Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellowship

The Lower East Side (LES) Young Artists of Color Fellowship is a program of FABnyc.

FAB’s LES Young Artists of Color Fellowship supports early career artists interested in building a peer network of mutual support, meeting with experienced artists and producers of color to help shape strategies for furthering their work in the field, and participating in a culminating public showcase of original work. We developed the Fellowship particularly to support POC artists who live in the Lower East Side, although we accept applications for any young artist who is a NYC resident. We define the Lower East Side as including the area from 14th Street to Canal, Bowery to the East River, as well as Chinatown. This includes Loisaida, the East Village, and all of Community District 3.

Fellowship Overview

APPLICATION FORM for 2025 cohort is due December 9th, 2024

Eligibility
To be eligible, you must be an artist of color between the ages of 18 and 26. You must also be a New York City resident and have a year-round/permanent address in New York City. Priority considerations are given to Lower East Side residents and NYCHA tenants.

Who are we looking for?
We are accepting 8 fellows for our 2025 cohort. The program supports artists creating original work. Artists from all disciplines may apply.
The program has been most useful to visual and creative artists interested in working with nonprofit arts organizations and in pursuing residencies, commissions, community collaborations, exhibits, public space activations, and non-traditional venues. The program is not well suited for those artists interested in connecting to the commercial music and media industries or securing agents.

Each Fellow will:
– receive a $500 stipend
– participate in weekly meetings with the full fellowship
– meet and hear from established arts professionals of color
– share artistic works-in-progress and career challenges
– identify topics of interest for workshops such as fundraising, marketing, and portfolio development
– present work through a culminating exhibit / performance

Calendar
Fellowship Sessions in person at FAB, 70 East 4th Street
Tuesdays February 4 – April 29
6:30pm-8:30pm

Culminating Exhibit/Showcase at FAB’s theater and studio, 70 East 4th Street
Please note that our spaces are non-traditional exhibition spaces.  Fellows will work with FAB staff to find creative ways to activate these spaces for the culminating exhibit/showcase.
Tuesday April 22 – Friday April 25 – Setup and install, final rehearsals
Saturday April 26 – Exhibit / installation/ public performance
Sunday April 27 – Breakdown

All sessions and participation in the culminating showcase are mandatory.

There may also be up to two field trips which will take place either on a weekend day or a weekday evening during the fellowship period, time to be agreed upon.

Applications are being accepted now through midnight on December 9, 2024. 

Please note FAB is closed December 20-January 4. Due to the December holidays, we expect to notify accepted applicants in mid January.

If you have questions about the application, please contact Ari-Duong Nguyen – ari@fabnyc.org

All Fellowship Cohorts

2024 LES Young Artists of Color Fellows

2023 LES Young Artists of Color Fellows

2022 LES Young Artists of Color Fellows 

2021 LES Young Artists of Color Fellows

This project is supported in part through funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Member Carlina Rivera.