Ragdale is proud to award numerous fellowships to outstanding artists each year.
Fellowships fund an 18-day residency for artists; public programs; travel; and materials. Our fellowships recognize exceptional achievement as well as advance cultural exchange, emerging talent, social justice, and artists with disabilities. The majority of our fellowships are underwritten by individuals on an annual basis. Fellowships support important new works, and they bring artists to our community who might not otherwise be able to join us. If you are interested in funding a fellowship, please email Mary Beth Sova at marybeth@ragdale.org.
Your Time + Space
Fellows receive full funding for their residency, a stipend, uninterrupted time, a live/work space, weeknight communal dinners, and the camaraderie of the other committed and passionate residents and fellows at Ragdale.
Public Program
Fellows are asked to help us reach out to the community by giving a public reading, lecture, open studio, or similar type of presentation. These events have been successful in sharing the Ragdale vision with students, educators, and the general public.
Fellowships
Ragdale awards fellowships to emerging and established practitioners based on merit and suitability of practice for public programming in the Ragdale Youth Engagement initiative.
Fellows are featured in a program within 18-months of their residency.
Alice Judson Hayes Social Justice Fellowship
Discipline: Writing (no academic writing)
This fellowship is awarded annually in memory of poet Alice Hayes, who founded Ragdale. All her life she was committed to working for a just and peaceful world. This fellowship is awarded to a writer who is working on a project designed to bring awareness to a social justice issue including peace, education, or the environment. Projects can be nonfiction or fiction (including journalism, essays, memoir, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction). No academic writing. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program.
This fellowship is made possible by the Shaw Family.
Anne Searle Bent Spiritual Art Fellowship
Discipline: Any
This fellowship is awarded annually to an artist of any discipline working on a project relating to spirituality or faith. Disciplines include and are not limited to visual art, performance, composition, choreography, curation, writing, and theology. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program.
This fellowship is made possible by Anne Searle Bent.
Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts
Discipline: Visual Art
The Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts is awarded annually to an exemplary visual artist to afford them the time and studio space to create. This fellowship is offered in memory of sculptor and painter Judy Sigunick, whose beautiful, idea-laden work displays great imagination and vision. Judy always felt that artists need to recognize and seize on their creativity, and that Ragdale affords them the uninterrupted time to do so. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Judy’s sister.
Craig H. Neilsen Fellowship
Discipline: Any
This fellowship is awarded annually to up to three artists living with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency; additional room and board for a personal care assistant (if needed); a limited stipend for a personal care assistant (if needed); and an additional stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Ragdale offers four accessible live/work spaces; a writing studio, a visual arts studio, a state-of-the-art digitally equipped music studio, and a large dance studio. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
This fellowship is awarded to an artist living with a disability or who has accessibility needs. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, additional room and board for a personal care assistant (if needed), along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Ragdale offers four accessible live/work spaces; a writing studio, a visual arts studio, a state-of-the-art digitally equipped music studio, and a large dance studio. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by John and Madonna Merritt.
Prairie Fellowship
Discipline: Any
Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship
Discipline: Any (Teaching Artist)
The Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship is awarded to a teaching artist working in any discipline. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program by means of the creation of a brief video documentary/interview, and/or the presentation of a public program. Presentation of a public program may include an artist talk, workshop, or other programs and will take place within a year of the residency. The Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program serves students in nearby schools from kindergarten through college level, offering artist talks, presentations, and workshops. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Ragdale donors.
Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship
Discipline: Photography
The Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship is awarded annually to an exemplary photographic artist to afford them the time and studio space to create. It allows a photographer uninterrupted time to seize on their creativity and immerse themselves in their craft. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Robin and Sandy Stuart.
Sybil Shearer Fellowship for Dancemakers
Discipline: Dance
The Sybil Shearer Fellowship is awarded to an individual choreographer and/or dance artist. The fellowship may be awarded to a collaborative duo who will share the live/work studio space. The fellowship recipient will receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Note for collaborations: one stipend will be awarded and may be split between collaborators. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by the Morrison-Shearer Foundation.
Sylvia Clare Brown Fellowship
Discipline: Any; but preferably writing
This fellowship is awarded to a first-time Ragdale resident, preferably a writer, with financial need. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Ragdale donors.
Waud Fellowship for Formerly Incarcerated Artists
Discipline: Any
The Waud Fellowship is awarded annually to a formerly incarcerated individual working in any artistic discipline. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $2000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by David and Pamela Waud.
The William and Solange Brown Fellowship for New Musical Composition was developed through a partnership between Ragdale and The Herb Alpert Foundation, making it possible to honor and support talented artists and their forays into the unknown. Winners are selected by the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA) panel. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency. HAAIA offers a $750 cash award for recipients upon completion of their residency.
This fellowship is made possible by William and Solange Brown.
William and Solange Brown Fellowship for New Musical Composition
Discipline: Music/Composition
With the exception of the William and Solange Brown Fellowship for New Musical Composition, all fellowship selections are made by the Ragdale Curatorial Board.
We seek diverse voices and representations to enrich our artists' experiences and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. Applicants will be asked to describe how they meet the eligibility requirements of the fellowships they are applying for (500 word maximum per fellowship).
All applicants who apply for fellowships will be considered. Please note that applicants may be awarded a residency without a fellowship award.
Fellowship awards are disclosed upon acceptance.
The application deadline for all fellowships is May 15, but subject to change. Please check back to this page for any updates or additional information. Please contact Deanna Miera at deanna@ragdale.org with any questions related to applying.
Featured Fellow
Martin Vargas
2022 Waud Fellow for Formerly Incarcerated Artists
Martin Vargas is a self-taught artist who spent 45 years in prison for a crime committed when he was 17 years old. Martin’s work was displayed at the Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners for 23 consecutive years. In 2017, Martin’s work The Lifer was presented at the University of Michigan as a gift to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Although I have not always seen myself as an artist, I feel comfortable with the label now. I didn’t have a great childhood and would do almost anything to be accepted; but, as a kid, I enjoyed art. Most of my work was pen–and–ink or pencil, and not very much color. In the early 1990s, I looked at art more seriously and began dabbling with both charcoal and watercolor. I enjoy how easy it is to blend charcoal and add even the tiniest of details to produce pieces rich with dramatic contrast or subtle softness. On the other hand, watercolor is not an easy medium to work with. Through books, patience, trial — and a lot of error — I learned how to use it with some success. I also tried acrylic but didn’t like how fast it dried. Traditional oils require chemicals that are harsh on the environment — and people too — but I wanted to try them anyhow. I chose water–soluble oils that do not require the heavy, destructive chemicals; learned how to use them, and enjoy working with them still. I am self-taught and my work is eclectic in style and media. In 1994, I worked alongside a very talented artist, Mr. Herschell Turner, who preferred pastel for his creations. Curious about his work, I watched him for months and was impressed with how easily he turned out dramatic paintings with “chalk.” I tried the medium — but succeeded only in getting colored dust all over the walls, floor, clothes, my face, and my hair. I blamed the pastels for my failure and quickly left them alone. I kept watching though, and asked a lot of questions. I got the nerve to try again and produced dull, muddy pieces that were nowhere near the luxuriant and vibrant ones Herschell created. But, the pastel stayed where it was supposed to, and that was progress! Now pastel is one of my preferred media, especially for portraits. My subject matter runs the gamut from wildlife and social issues, to portraits of both pets and people, a little bit of abstraction and, of course, my Pudgies; a signature style of art I make.
Artist Site: martinvargasarte.com
For more information contact: deanna@ragdale.org