Applying & Financial Aid
Open Call for Residencies in July–December 2027 is live from September 1–November 1. Apply here.
To apply for any of these fellowships, simply select the appropriate box on the fellowships question of the general Studios residency application. There is no separate application for each opportunity. Be sure to also indicate whether you would like to be considered for a regular, partially subsidized residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA if you are not awarded one of these special fellowship residencies. All applicants must first be accepted through the regular jurying process to receive a fellowship. Please read each fellowship carefully to ensure eligibility.
FELLOWSHIPS + FINANCIAL AID
GENERAL FELLOWSHIP (ALL DISCIPLINES)
The Studios at MASS MoCA will offer full fellowships that do not have geographic or demographic limitations. This means anyone who wishes to can apply for one of these fellowships, regardless of discipline or location. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
FELLOWSHIP FOR BLACK OR INDIGENOUS ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Recognizing the additional barriers faced by Black and Indigenous creators of all disciplines, the Studios will award a number of fellowships to artists and writers working in any discipline who specifically identify as Black or Indigenous. These fellowships fund all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
FAMILY FELLOWSHIP (ALL DISCIPLINES)
This award is for three parent-artists working in any discipline to receive a fully funded residency where they will be invited to bring their family. Each awarded artist (or artist-couple) will receive a private apartment (3 or 4 bedrooms), and the use of up to two studios on the MASS MoCA campus (24/7 access to studio). Artists will also receive free reserved slots in “Camp MASS MoCA” to provide care and educational entertainment for the artists’ camp-aged children from 9am–3pm on weekdays. We will specifically seek artist-parents with one or more children entering in grades 2–9 so they can take advantage of the summer art camp opportunity. The family residency session will only be available for the dates August 6–August 23, 2027. Additionally, the awarded artist will receive a $600 general stipend. We prefer if selected families can attend for the full residency, but we understand that families may need to leave early depending on school schedules.
Please be aware that other than the August Family Fellowship, we cannot accommodate partners or children during a MASS MoCA residency due to housing/space limitations.
SPERANZA FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with the Speranza Foundation, this fellowship is open to all past and current Lincoln City Fellows, ages 18 and over, specifically suited for visual artists, writers, and artists who work quietly (studios are not sound-proofed) and who don’t require space for rehearsal/movements arts. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
YOUNGARTS FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (known as YoungArts), this Fellowship is open to previous YoungArts award winners ages 18 and over, and the opportunity is specifically for visual artists, writers, and other artists who work quietly (studios are not sound-proofed) and who don’t require space for rehearsal/movement arts. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS
ART+EVERYWHERE FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with Art+Everywhere, this fellowship is open to members from the Art+Everywhere community which include degree-holding graduates from the MFA programs of the Art Institute of Boston, Lesley University Art+Design, and Clark University. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to two weeks in residence.
BROOKLYN COLLEGE
In partnership with the Brooklyn College Department of Art, this fellowship is open to artists currently earning their MFA or BFA in any visual arts discipline in Brooklyn College’s Department of Art, or they must have graduated with their MFA or BFA from Brooklyn College Department of Art in 2023 or after. Priority will be given to applicants within one year of graduation. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
CORCORAN SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN
In partnership with Corcoran School of Art and Design, this fellowship shall be awarded to one or more fellowships for qualifying applicants. Applicants must have earned or are earning their M.F.A. in Fine Arts, M.F.A. in Social Practice, or an M.A. in New Photojournalism at Corcoran School of Art & Design at George Washington University and have a graduation year of 2025–2027. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN MFA + BFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with Maine College of Art and Design, this fellowship is open to artists who are currently or have previously attended MECAD’s MFA or BFA programs (low or full residency). There are no restrictions regarding the year of graduation. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to two weeks in residence.
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN MFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with the Massachusetts College of Art & Design, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have a graduation date from any of MassArt’s graduate degree programs sometime between 2023–2026. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART MFA OR MA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with Maryland Institute College of Art, this fellowship is open to applicants who must be earning their MFA or MA from MICA with a graduation year of Spring 2025–2027. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
In partnership with Rhode Island School of Design, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have an expected graduation date of June 2027 from any of RISD’s BFA or MFA disciplines. The residency funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
SCHOOL OF ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO MFA OR MA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with School of Art Institute of Chicago, this fellowship is open to applicants who must be earning their MFA or MA at SAIC in any discipline, with a graduation year of 2026. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
In partnership with the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have earned or are earning their M.F.A. in the Art Department (Ceramics, Glass, Fiber + Material Studies, Metals, Jewelry, CAD-CAM, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture) at Tyler School of Art & Architecture at Temple University and have a graduation year of 2023–2027 The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON MFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with University of Oregon, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have a graduation date of 2025–2029 in any of U of O’s MFA Art Programs. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN MFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with UT Austin’s MFA program, this fellowship is open to applicants who must be on track to graduate from any of the University’s MFA in Studio Art programs in 2026 or 2027. The fellowship funds all residency fees up to four weeks in residence.
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY MFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have a graduation date of 2025–2027 from VCU’s MFA in Craft / Material studies, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, or Sculpture + Extended Media. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
YALE UNIVERSITY MFA FELLOWSHIP
In partnership with Yale University, this fellowship is open to applicants who must have a graduation date of 2027–2029 from any of Yale’s MFA Departments. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence.
Calls for applications are made four times a year and will open two months prior to the deadline. There are several different ways to apply, learn more about each of them and choose the option that best fits your needs.
Join the Studios at MASS MoCA mailing list to be kept up-to-date when future application rounds open.
General Application
Most applicants apply through the general application, which is typically for residencies 6–9 months out from the award date. In the regular application, candidates can opt to be considered for financial aid or one of the fully funded fellowships. Because the regular application includes financial aid, it is the most competitive option. Artists requesting financial aid typically pay between $0 – $450/week depending on their needs.
La aplicación general también está disponible en español.
Deadlines for General Applications are May 1 and November 1 each year. The application will open two months prior to the deadline. (See table below for details.)
Due to the volume of submissions close to the deadline, please consider submitting your application early to take into account any technical difficulties that may happen. We do not extend the deadline for late submissions.
The Studios at MASS MoCA operates year-round, hosting up to 10 artists at a time for 2- or 4-week residencies.
Early Application
The “Early Application” is for artists who could benefit from additional lead time (announcements made 9 to 15 months ahead of residency dates) to plan their stay and to apply for outside funding from sources such as their university or international or regional arts councils. Artists applying with the Early Application will NOT be considered for MASS MoCA’s financial aid budget OR fellowships, applicants should only use this particular application if you are planning to fully fund your stay through outside grants or personal funds at the already subsidized rate of $650 per week.
Early Applications are available here.
Deadlines for Early Applications are February 1 and August 1.
Applications will open two months prior to the deadline. (See table below for details.)
Alumni Application
If you’re a Studios at MASS MoCA alum, we’re thrilled that you’d like to come back! Twice per year, we have an Alumni application that puts you in a separate pool from the extremely large General Application pools so you’re only competing against fellow alumni. While it’s not as competitive as the General Application pools, we only reserve a few alumni spots each season and acceptance is not guaranteed. We prioritize alumni who have not previously had an Alumni Residency at MASS MoCA, especially alumni who have reached another moment in their career when a residency in the Studios could be particularly beneficial. We ask alums to wait two years after your first residency before applying for the Alumni Residency opportunity. At this time, alumni are not eligible for residency fellowships and instead pay a standard alumni rate of $400/wk for residencies of 4 weeks, or $450/wk for a 2-week residency. (Please note: students who have attended a workshop-in-residence are not considered eligible alumni for this opportunity.)
Alumni Applications are available here.
Deadlines for Alumni Applications are February 1 and August 1. Applications will open two months prior to the deadline. (See table below for details.)
How to Apply
Artists are invited to apply through the Studios at MASS MoCA’s submittable page. See table below for current application deadlines. The application is currently free to apply. You can join our mailing list to be kept up-to-date when the next application round opens.
Eligibility and Artist Selection
We welcome applications from artists at all career stages, income levels, and geographic locations. We primarily seek applications from visual artists (painters, sculptors, installation artists, photographers, video/new media artists, fiber artists, printmakers, etc.) and writers in all literary disciplines. We discourage applications from dancers, musicians, and other performers because the studios are only well suited for artists who work quietly (nothing is sound-proofed) and who don’t require space for rehearsal / movement arts. Groups/collectives may apply to work on joint projects in the visual and literary arts. The studios have light-duty ventilation, so an art practice generating strong fumes cannot be accommodated.
The curatorial jury is not announced in advance, but you can peruse the Studios’ jury from the previous year on the Application Review Panel page. Due to the volume of applications we receive each season, we are not able to give feedback to individual applicants either before or after the selection process.
An artist must be at least 18 in order to apply; otherwise age is not a consideration in selection.
See a full list of Studios at MASS MoCA Alumni Here
If you have any questions regarding the application or selection process, please email: studios@massmoca.org.