Center for Craft 25th anniversary logo in red

for Makers

Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

Each year, the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship identifies ten graduating college seniors with exemplary skill in craft. Awardees receive $15,000 — one of the largest awards offered nationally to art students.

View recent recipients
Fellowship is nomination only.

Courtesy of Theju Nimmagadda

Now in its eighteenth year, the Center for Craft’s Windgate-Lamar Fellowship marks $2.5 million awarded to 180 emerging craft artists nationwide

“The Windgate-Lamar Fellowship provides critical financial support as a bridge between college and graduate school or life as a working artist,” says Stephanie Moore, Executive Director. “The Fellowship instills confidence and fosters bravery to take risks and the chance to seek and engage in career-enhancing opportunities.”

The results of such early support are already beginning to emerge. Today, Windgate-Lamar Fellows hold full-time faculty positions, are accepted into nationally renowned residence programs, mount solo shows, and establish successful studios. Over half have gone on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts degree. Their work can been seen in nationally traveling exhibitions, represented in galleries, and published in periodicals such as American Craft. Supporting the next generation is one of the Center for Craft’s main focus areas identified to build a thriving national craft field.

Grant goals

Opportunities

To provide visibility and networking opportunities for emerging makers

Support

To financially support the careers of emerging makers

Recognition

To recognize and affirm emerging talent

Overview

2023 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

This grant is based on a closed nomination process. To inquire about become a nominating institution, please e-mail grants@centerforcraft.org for more information.

Timeline

  • Nominations Due:
  • November 18, 2022
  • Applications Open:
  • December 1, 2022
  • Deadline:
  • February 6, 2023
  • Notification:
  • April 2023
  • Grant Period Begins:
  • May 1, 2023
  • Grant Period Ends:
  • April 1, 2024

ELIGIBILITY

  • Nominees must be undergraduate seniors working in a craft medium
  • Nominees must be able to receive taxable income for the duration of the grant and report this grant as income
  • Nominees must be 18 years of age or older
  • Students must be US citizens or in the process of applying for citizenship.
  • Students must be graduating seniors (2023 Fellows must graduate between
    December 2022 and August 2023)

Participating institutions develop the selection process in order to identify two graduating seniors who meet the following criteria:

  • Student’s work must be informed by craft process, materials, traditions, and/or sensibilities.
  • Work should demonstrate a balance of content and design, as well as a mastery of materials.
  • Applicants should demonstrate innovation and curiosity, commitment to growth, and show evidence of how their work will stimulate creative thinking or dialogue among other artists.

The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. The Center encourages applications from historically under-represented populations. Submitting an application does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant or fellowship

Submitting an application does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a fellowship.

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS

  • Seventy percent of the grant will be awarded upon execution of the grant agreement and receipt of the Fellow’s W9.  
  • The final thirty percent of the grant will be awarded upon receipt of the Fellow’s final report, including a two-page summary of how the grant funds were spent, projects pursued, and ten high-resolution images of work created or project pursued during the Fellowship.  Final report is due April 1, 2024.
  • Grant permission for the Center for Craft to use the images from Fellow’s application and final report, or other high-resolution images the Fellow may want to provide, in press releases and/or reports of work by recipients of the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship program.  
  • Acknowledge Support by the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship Award administered by the Center for Craft, in any publication or press release during the grant period, and anytime Fellow shows work made through the support of this grant moving forward by including the credit line: “This work was supported by a Center for Craft Windgate-Lamar Fellowship.”
  • Attend and participate in a 2023 Windgate-Lamar Fellows Connect virtual convening.

REVIEW PROCESS

Applications are reviewed by the Center for Craft staff for completeness and evaluated by a panel of jurors using the following criteria:

  • Work represented in the ten application images demonstrates a balance of content and design as well as a mastery of materials
  • Proposal has the ability to advance work that is informed by the craft process, materials, traditions and/or sensibilities
  • Proposal demonstrates innovation and curiosity, a commitment to growth of applicant’s own work, and evidence their work might stimulate creative thinking or dialogue among other artists
  • Proposal includes a budget and timeline that are feasible

Considerations in final selection:

The Center for Craft respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. We foster open communication of diverse perspectives and bring a broad range of individuals together to enrich and support programming. Ultimately we will ask the Selection Panel to compose a set of recipients deserving of further recognition while prioritizing diversity and representing a range of geographies and materials.


HOW TO APPLY

Only eligible nominees are invited to submit an application through a private submission link.   

Applicants must apply using the online application program SlideRoom using the link provided to nominees by email. Please review the sample application below before beginning your application.   

All applicants should create a login to be able to complete the form. Before submitting your application, you will be directed to a confirmation page where you will be able to review your form and return to edit or delete your uploaded files as needed. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to access your form again. Applicants will receive a confirmation email once the application form has been successfully submitted.   

Application Deadline: 2023 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship applications must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59 pm ET on Monday, February 6, 2023.   

Notification : Notification of the selected fellows will be sent via email in April 2023 for a start date of May 1, 2023. The e-mail address listed on the application form will be used to send out notifications. Please be sure that it is a valid account that you check regularly.   

 SAMPLE APPLICATION  - 2023 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

This is only a sample application, all applications must be completed in SlideRoom.

Demographic Survey

Please note that the data from the demographics section will only be used anonymously. Your participation in this survey helps us and our local and national funders understand who the Center for Craft is reaching so that we can continue to develop equitable and accessible programming. Completion of this survey will in no way affect your application. We require all applicants to complete this form; however, you may answer each question with the “I prefer not to answer” option if you choose. Thank you.

  1. Which age group best describes you?
  2. Which of the following best describes the race with which you identify? (Choose all that apply)
  3. Which of the following best describes your gender identity?
  4. What is your sexual orientation?
  5. Do you identify as having a disability? (such as a physical disability, a cognitive or learning disability, sensory sensitivity or Autism Spectrum Disorder, or mental illness)

COVER SHEET 

  1. Applicant name 
  2. Institution/School
  3. Online portfolio or your website
  4. Please provide an email address that is not linked to your school email address
  5. Concentration of study
  6. Date of graduation
  7. Are you able to receive taxable federal income in the U.S. (or U.S. territories) for the duration of the grant period (through April 2024)? For example, this might look like having a social security number (ITIN for DREAMers) and a US bank account.

APPLICATION

  1. Please provide an artist statement that includes how your work is informed by craft processes, materials, traditions, and/or sensibilities. Please use no more than 1,500 characters (between 214 words and 375 words with spaces).
  2. Please describe what you want to do to advance your practice, addressing your career aspirations in relation to your medium. Where do you see your practice in 5 years? Please use no more than 4,500 characters (between 428 words and 750 words with spaces).
  3. If awarded the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, what influences would your practice have on other craft artists (i.e. stimulating creative thinking or dialogue among other artists)? Please use no more than 2,700 characters (between 257 words and 450 words with spaces).
  4. How you would use the $15,000 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship Award to advance your practice and artistic development. Please use no more than 2,700 characters (between 257 words and 450 words with spaces).
  5. Budget: Please provide a budget that fully outlines the expenses associated with the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, accounting for the full amount of $15,000. The budget template is included in SlideRoom.  Please list no more than 25 items.

Examples might include: 

  • Travel/lodging expenses  
  • Residency registration or workshop fees  
  • Materials, studio equipment   
  • Studio rent 
  1.  Timeline: Please provide a timeline for the 12 month Windgate-Lamar Fellowship beginning, May 1, 2023 and ending April 1, 2024. A template for the timeline is provided in SlideRoom. If you receive an award, 70% of the funds will be released in May 2023 (once terms of the grant agreement are reviewed and agreed to) and the remaining 30% will be released once you have completed the final report (at the end of the 12-month funding cycle) April 1, 2024.
  2. References: Please designate two individuals who support your proposal (e.g. an advisor, teacher, nominating professor, dean or community member) as references. You will need to request through your SlideRoom application that they complete a reference form, due on the same date as the application, no later than 11:59 pm ET on February 6, 2023.  
  3. Images: Please submit 10 high quality images or video clips of your work. Good photography is critical. Images should feature your work only and should not be a collage of multiple pieces in one slide. Video clips should be submitted ONLY if they are necessary to demonstrate your work. Each clip should be no longer than 1 minute. All images should include a description to include how the piece was fabricated. SlideRoom allows up to 1,000 characters (about 250 words) to be included in the "Description" box for your work sample uploads.

Allowed Media Types: 

  • Images (up to 10MB each)
  • Video (up to 500MB each)
  • 3D Models via Sketchfab
  • External media from YouTube and Vimeo

FAQ

How do I become a nominating institution?

Please e-mail grants@centerforcraft.org to receive more information.


Is my institution on the list of nominating institutions for the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship?

Please inquire by e-mail to grants@centerforcraft.org.

Where can I find information about previous recipients of the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship?

Check out our online Grant Recipient Archive here. You can sort by grant opportunity by clicking on “Grant” or search “Windgate-Lamar” in the search Filter.

What is the final deadline for submitting my online application form?

Applications for 2023 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59 pm ET on February 6, 2023.

May I mail a hard copy of my application materials to the Center for Craft’s office?

No, hard copy submissions will not be accepted. The application must be completed and submitted through SlideRoom.

Can I work on my application and return to complete it at a later date?

Yes, creating a login account will enable you to complete the form in several online sessions.

I just submitted my application but I want to return to it and make an edit. Is this possible?

No, once your application is submitted, you will not be able to return to the form or change any submitted information. The application fee must also be paid at the time of submitting your application as you will not be able to log-in again to access the payment page again.

I have a question that wasn’t answered. How can I reach the Center for Craft?

If you have any further questions, please contact grants@centerforcraft.org.

recipients

Meet the 2023
Windgate-Lamar Fellows

Ten graduating university seniors were selected from a national pool of 76 applications by a panel consisting of artists, curators, and professionals who play critical roles in the field today. These ten Fellows were awarded based on their notable artistic merit and demonstrated potential for contributing to the field of craft.

2018 Center for Craft Windgate Fellows

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Selection Panelists

  • Lowery Stokes Sims - Ph.D., Art Historian, Curator
  • Evan Snyderman - Co-Founder/Artistic and Creative Director of R & Company
  • Fabio J. Fernandez - Director, Greenwich House Pottery
  • Danielle Burke -  Artist, Folklorist, 2015 Windgate-Lamar Fellow

Field Building

ACTIVATING RESOURCES