Pew Fellowships in the Arts: $75,000 for Philadelphia's Most Exceptional Artists

The Pew Fellowships in the Arts is one of the most prestigious and generous individual artist awards in the United States, providing $75,000 unrestricted fellowships to artists of exceptional talent who reside in the five-county Philadelphia area. Administered by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, the fellowship has been supporting Philadelphia-area artists since 1991 and has established itself as the most important recognition of artistic excellence available to artists in the Philadelphia region.

The fellowship's combination of a substantial unrestricted award, a two-year fellowship period, and the prestige of the Pew name makes it one of the most transformative opportunities available to eligible artists. Recipients consistently describe the fellowship as having had a significant impact on their ability to develop ambitious new work, take creative risks, and build the professional infrastructure that a sustained artistic career requires.

The Award Amount and Structure

The $75,000 unrestricted award is one of the most generous individual artist fellowships available in the United States, providing a level of financial support that can genuinely transform an artist's practice. The award is unrestricted, meaning that recipients can use the funding however they determine is most valuable for their practice, without project proposals, progress reports, or restrictions on how the money is spent.

The two-year fellowship period provides an extended period of recognition and support, during which fellows are expected to continue developing their practice and to engage with the Pew Center's broader programming. The two-year structure reflects the Pew Center's understanding that meaningful artistic development takes time and that the most valuable support is support that gives artists an extended period of financial security rather than a single lump sum.

The unrestricted nature of the award reflects the Pew Center's trust in the artists it supports and its understanding that the most valuable support is support that gives artists genuine autonomy. Some recipients use the funding to cover studio costs and living expenses, freeing up time for their creative work. Others use it to purchase materials or equipment for ambitious new projects. Still others use it to reduce their hours at a day job, creating more time for their creative work. The flexibility of the award means that each recipient can use it in the way that is most meaningful for their specific situation.

The Nomination Process

The Pew Fellowships uses a nomination-based process in which arts professionals nominate artists for consideration. This nomination structure reflects the Pew Center's interest in working with the Philadelphia arts community to identify artists whose work demonstrates exceptional promise and achievement, and it places the initial selection responsibility with the professionals who know the work most directly.

Nominated artists then submit a full application including a portfolio of recent work, an artist statement, and a resume. The Pew Center reviews these applications and selects fellows from the nominated pool through a peer review process involving panels of arts professionals. The nomination requirement means that artists cannot apply directly, but artists who are interested in the fellowship should ensure that their work is visible to the arts professionals in the Philadelphia community who participate in the nomination process.

The nomination process reflects the Pew Center's understanding that the most exceptional artists are often known within the professional arts community before they are widely recognised by the broader public, and that working through the professional community to identify these artists is more likely to identify genuine excellence than an open application process.

The Philadelphia Arts Context

The Pew Fellowships is specifically designed for artists in the five-county Philadelphia area, reflecting the Pew Center's commitment to supporting the arts in the Philadelphia region. The five-county area includes Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, covering a significant geographic area that encompasses both the city of Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs.

Philadelphia has a rich and distinctive arts scene, with major institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Philadelphia Orchestra providing a rich context for artistic practice. The city's relatively affordable cost of living compared to New York has made it an attractive destination for artists, and the Pew Fellowships has played an important role in supporting the development of Philadelphia's arts community.

The fellowship has supported artists working in every artform, from painting and sculpture through performance, music, and literature. This breadth reflects the Pew Center's commitment to supporting the full diversity of artistic practice in the Philadelphia region rather than focusing on specific disciplines or approaches.

The Impact of the Fellowship

The Pew Fellowships has had a significant impact on the Philadelphia arts community over more than three decades of operation, supporting hundreds of artists and contributing to the development of Philadelphia as a major centre for artistic practice. Many of the most accomplished artists in the Philadelphia region have received the fellowship, and the recognition it provides has opened doors to exhibitions, residencies, and other opportunities that might not otherwise have been available.

The fellowship has also contributed to the broader development of the Philadelphia arts community by providing a mechanism for recognising and celebrating the exceptional talent that exists in the region. The annual announcement of new fellows is a significant event in the Philadelphia arts calendar, and the recognition it provides helps to build the visibility and reputation of Philadelphia's arts community both locally and nationally.

The Bottom Line

The Pew Fellowships in the Arts is one of the most prestigious and generous individual artist awards in the United States, providing $75,000 unrestricted fellowships to Philadelphia-area artists of exceptional talent through a nomination-based process that reflects the Pew Center's commitment to identifying and supporting the most accomplished artists in the region. For artists in the Philadelphia area who are committed to their practice and whose work has achieved recognition within the professional arts community, the Pew Fellowships is one of the most important and transformative opportunities available.