Applications open for 2024 Kresge Artist Fellowship

METRO DETROIT — Metro Detroit artists have been invited to apply for the 2024 Kresge Artist Fellowship awarding 25 fellowships during this cycle.

The fellowships are funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by Kresge Arts in Detroit, a Kresge-funded office of the College for Creative Studies. In this application cycle, Kresge Arts in Detroit will award 25 Fellowships and 10 Gilda Awards in the Live Arts and Film and Music categories. The Fellowships and Gilda Awards will be divided between the two categories—Live Arts and Film and Music—based on the relative number of applications received in each category.

The Live Arts category includes choreography, comedy, dance, performance art, playwriting, storytelling, theater directing, and interdisciplinary work. The Film and Music category includes animation, film directing, music composition, music performance, screenwriting, sound art, and interdisciplinary work.

“The most impactful part of applying for me was being able to articulate not only what I do as a musician and composer, but why I do it and why I think what I do is important,” previous Kresge Artist Fellow Michelle May said in a press release. “It really helped me be much more introspective about my place in the world, which in turn expanded my art practice.”

Kresge Artist Fellowships have increased from $25,000 to $40,000 for this year’s distribution and the number of fellowships has increased from 20 to 25.

Artists residing in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county can apply online for the no strings attached prize through Jan. 18, 2024. Applicants are encouraged to review the latest application guidelines at www.kresgeartsindetroit.org before applying.

Artists applying for a fellowship can also choose to be considered for one of the 10 available Gilda Awards, which are $5,000 unrestricted prizes for emerging artists living and working in the tri-county area. The awards honor the legacy of Gilda Snowden, who was one of the 18 inaugural artists to receive a Kresge Artist Fellowship in 2009, and who taught painting at the College for Creative Studies for more than 30 years. The online application allows artists to opt to be automatically considered for Gilda Awards if they do not receive a fellowship.

The 2024 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients are selected by an independent panel of distinguished local and national artists and arts professionals. Previous applicants are strongly encouraged to re-apply, as new panels—with fresh perspectives—are convened each year.

Kresge Arts in Detroit staff will hold an online application info session and walkthrough at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, followed by a second online Q&A session at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11. While not required, applicants are encouraged to attend these sessions, which are designed to support artists in creating compelling applications for a Kresge Artist Fellowship. Artists can register to attend using the links below.

Visit www.kresgeartsindetroit.org for the complete guidelines, FAQs, and additional resources. Questions can be answered by phone at (313) 744-3204.