United States Artists - Selection Process

Selection Process

Prerequisites for consideration include that the artist be 21 or older, a US citizen or legal resident. In addition, nominees must be accomplished artists, must have acquired art training, formal or informal, must have tried to derive income from those skills, and must have been "actively engaged in creating artwork and presenting it to the public." To be considered for a grant, an artist must first be nominated by at least one of a group of "nominators" chosen by the organization. This is an anonymous group of arts scholars, critics, and artists from various disciplines; they operate independently of one another. The nominators submit names of artists they believe should be considered for an award.

Once nominated artists have been notified of their nomination, they are then directed to apply for the grant in order to be considered. The awards are announced once a year. The Fellows announcement is made in December of each year.