Website Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Summary
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) Visual 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 more than $6.5 million in Fellowships to Virginians.
The 2027-28 Fellowship period runs from May 2027 through May 2028. 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.
Key Details
Compensation:
- Professional Individual: $8,000 Award
- Professional Collaborative: $8,000 Award
- Graduate (Individual Only): $6,000 Award
- Undergraduate (Individual Only): $4,000 Award
- Half-Year Student: $3,000 Award (Graduate) | $2,000 Award (Undergraduate)
Term(s): May 2027 – May 2028
Schedule: N/A
Format: N/A
Deadline: 11/26/2026
Eligibility
Professional Artists
- 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.
- You must continue to be a legal resident of Virginia for the Fellowship period of May 2027 through May 2028. 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.
- You cannot be a full-time degree-seeking student during the Fellowship period of May 2027 through May 2028.
Artists who are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply to the Professional category include the following:
- Recipients of a VMFA Professional Fellowship in the last 5 Fellowship cycles (2026-27, 2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23)
- Recipients of three or more Fellowships
- Full-time VMFA employees
- Undergraduate and Graduate students who will be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program during the Fall 2027/Spring 2028 academic year.
Students (Graduate and Undergraduate)
- 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 12 consecutive months prior to the application deadline.
- You must continue to be a legal resident of Virginia for the Fellowship period of May 2027 through May 2028. A legal resident has a valid Virginia driver’s license, and/or pays income taxes in Virginia, and/or is a registered Virginia voter.
- Students paying in-state tuition to an accredited Virginia college, university, or school of the arts qualify as legal residents of Virginia. If you do not qualify for in-state tuition in Virginia, you may not apply for a VMFA Fellowship until you establish Virginia residency. If you are a legal Virginia resident but attend school full-time outside of Virginia, you may still apply. Applicants must be able to provide verification of residency upon request.
- You must be planning to be enrolled full-time and qualify as a Virginia resident as outlined above for the entire Fall 2027/Spring 2028 academic year at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts.
Artists who are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply to either of the student categories include the following:
- Recipients of three or more Fellowships
- Full-time VMFA employees
- Undergraduate and graduate students who will NOT be enrolled full-time in a degree seeking program during the Fall 2027/Spring 2028 academic year.
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To apply for this job please visit www.vmfa.museum.