Applications Open for Fields Artist Fellowship in Oregon

Oregon Humanities, in partnership with Oregon Community Foundation, is now accepting applications for the second round of the Fields Artist Fellowship program, offering two years of financial support to Oregon-based artists who are in a pivotal moment or inflection point in their careers.

Four artists will be awarded two-year fellowships to advance their artistic practice while developing creative and meaningful ways to address and respond to the opportunity gap in Oregon.

artist fellowship full Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, 2019-21 Fields Artist Fellow. (Photo by Michael French, via OCF/Facebook)
The first Fields Artist Fellowships were awarded in 2019 to Crystal Akins of Lincoln City, Mic Crenshaw of Portland, Ka’ila Farrell-Smith of Chiloquin, and Joe Whittle of Enterprise.

Application deadlines, details

Applications will be accepted from January 4 to February 15, 2021. More information on how to apply is available on the Oregon Humanities website at www.oregonhumanities.org. A selection committee will review applications and award the fellowships by July 2021.

During their fellowship terms, Fields Artist Fellows will respond to and explore the opportunity gap in their region, participate in cohort gatherings, and document their experiences and projects. Each fellow will receive $100,000 over the course of the two-year term. In addition, eight finalists will each receive a one-time award of $10,000.

The phrase “opportunity gap” refers to widening socioeconomic disparities across Oregon largely determined by the circumstances into which a child is born, such as family circumstances, neighborhoods, educational experiences, and race and ethnicity.

Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply, including writers, filmmakers, visual artists, multimedia artists, culture bearers, and performance artists. Eligibility requirements include the following:

At least five years of professional practice in an artistic discipline or combination of disciplines
At least three years of residence in Oregon (non-continuous) and the intent to reside in Oregon for the majority of the fellowship term (September 1, 2021 to September 30, 2023)
Demonstrable evidence of artistic practice that can engage with community groups and organizations and/or address community concerns

Oregon Humanities will administer the program and convene gatherings for the fellows. All funding is provided by the Fred W. Fields Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.

About Oregon Humanities

Oregon Humanities connects people and communities through conversation, storytelling, and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change. More information about their programs and publications—which include the Connect In Place, Consider This, Humanity in Perspective, Public Program Grants, Responsive Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine—can be found at oregonhumanities.org. Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and a partner of the Oregon Cultural Trust.

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) puts donated money to work for Oregonians. Thanks to the generosity of Oregonians, OCF distributes more than $100 million in grants and scholarships annually. For nearly fifty years, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians. Impactful giving—time, talent and resources from many generous Oregonians—creates measurable change.