mac scholarship & fellowship program

We believe that artists and the arts are the keys to vibrant, thriving communities. We see the arts as a tool for transformation: a way to enhance the beauty of the world around us, opening the minds of people and expanding society as a whole. Our vision is to eliminate the idea of the ‘starving artist’. In order achieve this, we build financial pillars of support beneath artists in two ways - through our scholarship & fellowship programs. Through these programs we are able to directly impact the lives of individual artists; creating a ripple effect that helps build community and will help reshape the way people view artists and the arts.

The MAC Scholarship Program

Our annual scholarship competition is a talent based competition. Our aim is to find young artists who exhibit the most artistic potential and talent and those that have the greatest potential for making change in the world through their profession and community contributions. While need and merit will be considered, 70% of our selection process is based on artistic ability.

Awards up to $25,000 per year (after all other scholarships/grants) Renewable Visual Arts Majors First year, transfer, graduates, returning, foreign and domestic students eligible Review Process

The application will be scored in the areas of Need (15%), Merit (15%) and Talent (70% - Portfolio and Artistic Essay). A jury panel consisting of 5-7 Alumni and professionals from the visual arts field will conduct a review and score each portfolio submitted through the online platform. Scores are tabulated, and the top scoring applicants will advance to final in-person interview round. The selection committee will meet with finalists in person.

The MAC Fellowship Program

The MAC Fellowship Program is designed to support talented, career-focused, visual artists in Washington State looking to move from emerging/undiscovered to established artists. The primary review criteria: artistic excellence in the Visual Arts. Additionally, we’ll be looking to learn how the award will impact the artistic career of the artist, what extraordinary things they are doing currently, and what they plan to do in the future. This program is NOT a project grant program. Applications are reviewed by a panel of experts – peers and industry professionals – in a multi-round review process. The selection of awards is primarily focused on the strength of the portfolio submitted.