qualified jurors in the fall.  The review process is anonymous, with the exception of Folk and Traditional Arts and Arts Commentary.  Applicant's identities will not be given to the jurors so that the discussion will be based solely on the quality of the works submitted.  All the juries use a numerical scale to evaluate the work samples and aid them in making their award recommendations.

All the advisory juries are comprised of up to four arts professionals, residing out of state.  Jurors are chosen on the basis of their highly regarded professional achievements and broad knowledge of the arts to represent a wide range of artistic styles and aesthetic concerns.

Juries are assembled with consideration given to providing a balance of geographical representation, cultural diversity, age and gender.  New juries are selected each year, in every category, and are approved by the PCA.  Once the jurors complete their review and make award recommendations, the PCA sends the results to the Council for final review and action in December.  All applicants are notified by mail on or about January 31.

Review Criteria

All applicants are reviewed on the artistic quality of the applicant's work submitted for review. 

Artists applying in the Arts Commentary and Folk and Traditional Arts categories will submit additional materials for evaluation.  Those materials and additional review criteria are described under separate guidelines.

Notification

To receive notification of the Council's receipt of your application, include a self-addressed postcard with your application packet.  PCA recommends that you send your materials return-receipt.

The jurors' recommendations are sent to the Council for review and action at the December Council meeting.  On or about January 31, all applicants will be notified by mail of the Council's decision.  Checks should be distributed by April, upon review and approval of the applicant's Award Agreement.

Additional Terms and Conditions Governing Fellowships (Grants-In-Aid)

Additional terms and conditions apply to grantees of the PCA.  The following is a brief summary.  Click here for the complete Terms and Conditions.

Funds can be used for:

• Time for creative work.
• Supplies and materials related to artistic development.
• Activities that directly benefit artistic development and recognition.

Funds cannot be used for:

• Capital expenditures, including equipment costing $500 per item or more.
• Activities for which academic credit is given.
• Activities that have already been completed.
• Activities that have a religious purpose.
• Performances and exhibitions not available to the general public.
• Performances and exhibitions outside Pennsylvania.
• Cash prizes and awards.
• Benefit activities.
• Hospitality expenses, i.e. receptions, parties, gallery openings.
• Lobbyists' payments.
• Competitions.

Reporting

Award recipients must submit a final report on forms provided by PCA.  The forms are due January 31 following your award year to the PCA in Harrisburg.

Taxability of Awards

The Fellowship Partner issuing the check solely determines whether to issue an IRS 1099 form.  If you  have any questions about your own income tax liability, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service or tax counsel.

Artists Registry

Fellowship recipients in the Visual Arts and Craft categories will be added to both the online and the actual Levy Gallery Artists Registry at the Moore College of the Arts in Philadelphia.

The address is:

Moore College of Art
20th and The Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1179
215-568-4515
www.moore.edu

Fellowship Partners