2026 Van Lier Fellowship in Visual Arts

The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is pleased to administer, with support from the New York Community Trust, the 2026 Van Lier Fellowship in Visual Arts. This year, the fellowship will be awarded to two NYC-based Asian American individuals: one fellow working in the field of Visual Arts Practice and one fellow in Visual Arts Curation.

A4’s mission is to ensure greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. In line with these efforts, it is the aim of the A4 Van Lier Fellowship to support early-career individual Asian American artists living in New York City to develop work that will help fuel Asian American and creative discourse.

Created by the will of Sally Van Lier, the Trust carries out Edward and Sally Van Lier’s legacy of arts appreciation by supporting arts groups and training programs to provide education, training, or other support to young artists.

The Van Lier Fellowship is awarded to one visual artist and one curator, age 30 or younger. The fellows will receive an unrestricted cash stipend of $10,000 each and an eight-month fellowship tailored to respond to the unique needs of their practice. The fellowship includes artistic mentorship with an established or mid-career arts professional, leadership coaching, and a range of technical support.

Fellowship Description:

In addition to the cash stipend of $10,000, the fellow will participate in an eight-month program beginning in May 2026 and ending in December 2026. The fellowship is structured in three phases, each facilitating a different area of professional development.

Phase 1: Career Coaching
May – July 2026
The selected fellows will receive three coaching sessions from an esteemed career coach. The coaching will cover core value strengthening and goal setting/vision planning. These sessions are meant to offer personal and professional development tools for the fellows to empower themself as a leader of their vision, craft, and field.

Phase 2: Artistic Mentorship
July – September 2026
The selected fellows will receive artistic mentorship from an established or mid-career arts professional. The mentorship will include one-on-one meetings with the appointed mentor. The mentor will be chosen by A4 staff based on field recommendations and with input from the fellows, giving consideration to their interests and preferences.

Phase 3: A4 Public Program
October – December 2026
The selected fellows will work with A4 staff to develop and present one community workshop or public presentation by December 2026 based on their experience with the fellowship or work generated through the process. A4 is able to offer $1,000 in production assistance; please keep this in mind when formulating ideas for your program.

A4 will administer an open application process.

Requirements

Applicants must be:

• of Asian descent
• 30 years of age or younger by May 1, 2026
• a resident of New York City and primarily based in NYC during the fellowship period (May–Dec 2026)
• not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program in a field related to visual arts during the fellowship period; exceptions may be made for post-graduate students in a field unrelated to visual arts
• practicing art in either one of these fields: Visual Arts Practice, Visual Arts Curation

NOTE: Current A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible. Immediate family of A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible.

Selection Criteria:

• Artistic merit: Technical skill, clarity, imaginativeness, and uniqueness based upon body of work/chosen medium and work samples submitted.
• Creation of new work: Description of the project to be developed and/or completed during the fellowship.
• Community impact: Articulation of interest or hopes to make a significant impact on the Asian American arts community based on narrative responses in the application.
• Potential for growth: Extent to which the fellowship will advance the applicant’s goals and career.

Key Dates:

Feb 19, 2026 –– Public announcement of open call
Feb 26, 2026 –– Virtual information session, 12:00–1:00 PM ET
March 25, 2026 –– Submissions close by 11:59 PM ET
March–April 2026 –– Panel review period
April 24, 2026 –– Notification of award
May 7, 2026 –– Public announcement of fellows
May–Dec 2026 –– Fellowship period

Review panels are composed of a diverse group of respected professionals in the field. All are distinguished artists and/or arts professionals.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted online via Jotform.

Deadline: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. The application deadline is firm; no exceptions will be made.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the virtual information session on Thursday, February 26 from 12:00–1:00 PM ET. The one hour session will include background and logistics of the awards process and pointers on preparing a strong application. A recording of the session will be posted to A4’s YouTube channel, and linked here afterwards. Register here.

For a copy of the above guidelines, application questions, and FAQ, please refer to this document, or email programs@aaartsalliance.org.