Application Guidelines

2023-2024 KALA FELLOWSHIP AWARD

Artists interested in the Fellowship Program can apply online at kala.slideroom.com  – 2024-2025 Fellowship deadline is March 15th (9:00 pm PT) – apply here! 

The Fellowship is geared towards supporting artists in completing specific projects or bodies of work that would benefit from Kala’s specialized equipment in and across printmaking, photography, digital media, media installation, and book arts.

The 2024-2025 Fellowship competition is chaired by Kala’s Artist Residency Manager Leyla Rzayeva. This year the submissions will be juried by Kala’s Co-Director Mayumi Hamanaka, Fellowship alum Weston Teruya, and an invited Bay Area arts professional.

Special Programs: This year in partnership with the Sustainable Arts Foundation, we support parent artists through one of our six fellowships designated for a parent artist (with a child under 18 at home). We will also offer two Parent AIR Program residencies (please see more info about the Parent AIR Program on our website). If you check the box under Question 13 in the fellowship application, you will be considered first for the Fellowship; if you do not receive the Fellowship, you will be also considered for the Parent AIR program residency. Parent AIR Program offers Bay Area artists an individual residency plan with up to $1000 worth of services that cover a Kala residency, classes, Camp Kala, or other onsite youth art programs for their children, or consulting with Kala staff about professional development opportunities.

Each Fellowship Award Includes:

Cash Award: $3,000
Studio Residency: Up to nine months of studio residency at Kala Art Institute with 24/7 access to our communal studio spaces.
Kala Class: One class that will provide training in a chosen area of printmaking and/or digital media.
Exhibition: Each artist selected is included in our annual group exhibition of Fellowship artists. Public programs for artists are also possible and determined on an individual basis with each artist.
Community: Access to a community and network of approximately 75-80 artists working at Kala, participation in Kala events, and support of Kala staff.

Program Period
The 2024-2025 Fellowship residency period is from July 2024 through June 2025. Artists must be able to schedule a residency during that time. The group exhibition schedule is to be determined.

2024 Competition

Apply online at kala.slideroom.com.The application deadline is March 15th (9:00 pm PT)apply here! 

Feel free to contact Leyla Rzayeva, Artist Residency Manager, at leyla@kala.org with related questions to the Fellowship Program. Please note that Kala Print Studio is located at the top of three flights of stairs. Please reach out to Leyla Rzayeva at leyla@kala.org so we can share more about accessibility for you (and your service animal) safely and efficiently.

A Full Application Includes:
-Completed Application Form, you can apply on Slideroom.
-Statement of Interest in working at Kala Art Institute and how a Fellowship Award will affect a specific future project and/or how it will impact your overall practice.
-Artist CV
-Documentation of recent work: Provide 1-15 items. Allowed Media Types: Images (up to 5MB each), Video (up to 250MB each), Audio (up to 30MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each), 3D Models, External media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud
-Two References
-$20 Application Fee

Accommodations: Kala now offers artist housing located across the street from Kala’s facilities. Kala has two, two-bedroom apartments and can house 4 artist-in-residence each month.  Please note that Kala’s shared artist apartments are 2 bedroom apartments, meaning you will be living with a roommate and sharing a kitchen, living room, and bathroom. The apartment cannot accommodate partners, co-parents, or children. There is a $200 non-refundable housing deposit which will be applied towards the residency costs. An alternative housing list is available that includes local community members who rent out space in their homes. In this case, artists are responsible for finding their housing.

Please note:
– Students who will be enrolled in a degree-granting program in the 2024-2025 academic year are not eligible for the award. For questions about the online application guidelines, e-mail Artist Residency Manager, Leyla Rzayeva at leyla@kala.org.