Select Page

Visiting Artist Fellowship

Apply

Applications for 2025/2026 are now open until January 2, 2025. Apply below!

The Visiting Artist Fellowship provides:

  • Each artist receives a stipend of $8,000 for the 8-week duration of the program to cover all costs incurred during the fellowship at the Mittal Institute. These include but are not limited to accommodations, meals, health insurance, domestic travels, etc.
  • One round-trip economy travel cost from South Asia to Cambridge, MA, USA.
  • An orientation to the campus in the first week of the artist’s fellowship that includes information and access to Harvard’s extensive physical and digital libraries and archives, and the Harvard Art Museums.
  • A shared office space at the Institute.
  • Opportunity to attend classes on campus pending individual faculty approval.

The Visiting Artist Fellowship does not provide or guarantee:

  • Studio space for marking art.
  • Art supplies beyond the artist stipend.
  • Faculty approval for classes or meetings.
  • Housing: It is the responsibility of each VAF to find their own housing.

Eligibility:

  • Artists who are current residents of South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, or Sri Lanka). We will pay attention to the geographic and thematic representation of the applicant.
  • Mid-career artists with an established body of work, who are actively exhibiting current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces. Although formal professional training at an accredited institution is not a requirement, artists with professional training are preferred.
  • Demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship. Special consideration will be given to artists whose research proposals are related to pertinent South Asian issues.
  • Able to provide a plan and rationale for utilizing Harvard’s resources including: specific classes, archives, libraries, or museum collections.
  • In possession of a valid passport and are able to apply for the necessary visa.
  • Short-listed candidates will be required to participate in a video interview with the review committee.

Program Requirements:

  • An artist’s talk/seminar on campus and in the region, as appropriate.
  • A curated exhibition of the Visiting Artist’s work at the Mittal Institute office. 
  • A 4- to 5-page report covering what was accomplished during the Fellowship.
  • An exit interview.

Application Instructions:

All application materials should be uploaded and submitted via an online application form called ARIeS. To start, please create an account on the ARIeS site. Once your account is active, you will be able to create and submit an application through this posting.

Preview of Application Questions:

  • Artist Statement (maximum 300 words) describing your work.
  • Resume/CV
  • Work Portfolio: Your work portfolio should consist of no more than 15 images, 15 minutes of video, or 15 pages of text. Select works that best represent you as an artist. Work samples may be accompanied by a brief description. You can find an example of the work portfolio PDF here.
  • Fellowship Proposal (maximum 500 words): This written statement should describe your preliminary proposal and how it will benefit from being hosted by the Mittal Institute and Harvard. Please list in as much detail as possible which resources, departments, and faculty at Harvard would be pertinent to your research. Also, please state if you would be drawing on the collections of the Harvard Museums for your research. Anything longer than 500 words will not be considered.Some questions to consider include: How will you utilize 8 weeks of your time at Harvard to inform your work? What resources at Harvard do you plan to use? How do you use your work to draw attention to the areas of economic, policy, and social issues of your particular context of South Asia?Please spend most of your narrative about work you have already completed, as your stay at Harvard will focus on these works.
  • Letters of recommendation: Please find two references to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. One letter must be from a senior professional involved in art or a practicing artist. These letters should be uploaded directly to CARAT. The letters should address the following (as well as any other relevant information): 1) How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? 2) Assess the candidate’s qualifications and previous achievements and evaluate the potential impact/contribution of his or her project.

Please note: Applicants will be notified of the decision within 3 months of the application deadline.