2025 fellowships
Ragdale is proud to award numerous fellowships to outstanding artists each year.
Fellowships fund an 18-day residency for artists; public programs; travel; and materials. Our fellowships recognize exceptional achievement as well as advance cultural exchange, emerging talent, social justice, and artists with disabilities. The majority of our fellowships are underwritten by individuals on an annual basis. Fellowships support important new works, and they bring artists to our community who might not otherwise be able to join us.
Public Program:
Fellows are asked to help us reach out to the community by giving a public reading, lecture, open studio, or similar type of presentation. These events have been successful in sharing the Ragdale vision with students, educators, and the general public.
Fellowships:
Alice Judson Hayes Social Justice Fellowship
Discipline: Writing (no academic writing)
This fellowship is awarded annually in memory of poet Alice Hayes, who founded Ragdale. All her life she was committed to working for a just and peaceful world. This fellowship is awarded to a writer who is working on a project designed to bring awareness to a social justice issue including peace, education, or the environment. Projects can be nonfiction or fiction (including journalism, essays, memoir, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction). No academic writing.
This fellowship is made possible by the Shaw Family.
Anne Searle Bent Spiritual Art Fellowship
Discipline: Any
This fellowship is awarded annually to an artist of any discipline working on a project relating to spirituality or faith. Disciplines include and are not limited to visual art, performance, composition, choreography, curation, writing, and theology.
This fellowship is made possible by Anne Searle Bent.
Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts
Discipline: Visual Art
The Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts is awarded annually to an exemplary visual artist to afford them the time and studio space to create. This fellowship is offered in memory of sculptor and painter Judy Sigunick, whose beautiful, idea-laden work displays great imagination and vision. Judy always felt that artists need to recognize and seize on their creativity, and that Ragdale affords them the uninterrupted time to do so. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Judy’s sister.
Craig H. Neilsen Fellowship
Discipline: Any
This fellowship is awarded annually to up to three artists living with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Fellowship recipients receive additional room and board for a personal care assistant (if needed); a limited stipend for a personal care assistant (if needed); and an additional stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Ragdale offers four accessible live/work spaces; a writing studio, a visual arts studio, a state-of-the-art digitally equipped music studio, and a large dance studio. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
Prairie Fellowship
Discipline: Any
This fellowship is awarded to an artist living with a disability or who has accessibility needs. Fellowship recipients receive additional room and board for a personal care assistant (if needed). Ragdale offers four accessible live/work spaces; a writing studio, a visual arts studio, a state-of-the-art digitally equipped music studio, and a large dance studio. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by John and Madonna Merritt.
Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship
Discipline: Any (Teaching Artist)
The Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship is awarded to a teaching artist working in any discipline. Fellowship recipients to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program by means of the creation of a brief video documentary/interview, and/or the presentation of a public program. Presentation of a public program may include an artist talk, workshop, or other programs and will take place within a year of the residency. The Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program serves students in nearby schools from kindergarten through college level, offering artist talks, presentations, and workshops. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Ragdale donors.
Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship
Discipline: Photography
The Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship is awarded annually to an exemplary photographic artist to afford them the time and studio space to create. It allows a photographer uninterrupted time to seize on their creativity and immerse themselves in their craft. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Robin and Sandy Stuart.
Sybil Shearer Fellowship for Dancemakers
Discipline: Dance
The Sybil Shearer Fellowship is awarded to an individual choreographer and/or dance artist. The fellowship may be awarded to a collaborative duo who will share the live/work studio space. Note for collaborations: one stipend will be awarded and may be split between collaborators. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by the Morrison-Shearer Foundation.
Sylvia Clare Brown Fellowship
Discipline: Any; but preferably writing
This fellowship is awarded to a first-time Ragdale resident, preferably a writer, with financial need. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by Ragdale donors.
Waud Fellowship for Formerly Incarcerated Artists
Discipline: Any
The Waud Fellowship is awarded annually to a formerly incarcerated individual working in any artistic discipline. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $2000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners.
This fellowship is made possible by David and Pamela Waud.
William and Solange Brown Fellowship for New Musical Composition
Discipline: Music/Composition
The William and Solange Brown Fellowship for New Musical Composition was developed through a partnership between Ragdale and The Herb Alpert Foundation, making it possible to honor and support talented artists and their forays into the unknown. Winners are selected by the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA) panel. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency. HAAIA offers a $750 cash award for recipients upon completion of their residency.
This fellowship is made possible by William and Solange Brown.