Photo Urbanism Fellowship

The Design Trust is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026-2027 Photo Urbanism Fellowship and the opening of a call for photographers. The theme of this cycle is connected to their latest project and publication, Untaped, focusing on the dynamic events and programs happening in New York City’s public spaces.The Photo Urbanism fellow will create a new body of work on the theme of open and communal use of public space, present at a solo exhibition, and provide mentorship to a cohort of student photographers.

The Photo Urbanism Fellow will dedicate 5% of their fellowship to administrative tasks such as attending meetings, invoicing, and tracking expenses; 10% of the fellowship to provide mentorship to young photographers; the remaining 85% will be to developing project work, including, but not limited to, photographing, editing images, developing programming, and exhibition planning.

The fellowship award includes a $10,000 stipend and a solo exhibition.

End of Fellowship Deliverables:

• One comprehensive project proposal
• One final solo exhibition, including a written description of work/project, minimum of 5 final images (digital and print; size to be determined)
• Participation as a Visiting Critic during the Youth Photography Workshop Intensive for 6 CUNY Macaulay Honors College undergraduate students
• At least one program related to project work, e.g., a talk or panel regarding the photography series.

Requirements

The Photo Urbanism Fellow must be based in New York City and be available to participate in meetings with the Design Trust, CUNY Macaulay Honors College, and the Youth Photography Workshop Intensive Teaching Fellow. The Design Trust will act as a resource and thought partner and will arrange two critiques and opportunities for feedback with local photographers. The fellowship requires a 9-month commitment, based on a mutually agreed-upon work plan.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and eligible to work legally in the United States. Full-time students are not eligible due to possible time restraints, but part-time students may submit. Applicants must be based in New York City to concentrate on the local content of the fellowship. Applicants with 5-7 years of photography experience preferred. Demonstrated interest in teaching youth/undergraduate students or leading youth engagement is preferred. The selected Fellow must be able to commit to a 9-month long fellowship starting in October.

Application Instructions

All application materials must be submitted to fellowship@designtrust.org by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Materials that do not meet the following criteria will not be presented to the jury.

Work samples: A portfolio of three (3) jpg images showing representative work made within the last three years. Applicants are encouraged to include some images that demonstrate their approach to the urban environment.

Written materials: Save the following as one PDF named “lastname_firstname.pdf.”

• Project proposal and a brief description explaining your approach to the topic of capturing the essence and stories of shared spaces and programming in response to Untaped. Explain (a) why you are interested in this topic; (b) what you propose to do; © how this topic relates to your work; © what experience you have had working with youth/college students or teaching photography. Maximum 300 words.
• Artist statement describing your approach to photography and the type of camera(s) you use. Maximum 150 words.
• Artist resume including your education, exhibition history, mailing address, and email contact. Maximum one page.
• Image list with corresponding image #, title, date, and location
• Reference(s): At least two references, with a valid e-mail address and/or phone number. The references should know the applicant personally and be familiar with their work, and should be able to specifically address the applicant’s professional capacity to carry out a self-directed project.

The 2026-2027 Photo Urbanism Fellowship is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts.