United States Artists (USA) Fellowship
United States Artists
$50,000
$50K unrestricted artist fellowship (nomination only)
An annual, unrestricted $50,000 fellowship awarded by United States Artists, a Chicago-based nonprofit, to individual artists and collaboratives working across ten disciplines: Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing. The 2026 class comprised 50 fellows. Fellows receive the cash award with no restrictions on use, plus access to tailored services including financial planning, career consulting, and legal advice. NOMINATION ONLY: a rotating, anonymous group of arts professionals nominates artists, who are then invited to apply; panels select finalists and the Board of Trustees approves the awards. An artist or business cannot self-apply — there is no public application an individual can submit unprompted.
- Funding type
- Award
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $50,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- Every fellow receives the full $50,000 unrestricted award; the amount is fixed, not variable…
- Deadline
- Annual — nomination and application cycle runs each year; the 2026 class was announced in January 2026. NOMINATION ONLY (artists cannot apply directly).
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump-sum
Who qualifies
- NOMINATION ONLY — artists CANNOT apply directly; you must first be nominated by USA's anonymous nominators before you can submit anything
- Individual artists or collaboratives working in one of ten disciplines: Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, Writing
- Nominees are then invited to submit a full application
- US-based artists (USA is a national fellowship for artists living and working in the United States)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Unrestricted — funds may be used for anything (living costs, studio, materials, debt, savings, new work)
How to apply
-
1
Be nominated (required — there is no self-apply path)
A rotating, anonymous group of arts professionals (including practicing artists) nominates artists and collaboratives across the ten disciplines. There is no way to apply for nomination directly — the most effective path is sustained visibility and relationships in your discipline's professional community. If you are never nominated, you cannot enter this fellowship at all.
~0 hrs
-
2
Submit the invited application
Nominated artists are invited to complete a full application, including work samples and supporting materials demonstrating accomplishment and trajectory in their discipline.
~8 hrs
-
3
Panel review and Board approval
Ten disciplinary panels review applications and identify finalists; the Board of Trustees approves the final class. Fellows are announced (the 2026 class was announced in January 2026).
~1 hrs
NOMINATION ONLY — you cannot apply, so the real strategy is being visible to the field: USA's anonymous nominators are working curators, critics, and practicing artists. Strong relationships with institutions, presenters, and peers in your discipline are what put your name in front of a nominator. Treat this as a long-game recognition to position for, not a grant you can submit to this year. The award is genuinely unrestricted, so once nominated, your application should showcase a clear, sustained body of work rather than a single project pitch.
Deadline & timing
USA runs an annual cycle. A rotating, anonymous group of arts professionals nominates artists each year; nominees are then invited to submit applications, panels review, and the Board approves the class (announced in January). Because nomination is required, there is NO public application deadline an artist can target directly — only invited nominees can apply.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.