FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

About the Fellowship Grants

What is Pew Fellowships in the Arts?
The Pew Fellowships in the Arts (PFA) is a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage. We were established in 1991 by The Pew Charitable Trusts and award grants to artists working in a wide variety of performing, visual, and literary disciplines. The fellowship amount is $60,000. The grants provide artists with economic freedom so that they have the opportunity to concentrate on their work over a considerable period of time—to explore, to experiment, and to develop it more fully. The program aims to provide such support at moments in artists’ careers when a concentration on artistic growth and exploration is most likely to have the greatest impact on an artist’s long-term personal and professional development. Fellowships may be awarded to artists at any stage of their career development, from early to mature, and to artists working in a wide range of aesthetics and traditions. Up to 12 fellowships are awarded annually.

What is the grant calendar?

• Applications become available in early September.
• Application deadline is Friday, December 5, 2008, 5 p.m.
• Notification and grant announcement is early June. All applicants are notified by mail, simultaneously, of their application status at that time. Names of panelists are disclosed at the same time as the fellowship results.

What are the disciplines Pew Fellowships in the Arts reviews?
PFA makes awards to artists working in twelve different discipline categories, which rotate on a four-year cycle. The discipline categories under consideration for the 2009 cycle are Fiction and Creative Nonfiction, Media Arts, and Works on Paper. In other years we review: choreography; crafts; folk & traditional arts; music composition; painting; performance art; playwriting; poetry; sculpture & installation.

How many grants are awarded each year?
Up to 12 Fellowships are awarded each year to artists working in the three discipline categories under review in any given year. There is no quota per discipline.
What is the amount of the Pew Fellowships in the Arts grants?
The fellowship amount  is $60,000.

About Applicant Eligibility

What are the eligibility requirements?

• Applicants must be practicing artists who are actively working in their field, and be able to provide evidence of such on the Resume section of the application.
• Applicants must be verifiable Pennsylvania residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County for two years or longer immediately prior to the application deadline.
• Applicants must not be a current employee of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage or The Pew Charitable Trusts, or members of such employees’ households, or, people closely related to such employees through blood, marriage, or domestic partnership.

Is there an age requirement?
No. But an applicant must have a demonstrated track record as a working artist (such as an exhibition record, publication record or public performance record).

I am a previous recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. May I reapply?
No. At this time, a previous recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts may not reapply.

I am a student. Am I eligible?
No. A matriculated student (full-time or part-time) in a degree-granting program or equivalent at the time of application or during the selection process is not eligible for consideration for a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

Can I apply if I am taking a class in an unrelated subject towards a degree or am a student in a degree-granting program that is unrelated to my application?
No. Regardless of your field of study, no matriculated students are allowed to apply for a Fellowship.

What if I move out of the area after I have applied?
Your application would be deemed ineligible. Applicants must maintain permanent residence in the five-county Philadelphia area throughout the selection process.

About the Selection Process

What is the selection process?
Our selection process is a two-tiered peer review. First, applications are reviewed by a three member panel of artists and arts professionals from the discipline under consideration. We accept applications annually for the three discipline categories under consideration in that year. The discipline-specific panels are charged with selecting finalists to be put forward to the final, interdisciplinary panel. The discipline-specific panels work by consensus and are charged with putting 10% of the pool forward as finalists for consideration in the final round.

Next, we convene the final, interdisciplinary panel to review the work of all of the finalists and select the 12 best overall applications. There is no quota per discipline. The final panel is composed of six to seven members. One panelist moves forward from each of the discipline-specific panels and then three to four newly selected artists and arts professional representing the three disciplines are invited to serve on this panel. Again, they work by consensus to arrive at the list of 12 Fellows for that year.

How are panels assembled?
Recommendations for potential panelists come from many sources including past panelists, colleagues at arts and cultural organizations around the region and nation, and suggestions from practicing artists. All potential panelists must be practicing artists or arts professionals including curators, presenters, editors etc. from outside of the Philadelphia area. When assembling panels we take into consideration age, gender, aesthetic, ethnicity, and geography to put together a well-balanced group. The ultimate panel selection is at the discretion of the PFA Director. Applicants are welcome to participate in this process by suggesting panel candidates by emailing us at pfa@pcah.us. Panelists, chosen for their expertise and aesthetic breadth, serve for one year.

About the Application

Should I read the guidelines before calling for help?
Yes. Many of your questions will be answered by the guidelines. For the most competitive application, follow all the rules outlined in the guidelines and apply on time.

Is the date for the deadline postmarked or received by deadline?

• Creative Fiction and Nonfiction and Media Arts applications must be received in our offices by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2008.
• Works on Paper online application will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2008, and therefore must be submitted by that time.  Residency verification materials must be postmarked by December 5, 2008.

What kind of application should I fill out?

• Applicants in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction and Media Arts will fill out a PDF application and mail the completed application in with work samples and residency verification documents.
• Works on Paper applicants will submit their application and work samples online.  They will then print the completed application and mail it in with residency verification documents.

If I am working with another artist(s) in collaboration, how do I apply?
Artists who clearly demonstrate an ongoing collaborative career may apply together. Such artists should submit separate biographical information (pages 1–2) on the application form, but complete only one artist’s resume and statement (pages 3–6), and submit only one set of support materials. If a collaborative application receives an award, the grant will be divided evenly between the collaborating artists. All individual applicants must clearly state their roles and must meet the eligibility requirements.

Can I apply for more than one category?
Yes. Artists may apply in more than one category annually, and in every year in which they believe they are qualified. If applicants apply in more than one field, a separate application and set of support materials must be submitted for each field. Applicants are likely to be most competitive in a category if they can demonstrate a significant commitment to and/or a body of work in that particular art form.

How do I choose the appropriate category in which to apply?
Applicants are likely to be most competitive in a category if they can demonstrate a significant commitment to and/or a body of work in that particular art form. Artists who have difficulty deciding in which area to apply should consider which category is most likely to include work similar to their own or have panelists who will be knowledgeable about the field in which the artist works.

Does my application have to be typed?
All applications are to be completed on the computer and printed. Fiction and Creative Nonfiction and Media Arts applicants will fill out a PDF application. Works on Paper applications are submitted online.

What is the smallest font I can use to fill out my application?
The PDF and online application will automatically set the font and font size to 10 points.

Is my personal information confidential?
Your personal information is not shared with the panel. All of your personal information is kept confidential throughout the selection process. The PFA staff ensures a very high level of privacy when dealing with the applications as well. We collect this information to help make a case for this program and other programs that support working artists. We also use this information to be sure that we are reaching a broad cross-section of artists in our region.

I graduated recently. Can I submit work done while done as a student or work I used for my thesis?
No. We will not accept work done while a student or work used for a thesis.

How important are my work samples?
First and foremost, applicants are judged on their past accomplishment and future promise. The work submitted is the basis for this judgment and therefore, work samples are extremely important. High quality examples of you work can not be over emphasized. It is important that you submit the best quality work samples you possibly can.

How important is my résumé?
The resume section of the application is used to help the panel understand your work within the context of your career and professional experience. The PFA program aims to support artists at varying points in their career development from early to mature. Therefore, the resume can be thought of as a tool for the panel to use in making this assessment.

What happens if my resume exceeds the space provided? Can I submit additional pages?
No. We will not accept any additional pages outside of the space provided on the education/resume page. We do advise, however, to narrow down your resume to the most pertinent information. Include what you believe to be the most relevant and important to your career.

Should I send reviews of my work?
No. Please do not send reviews of your work. PFA believes that it is unfair to those who have not had the opportunity to have their work reviewed as well as unfair to impose another’s subjective analysis about an individual’s work to a panelist.

Do I need to submit a page of description of submitted work?
This page is optional except for Folk & Traditional applications. However, it is an opportunity for you to discuss the main concerns of your work, such as your style, subject matter, working process, etc. You may also use this page to provide the panel with any additional information you believe contributes to a fuller understanding of your work than might be possible through a consideration of your work samples alone. Also, if for some reason there is a gap in your career, that is evident in the work samples submitted, informing the panel of why this is will be helpful.

How important is my artist statement?
The primary consideration is your work samples. That being said, the statement is an important part of your application. Unfortunately these grants are a once in a lifetime opportunity for most artists. We want them to make a difference. We want to know what you would do if money was not a concern (albeit for a short period of time) and in what way these activities will impact your work and your development as an artist. Your artist statement is an opportunity for you to discuss your work—where it is, where you would like it to go, etc.

Can I send published work as part of my work submission?
In the literary categories, you can send published or unpublished work to be reviewed.

How do I know if my application has been received and that everything is okay?
Fiction and Creative Nonfiction and Media Arts applicants will receive an acknowledgement card approximately one month after the deadline. If immediate confirmation of receipt is needed, send the application by registered mail. If you do not receive an acknowledgment card within one month of the deadline, please contact the PFA office to confirm that your materials have been received. Please do not call before a month has lapsed.

Works on Paper applications will receive a confirmation number via e-mail once they have submitted their application online.

I have moved since I submitted an application. What should I do?
Please contact us by phone at 267-350-4920 or email at pfa@pcah.us to give us your new address. Please also provide us with your phone numbers and email address.

How and when will I learn if I received a Fellowship?
All applicants are notified by mail, simultaneously, of their application status. For the 2009 cycle, fellowship application results will be announced in early June 2009. Names of panelists are disclosed at the same time as the fellowship results.

What should I expect if I am not awarded a fellowship?

Will my materials be returned?
You need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) or box, depending on the size of materials submitted, with your application to ensure the return of your support materials. Materials are returned after the notification letters have sent, usually mid-late June.

Can I receive feedback if I was not selected?
You may contact our offices by phone and speak to our staff for feedback on your application and the process. We will do our best to accommodate your request. Please understand that we review a great number of applications each year and therefore feedback on a specific application may not be realistic. We can however let you know information about the process.

Will PFA share my name with other organizations offering opportunities?
As a service to the artists in our region, PFA maintains an extensive database of artists’ names and addresses. This resource is shared with other organizations that seek to offer area artists benefits or opportunities, such as grants, exhibitions, commissions, publications, etc. Artists are encouraged to list themselves with PFA, and to contact our office in the event of a change of address.

Will Pew Fellowships in the Arts help me find other funding?
On our website under Resources for Artists, we list grants and awards as well as other opportunities for artists working in various disciplines.

What should I expect if I am awarded a fellowship?

What is the term of the fellowship?
The fellowship period begins at the time of notification and continues until the last payment is received. Fellows will receive $60,000 in equal monthly payments for a period of 12 to 24 months. Fellows are required to begin their fellowship payment period within twelve months of notification. If they wish, Fellows may receive up to $15,000 of the $60,000 in an initial payment regardless of when they plan to start, with the balance being paid in equal monthly installments for the term of the fellowship.

Do I have to stay in the area?
Yes. Artists who are granted fellowships must maintain permanent residence in the five-county Philadelphia area during their fellowship period. This of course, does not preclude taking advantage of artist residency opportunities outside of the area or other travel.

Will I have to submit reports?
Yes. Fellows are required to submit brief interim reports during the fellowship period. At the conclusion of the fellowship period, each Fellow is required to submit a final narrative report describing the impact of the fellowship.

Do I have to participate in meetings with other fellowship recipients?
Yes. After new Fellows are named, an orientation meeting is held to review the requirements of the fellowship and to answer any questions the artists may have. In addition to the orientation meeting, individual meetings are scheduled for each Fellow with the PFA director to discuss their individual needs and preferences for the fellowship period. Also, Fellows are expected to participate annually in several meetings with other fellowship recipients.

If I still have a question

What should I do if I still have a question that is not covered in the FAQ’s?
Please be sure to read the guidelines and application form carefully. If they do not contain the answer to your question, please feel free to contact us at 267.350.4920 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. or by e-mail at pfa@pcah.us.