2026 Fellowship Awards
Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PST
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP AWARDS
Artist Trust Fellowships are merit-based awards of $10,000 for practicing professional artists of exceptional talent and ability residing in Washington State. These unrestricted awards are given annually to 8+ artists of any discipline in recognition of artistic excellence and dedication to their practice. The first Fellowship Awards were selected in 1987, making it Artist Trust’s longest-running award program.
Before starting your application, please read the 2026 Fellowship Awards Guidelines.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
The 2026 Fellowship Awards are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines.
APPLICANTS MUST BE:
- 18 years of age or older;
- Washington State residents at the time of application and payment;
- Individual artists (or artist teams): those who are the originators of works of art.
APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:
- Fellowship recipients from 2018–2025;
- Previous recipients of two or more Fellowships in a lifetime;
- Previous recipients of the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist or Arts Innovator Awards;
- Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in 2026;
- Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both the application and/or payment (payment will be made March 2026);
- Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group;
- Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee member, current Fellowship panelists, or their immediate family.
ARTIST TEAMS
A team of two or more artists may apply if they have a documented history of creating and presenting work as a team for at least three consecutive years. Artists applying as a team must contact Artist Trust to confirm eligibility before applying. If eligible, one artist will submit the application and list team members in the application. All team members must meet the eligibility requirements.
ARTIST TRUST FELLOWSHIP AWARDS
In addition to the four individual partner awards listed below, 11 Artist Trust Fellowship Awards are available. All applicants will be automatically considered for this award.
ARTIST TRUST FELLOWSHIP AWARD FOR BLACK ARTISTS
The Fellowship Award for Black Artists is an unrestricted award for $10,000 for Washington State artists who identify as Black/African/African American. All artists who identify as Black, African, and/or African American will have to opt in to be considered this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This Fellowship is permanently funded thanks to the generous support of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom.
GREG KUCERA AND LARRY YOCOM FELLOWSHIP AWARD
The Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom Fellowship Award is an unrestricted award of $10,000 to a visual artist of any background residing in Washington State. . Artists will have to opt in to being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This award was made possible thanks to support from Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom.
THE LILLIAN MILLER FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP AWARD FOR TRANS* AND INDIGIQUEER ARTISTS
The Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists is for Washington State artists of all disciplines who self-identify as trans in its most inclusive sense. This may include transgender, indigiqueer, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, or nonbinary people, and anyone whose gender identity is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth. Artists will have to opt in to being considered for this award with a completed Fellowship Award application. This award is made possible in partnership with The Lillian Miller Foundation.
VADON FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP FOR NATIVE ARTISTS
The Vadon Foundation Fellowship Award for Native Artists is an unrestricted award of $10,000 to a Native artist of any discipline residing in Washington State. To be considered for this award, artists must complete the Fellowship Award application and provide documentation of their Native American heritage in one of the following ways:
- Documentation of tribal enrollment provided by a federally- or state- recognized tribe, band, nation, or Alaska Native Village;
- Documentation provided by a federally- or state-recognized tribe, band, nation, or Alaska Native village identifying the applicant as a descendant.
Learn more about the Vadon Foundation at www.vadonfoundation.org.
HELP WITH YOUR APPLICATION
Applying for grants can be hard, and we want to help you. Artist Trust offers the following support services and resources to guide you through the application process:
2026 Fellowship Info Session: Attend this Info Session on Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 – 6:30 pm to learn about 2026 Artist Trust Fellowships! During this event, our Program Team will share general information about applying for 2025 Fellowships. This is not a private session, but rather a space for learning and asking basic questions about the application process. Register here.
How to Apply for 2026 Fellowship: A brief walkthrough of how to apply, the process, and selection criteria. Click here to view this pre-recorded webinar.
Office Hours: 20-minute consultations with our staff. October 16 appointments are available in person at our office on Capitol Hill in Seattle, virtual via zoom or by phone. October 23 appointments are available virtually via zoom or by phone. Make an appointment at artisttrust.org.
Reference Guide: Review examples of successful applications from past year’s awardees at artisttrust.org.
Contact Us: We are happy to answer questions about your application. Please note: it’s hard for us to answer questions on the day of the deadline. Start your application early and don’t wait to contact us with questions.
Please note, if you require a translator to complete your application or have other accessibility needs, please get in touch. Our contact information is below.
CONTACT ARTIST TRUST
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. PST
- with questions about applications, guidelines, eligibility, support services, and resources;
- if you need to access or edit a submitted application prior to the deadline of November 3, 2025.
Lydia Boss (she/her) // Program Director
lydia@artisttrust.org: 206/467-8734 x25
Anna Teiche (she/her) // Program Manager
anna@artisttrust.org: 206/467-8734 x26
CONTACT SUBMITTABLE
- with website access issues;
- with questions about uploading or formatting files;
- with other technical support needs.
2026 Benefit Art Auction
Deadline: October 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST
Artist Trust’s open call for art for our Annual Benefit Art Auction will be open from September 9 - October 10, 2025! We invite visual and jewelry artists to submit up to three works to be considered for inclusion in our 2026 Auction. Donating artists can receive 50% commission on the sale price of their work.
ABOUT THE AUCTION
The Artist Trust Benefit Art Auction is an annual fundraising event that brings together artists, community members, collectors, donors, and friends to celebrate and support individual artists of all disciplines working in Washington State. The 2026 Benefit Art Auction celebrates Artist Trust's 40th Anniversary and will be an in-person evening event with an online preview on March 14, 2026 at the Seattle Design Center.
ABOUT ARTIST TRUST
Artist Trust is a nonprofit organization that supports working artists of all disciplines in Washington State. We fuel our funding and other programs for artists through fundraising, partnership, and community engagement. Recognized as a national model for direct funding and professional development for working artists, we have invested over $15 million in individual artists since our founding in 1986. Learn more by visiting artisttrust.org.
COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY
Artist Trust is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization, and to working against the systems of racism we have inherited, upheld, and perpetuated. We know we are not there yet. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have been systemically oppressed, and we are committed to partnering with them to eradicate white supremacy throughout our organization and to support historically marginalized artists across Washington State. More information about our work towards racial equity can be found here.
SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FROM SEPTEMBER 9 – OCTOBER 10, 2025
Artist Trust invites visual and jewelry artists to submit up to three works to be considered for inclusion in the auction. We are looking for 60 – 70 items to include in next year’s auction. Our aim is to present your best work, and artwork will be juried on the following criteria:
- Quality and originality of the work
- Audience appeal and ability to sell
- Size and weight, for ease of transport and installation (Size limit for 2D work is 48” x 48”)
- Retail value ($200 to $3,000 preferred); bidding starts at 50% of retail value
Artists are welcome to submit work outside these parameters – exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Due to installation restrictions and depending on media, there may also be weight restrictions. If your work is selected, the jury would pick just one piece for inclusion, regardless of the number of pieces submitted.
2D work must be framed, when appropriate, or otherwise accompanied with the appropriate hanging hardware. We understand and appreciate that framing is an added expense and encourage artists to include the value of this service in the retail value of the submitted piece. Please keep in mind that accepted work will need to be dropped off at the Artist Trust office in Capitol Hill, Seattle in February 2026. Should you want or need to ship your work, Artist Trust is unable to reimburse you for shipping expenses.
The 2026 Benefit Art Auction jurors are Avery Barnes, Founder and Director of TASWIRA; Cathy Sarkowsky, artist and founder of Vashon Artist Residency; and Kris Lewis, John S. Behnke Director of The Henry Art Gallery.
BENEFITS FOR DONATING ARTISTS
- A 50% commission for sold work
- A complimentary ticket and discounted guest ticket to the Auction on March 14, 2026
- A complimentary one-year Artist Trust Membership
- Artwork, bio, and website highly visible to the auction jury, on the auction website, and to an auction audience of 500+ collectors, arts professionals, nonprofit leaders, and artist peers
- Selected works featured in social media, email promotion, and guided curator tour
- Infinite gratitude from Artist Trust’s staff and board!
TIMELINE
- October 10, 2025 | Submission deadline
- Late October | Jury meets
- Mid-November | Selection notifications sent to artists
- February 2026 | Artwork drop-off
- March 14, 2026 | Auction
QUESTIONS?
Contact Justine Deacon (she/her), Annual Giving & Events Director, at justine@artisttrust.org
Contact Submittable at submittable.com/help
- with website access issues
- for questions about uploading or formatting images
- with other technical support needs
Thank you for your support!