the photowork junior fellowship

The PhotoWork Junior Fellowship celebrates individual artists and their craft, offering a space for education and experimentation beyond traditional academic pathways. Through a holistic support network, Fellows receive personalized guidance that meets them at their current stage while challenging them to advance their practice and strengthen the foundations of their future careers. At the same time, the Fellowship contributes to a broader awareness and appreciation of the post-documentary genre and its practitioners.

Six Junior Fellows are chosen by a jury of industry leading colleagues. The 2026 jury will be announced soon. Past jurors have included; Amanda Boe, Photo Editor at the New York Times; Jenia Fridlyand, Photographer & Photo Educator; Noa Lin, Associate Editor at Aperture; Shana Lopes, Assistant Curator of Photography at SFMOMA; and Lesley A. Martin, Executive Director at Printed Matter.

Each Fellow is carefully paired with an established photography Mentor who we believe best fit the work and needs of each Fellow. Potential Fellowship Mentors include, but are not limited to, Dannielle Bowman, Kelli Connell, Lois Conner, Carolyn Drake, Doug DuBois, Rahim Fortune, Ron Jude, Raymond Meeks, Wendy Red Star, and Bryan Schutmaat.

Over the six-month fellowship, each Fellow will develop a photographic project of their choosing, guided through monthly one-on-one critique sessions with their Mentor. These meetings will provide space to discuss progress, refine artistic vision and practice, and strengthen both written and oral articulation of their work. In addition, Fellows will participate in tailored sessions on post-production, professional practices, and other topics identified to meet the specific needs of the cohort. Periodic group meetings will further encourage Fellows to share insights and challenges, fostering reflection on their creative process and cultivating a supportive peer network.