VMFA Visual Arts Fellowships

Last week the VMFA hosted one of their How. . . ? talks. Normally these talks have to do with a specific art making technique however, this event was an information packed session on How to Apply For the VMFA Visual Art Fellowship. Elizabeth Cruickshanks the Fellowship Program Coordinator was on hand to deliver the basic steps, helpful tips, as well as some interesting trivia. Did you know a VMFA Fellowship helped Cy Twombly travel to Europe in the 1950's? More interesting facts and history can be found in this Blog Post from The VMFA. 

 All the information you could ever want is served up on a silver platter on the VMFA's website. They include all the nuts & bolts as well as the actual application and a checklist in PDF form. 

This is the vital information I took away from this session:

• Applications are due by 5pm November 8th, 2013 if hand delivered. If mailed, materials must be postmarked by November 8th, 2013. (hint, if you can't physically get to the Pauley center by 5pm run to the UPS Store or FedEx Kinko's and get that sucker post marked)

• Over 700 applications are received each year. 

• There are three categories, Professional artist, Graduate Student, and Undergraduate Student. 

• Art History Applicants are only viable through The Graduate Student category. 

• On the Application you are asked to list your work under one of the following disciplines: Crafts, Drawing, Film/Video, Mixed Media, New/Emerging Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Art History (graduate students only) 

• These disciplines are used ONLY for the jurors guidance. Because the Fellowships are awarded solely on merit, there is not a certain number of awards given to any discipline. 

• 2013 welcomes a new discipline: New/Emerging Media. This discipline was created for non-traditional techniques such as sound art, installations, or digital media that do not fit within the other disciplines recognized in previous years. 

• Do not send more materials than requested.

• Nowhere in your artist sample should your name be legible. That's right, no big old "this is mine" signature. It's an anonymous process. This award is merit based, not "my mother went to school with your mother based". 

• If you would like to know your application was received please include a self addressed stamped postcard with "application received" on it. 

• If you would like your materials returned, please include a Self Addressed Stamp Envelope. Your materials will be returned in the Spring of 2014. If you do not include an envelope and you are not awarded a fellowship your materials will be disposed of. 

• If you do not follow the instructions a clearly outlined by the VMFA your application will not be considered. 

My main takeaway from this event was to carefully follow the listed criteria. The VMFA seems more than willing to help with this process and is open to answering any questions. They even provide a checklist in the application PDF. That being said, they do receive a great deal of applications each year.  Below is a very detailed list of what is needed when providing the sample of your work. I suggest reading over the information posted on their website a few times before completing your application. If you are not detail oriented, have a friend (or two) read over and look at your materials before submitting them. It would be a shame if your work never even got to the jurors eyes. 

This is what the VMFA website has to say about submitting your materials: 

Work Sample. Submit your work sample as outlined below for your selected discipline. NOTE: If you have received a VMFA Fellowship in the past, your work sample for the 2014 – 15 Fellowship application may not include any of the previous “winning” works. 
Crafts, Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture ApplicantsA work sample consists of a total of eight digital images. Of the eight images, at least six must represent individual works; no more than two images may be details of the individual works.• Professionals: All works must have been completed in the past three years. No works in progress. • Students: At least four of the works must have been completed in the past three years. No works in progress. • Submit images on a PC-formatted CD-R, labeled with applicant’s name. • Format digital images as JPEGS, approximately 1000 pixels on the longest side, with a file size no larger than 2 MB. No gifs, tiffs, or other formats are accepted. • Number each image to correspond to the Work Sample List on the application form. • Title image files on the CD in the following manner: 1_VMFA.jpg, 2_VMFA.jpg, and so on. • Obscure any legible names or signatures on the digital images to ensure anonymity with the juror(s). 
New/Emerging Media ApplicantsA work sample consists of either A or B (you must select only one of the following options —you may not submit both digital images and video samples):
A) A) A total of eight digital images. Of the eight images, at least six must represent individual works; no more than two images may be details of the individual works. No works in progress. See above guidelines for dates of works, and image formatting and labeling. ORB) A video sample of 15 minutes (maximum) in length. The video sample must show representations of at least six, and no more than eight, individual works.• Professionals: All works must have been completed in the last three years. No works in progress. • Students: At least four of the works must have been completed in the last three years. No works in progress. • Submit work on a DVD labeled with the applicant’s name. • Include a menu on the DVD with titles of each work and running times. Formats other than a standard DVD will not be accepted. • Number videos and works to correspond to the Work Sample List on the application form. • No legible names, credits, or signatures may appear on the DVD menu and/or the individual on-screen works, to ensure anonymity with the juror(s). 
Film/Video Applicants A work sample consists of a 15-minute (maximum) DVD sample of three works.• Professionals: All works must have been completed in the last three years. No works in progress. • Students: At least one of the works must have been completed in the last three years. No works in progress. • On the application form, include the category of each work: Narrative, Animation, or Experimental. • Submit work on a DVD labeled with applicant’s name, titles of works, primary creative responsibility, dates completed, and original format running times. • Include a menu on the DVD with titles of each work and running times. Formats other than a standard DVD will not be accepted. • No legible names, credits, or signatures may appear on the DVD menu and/or the individual on-screen works, to ensure anonymity with the juror(s). 
Art History Applicants (Graduate students only)A work sample consists of three research papers or published articles. • Submit two hard copies of each, neither of which will be returned to the applicant. • All papers or published articles must have been written in the past three years and must be written in English. • Art History applicants must have sole authorship of their work sample submissions; applicants’ names must not appear anywhere on the submission to ensure anonymity with the juror(s). 

I hope this is helpful to folks. Good Luck!