Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship now accepting applications from underrepresented artists

Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and ASU Gammage are now accepting applications for the Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship from artists living in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, and Native American artists within the geographic Southwest.

Funded by a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the Projecting All Voices Fellowship supports underrepresented artists from the Southwest who are interested in exploring issues of racial equity in the arts, engaging with an educational institution and participating in an intergenerational mentorship cohort. 

“The Mellon Foundation’s support of the Projecting All Voices Fellowship offers ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and ASU Gammage an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate as impact partners to support the advancement of underinvested artists and communities within Arizona and throughout the Southwest region,” said Tiffany Ana López, director of the School of Film, Dance and Theatre and senior adviser to the dean for equity practices and engagement. “Programs like this strengthen our regional arts ecosystem with the benefit of also bolstering the diversity of voice and quality of engagement in institutions of higher education.”

The fellowship is a program within the Projecting All Voices initiative, which seeks transformation in educational and cultural institutions to enable the full expression of all creative voices. Projecting All Voices supports equity and inclusion in arts and design, focusing on curricular change in arts and design colleges as well as civic and social practices in arts and design that create equitable communities. 

Through the fellowship, artists are able to advance ideas and projects that investigate identity, cultural heritage, power, race, policy, ability and/or place and community. Fellows will work with communities underrepresented in higher education and art institutions as that work relates to their own interests and creative practices. They will receive support through mentorship, research, professional development, networking, opportunities to present or cultivate projects and more.  

“The Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship is timely in its support of underrepresented artists, and it continues to provide a holistic approach to career advancement through a lens of racial equity within the Southwest region,” said Gabriela Muñoz, senior program manager. “Supporting the artistic process of these artists and providing institutional resources to them on an individualized basis allows for the fellows to be co-designers of their own advancement as they engage in reciprocal learning that benefits their own careers, their peers and their diverse communities.” 

ASU Gammage will support the Mellon Projecting All Voices fellows through mentorship and collaboration with Beyond Series artists, and act as a resource in the success of the initiative, bringing more than 25 years of experience featuring and elevating the work of nationally and internationally acclaimed artists of color from underrepresented communities.

“ASU Gammage is honored to be continuing the partnership with Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts in advancing the Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship,” said Michael Reed, senior director of Programs and Organizational Initiatives at ASU Gammage. “Contributing to a more equitable and representative cultural landscape through PAV Fellows artistic growth and access to multiple cultural network(s) are key focuses that ASU Gammage is excited to support towards evolving the artistic practice and capacity of the future fellows.”

The Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship will take place between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2020. Residency in Arizona during the fellowship is not required, but travel will be scheduled to visit the campus and learn from and with Arizona’s communities during the fellowship. The Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship is designated for artists whose artistic practice is rooted in the Southwest region, who desire additional support in terms of mentorship, research, professional development, networking, instruction and opportunities to present or cultivate projects.

With funding from the Mellon Foundation and ASU, fellows will receive the following support:

• Stipend — A $38,000 honorarium and travel funds to support the convening of the cohort of fellows will be provided.

• Mentorship — Fellows will have access to leaders and faculty from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (including the Schools of Art; Arts, Media and Engineering; Film, Dance and Theatre; Music; The Design School; and the ASU Art Museum) and ASU Gammage, as well as leaders and faculty from across ASU, including the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies; the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions; the School of Social Transformation; the School of Transborder Studies; the School of Sustainability and other university departments and centers as desired by fellows.

• Opportunities to co-develop a visiting artist series — The fellows will be invited to co-develop a visiting artist series meant to expand their professional network, deepen their connection to the field and engage with students and ASU faculty.

• Opportunities to develop and present work — The Herberger Institute, ASU Gammage and the ASU campus have a number of galleries, stages and spaces for work to be developed and presented. Community and nontraditional production of work is highly encouraged and can be supported through established and developing relationships.

• Coaching to develop documentation skills — Projecting All Voices partner Southwest Folklife Alliance will support the development of each fellow’s skills in documenting their work and artistic process.

• Access to ASU resources — Fellows will have access to university expertise in business, education, health, public policy, science/engineering and sustainability, ASU libraries, opportunities to engage in arts entrepreneurship, professional development and other relevant field convenings.

The selection committee will comprise faculty, community members, national artists and arts professionals.

The application deadline is March 15, 2020. All applications must be submitted electronically. For application instructions and fellowship details, see the Mellon Projecting All Voices Fellowship guidelines.