Opportunity: 20/20 Fellowship

OVERVIEW

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is an unrestricted $15,000 award, plus a $5,000 professional development stipend given individually to three (3) BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Native artists who are creating tools, pathways and systems of support for artists in their communities. Artists from all Minnesota geographies are encouraged to apply.

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is open to BIPOC and Native artists of all practices, disciplines and career stages residing or working in Minnesota. Recipients of the fellowship are not required to apply award funds towards existing or future work products.

Candidates for the 20/20 Artist Fellowship are identified through an open application process. All eligible applications receive equal consideration through a three-round peer review process (pre-screen, panel review and panel interview). Peer reviewers are selected by Springboard for the Arts (Springboard) staff and aim to represent the diverse pool of identities, geographies and artistic disciplines reflected in the applicant pool.

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is a three year pilot program that will be offered in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. This year, the application period is open February 3rd through March 31st, awardees are decided in June, and the fellowship period runs from June 30, 2020 to August 31, 2021.

PURPOSE

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is an unrestricted $15,000 award plus $5,000 professional development stipend given individually to three (3) BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Native artists. This program seeks to support and recognize artists who make and share tools designed to benefit as many artists as possible, with the belief that interconnected communities of artists create greater impact, and substantial, systems-wide change.

Acknowledging the role that racism plays in siphoning off economic onramps and opportunities, Springboard is offering the 20/20 Artist Fellowship to individual BIPOC and Native artists who are developing tools, pathways and systems of support for artists in their communities, thus building the capacity for greater equity, agency and power across neighborhoods and systems. The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is an extension of Springboard’s Economic and Community Development principles, which can be read in full here.

Applications will reopen yearly through 2020. During these three (3) pilot years, Springboard will be refining the 20/20 Artist Fellowship in order to make the program as informed by and responsive to BIPOC and Native artists in Minnesota. We invite past, present and prospective fellows to provide us feedback. Please send emails to: fellowships@springboardforthearts.org

ELIGIBILITY

The intent of the 20/20 Artist Fellowship is to recognize individual BIPOC and Native artists in Minnesota who are developing tools, pathways and systems of support for artists in their communities. Please read carefully. Applicants who do not meet all of the following criteria and will not be considered and should not apply.

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is open to BIPOC and Native artists of all practices, disciplines and career stages. Recipients of the fellowship are not required to use award funds towards existing or future work products. To be considered for the 20/20 Artist Fellowship an artist must:

1. 1. Identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) or Native.
   1. We use this term to mean that we seek to serve artists of color who identify as: Black/African/African American, Afro Latino/a/x, Caribbean, Chicano/a/x, Mexican, Central American, South American, Middle Eastern/North African, Southeast Asian/Asian, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, Native Alaskan.
   2. We recognize that these descriptions and this language is ever-evolving and will always be inadequate. If this description resonates with you, we invite you to apply.

    

2. 2. Be 18 years of age or older
3. 3. Be eligible to receive taxable income in Minnesota throughout the current fellowship year
4. 4.Have been living or working in Minnesota for the past two years
5. 5. Be living or working in Minnesota throughout the fellowship period
6. 6. Not have received fellowship awards from Springboard in the past
7. 7. Not work as fellowship staff for the 20/20 Artists Fellowship program
8. 8. Not work at or be a board member of Springboard for the Arts
9. 9. Not be an immediate family member of fellowship staff, Springboard staff or board members (independent contractors are eligible to apply)

A final determination of eligibility is made by Springboard on a case by case basis.

REVIEW PROCESS

All eligible applications are reviewed through a three-round peer review process (round 1- prescreen, round 2- panel review, and final round- panel interview). Peer reviewers are selected by Springboard staff and represent, as best as possible, the diverse pool of identities, geographies and artistic disciplines reflected in the applicant pool. Applicants are considered and advanced through the review process based on how arts-based, community-centered, and culture-shifting their interventions are. Peer reviewers remain anonymous during the review process. Springboard staff do not serve on the panel or make decisions regarding the applicants.

Round 1: Prescreen

Peer reviewers will evaluate letters of intent and artist statements, then select approximately one-third of the pool to advance to second round panel review. Only applicants who are advanced to the semi-finalist round will be asked to provide resumes/websites and work samples. All applicants will be notified about their status via email.

Round 2: Panel review

Peer reviewers will evaluate resumes/websites and work samples, then select eight (8) finalists from the previous round to invite to interview. Only applicants who are advanced to the finalist round will be asked to provide recommendations. All semi-finalists will be notified about their status via email. Finalists will be notified via email and phone in late-May (date TBD).

Round 3: Interviews

Eight (8) Finalists will be asked to provide letters of recommendation and schedule in-person interviews during the first two weeks in June (date TBD). Interviews that cannot be conducted in person will be arranged via video conference call. Interviews are scheduled for 45 minutes each, including 15 minutes for finalists to ask questions. Finalists who do not receive the fellowship will receive a $1,000 honorarium. Peer reviewers will select up to three (3) fellowship awardees. Once their selection is made, Springboard staff will follow up by phone to make the fellowship offer. Fellowship awardees will be announced publicly in late June.

APPLICATION REVIEW SESSIONS

Please note that at any time during the application period, running from February 3rd until March 31st, applicants are more than welcome to schedule an hour-long application review session with one of Springboard’s Artist Career Consultants (ACCs). We strongly encourage applicants to submit their consultation requests early and by no later than March 20th in order to guarantee availability. Springboard offers this service at a sliding scale fee of $0 to $75/hr. Applicants can take a look at our complete list of ACCs and schedule their application review sessions by clicking here.

FELLOWSHIP PERIOD

COHORT

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship is run as a cohort model in order to facilitate deeper connections, conversations, collaborations and cross-pollination of ideas. The fellowship is designed to be an open learning experience, meaning, it is customizable based on the shared interests and goals of the group. From cycle-to-cycle, each cohort operates differently based on the unique dynamics of the group, and the systemic issues deemed most pressing for Minnesota artists.

At the beginning of the fellowship, each fellow completes an intake process to do goal setting and big picture mapping for that fellowship year. Throughout the fellowship year, the fellows are provided access to Springboard’s extensive resources, including: professional development tools/workshops/consultations/trainings, local/national network of community artists, financial planning support, and Springboard’s organizational platforms including a published profile piece on Creative Exchange. Fellows attend six (6) cohort meetings during their fellowship year and can schedule regular one-on-one check-ins with the program director, at their discretion. More details will be provided upon request and determined throughout the fellowship year.

AWARDS

20/20 Artist Fellows are not required to apply their awards towards existing or future work products. Fellows are encouraged to direct their $15,000 unrestricted funds towards areas that will have the most impact on their careers and overall quality of life. Beginning the fellowship, fellows will have the opportunity to receive one-on-one award budgeting sessions with Springboard Artist Career Consultants. Fellows will also have the option to schedule their award disbursement(s) in a single payout, or over several payouts during the corresponding tax years. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax guidelines. In the past, fellows have applied award funds towards:

• Paying themselves
• Paying off debt
• Hiring staff
• Owning equipment
• Rent
• Personal savings/retirement
• Medical care
• Childcare
• Continuing education
• Traveling
• General operations
• Study/reflection
• Experimentation/exploration
• Wellness/healing
• + More

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In addition to unrestricted award funds, fellows will receive a $5,000 professional development stipend, up to 5 hours free of career consultation with Springboard’s Artist Career Counselors, and one year free of Springboard’s Work of Art Workshops and professional development training. The stipend, career consultations and workshops must be used during the fellowship period and cannot be carried over after the fellowship ends. Past fellows have used the professional development stipend for (though not limited to):

• Classes/workshops/trainings (non-Springboard)
• Out-of-state conferences (flight, lodging, registration, meals, transport)
• Commuting to auditions/castings/interviews
• In-person meetings with a mentor or professional expert
• Publishing/producing work
• Research
• Hiring contractors
• Space rental
• Website design
• Equipment
• Reimbursement for business meetings
• Promotion/marketing
• Administrative support
• Professional headshots
• Accounting/tax/legal help
• + more

TIMELINE

• February 3, 2020 (3:00pm CST): Applications Open
• February 17, 2020 (6:30pm CST): Info Session (in-person) – register here
• February 21, 2020 (12:00pm CST): Info Session (streamed) – register here
• March 20, 2020 (11:59pm CST): Last day to request application review session – sign up here
• March 31, 2020 (11:59pm CST): Applications Close
• April – June 2020: Peer Review Panel
  • Round 1 – Prescreen: April
  • Round 2 – Panel review: May
  • Round 3 – Panel interview: June
• June 2020: Awardees announced

June 30, 2020 – August, 31 2021: Fellowship Period

HOW TO APPLY

The 20/20 Artist Fellowship accepts both written and video applications through an open application process. For Round 1, applicants will be asked to provide the following:

1. 1. Filled out Application Form
2. 2. Letter of Interest (>500 words or >5min video)
3. 3. Artist Statements (>500 words or >5min video per answer)
4. 4. Resume (PDF)

(Applicants who advance to Round 2 will be asked to provide up to 5 work samples or link to live website; applicants who advance to the interview round will be asked to provide recommendations.)

During the open application period, artists can choose to attend our information sessions and/or schedule a one-on-one application review session with one of Springboard’s Artist Career Consultants. Questions can also be sent to fellowship officials at: fellowships@springboardforthearts.org.

Applications are open now through March 31, 2020 at 11:59pm. Please click the button below to start your application.