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for Makers

Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

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

View recent recipients
Fellowship nominations are currently closed.

Courtesy of Theju Nimmagadda

Each year the Center for Craft eases the transition from student to working artist for ten ambitious graduates.

Since 2006 the Center for Craft has invested in the next generation by awarding 10 emerging craft artists $15,000 in unrestricted funds, and providing them with a network of support to build a foundation for future success.

Each Fellow creates a unique plan for their Fellowship funds to support their personal and artistic growth in this crucial phase of their early career. Historically, artists who receive this award use the funds to conduct material research, establish a studio, engage in further learning opportunities and travel to locations significant to their research.  In addition, each Fellow also receives support through cohort convenings and professional development with the Center for Craft. 

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

2024 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

This is a nomination-only application process. Eligible nominees are invited to submit an application through a private submission link emailed directly to the nominee. If you are interested in joining our roster of nominating institutions please complete this form: Windgate-Lamar Nominating Institution Form

Timeline

  • Nominations Open:
  • August 1, 2023
  • Nomination Deadline:
  • October 31, 2023
  • Applications Open:
  • December 1, 2023
  • Information Session:
  • December 8 at 4pm ET
  • Application Deadline:
  • February 2, 2024
  • Public Announcement:
  • Mid April 2024
  • Grant Period Begins:
  • May 1, 2024
  • Grant Period Ends:
  • April 30, 2025

ELIGIBILITY

  • Nominees must be completing a degree granting program between December 2023 and August 2024
  • 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

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 an understanding 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 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, 2025.
  • 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 all 2024 Windgate-Lamar Fellows Connect virtual convenings.

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 understanding 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

Eligible nominees are invited to submit an application through a private submission link emailed directly to the nominee.  If you are interested in joining our roster of nominating institutions please complete this form: Windgate-Lamar Nominating Institution Form.

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.   

Application Deadline: 2024 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship applications must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59pm ET on Friday, February 2, 2024.   

Notification : Notification of the selected fellows will be sent via email in April 2024 for a start date of May 1, 2024. 

 SAMPLE APPLICATION  - 2024 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

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

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 250 words (1,500 characters).
  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 500 words (4,500 characters).
  3. How you would use the $15,000 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship Award to advance your practice and artistic development. Please use no more than 250 words (1,500 characters).
  4. 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, 2024 and ending April 1, 2025. A template for the timeline is provided in SlideRoom. If you receive an award, 70% of the funds will be released in May 2024 (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 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. References will only be contacted if deemed necessary by the selection panel. 
  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?

If you are interested in joining our roster of nominating institutions please complete this form.

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 a 2024 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59pm ET on February 2, 2024.

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