New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships
Introduction
Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded to practicing New Jersey artists through an anonymous, competitive application process to help them pursue their artistic goals.
Mid Atlantic Arts administers the application submission, review, and post-award process on behalf of New Jersey State Council on the Arts through an ongoing partnership. This includes applicant notification, administration of the individual grants, and final reporting.
Eligibility and Schedule
SCHEDULE
Apply Now! Applications are open for the 2027 program year.
Early Bird Deadline
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 5PM ET
(Applicants who apply by the Early Bird Deadline will receive revision requests and the opportunity to correct application errors. Applicants who apply after the Early Bird Deadline will be automatically deemed ineligible if their application contains errors.)
Submission Deadline
Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 5PM ET
ELIGIBILITY
Categories Offered for the 2027 Fellowships
Choreography
Crafts
Music Composition
Photography
Playwriting/Screenwriting
Poetry
Sculpture
Rules & Instructions
To learn more about the program and determine your eligibility, please review the program Rules & Instructions carefully PRIOR to submitting an application. Applications which do not adhere to all Rules & Instructions requirements are subject to disqualification.
Rules & Instructions are available in both PDF and Word formats below.
- Download the Individual Artist Fellowship Rules & Instructions as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
- Download the Individual Artist Fellowship Rules & Instructions as an accessible Word document (click link to download)
- Descargue las Pautas de becas para artistas individuales en formato PDF (el enlace se abre en una ventana nueva)
- Descargue las Pautas de becas para artistas individuales como un documento de Word accesible (haga clic en el enlace para descargar)
Tenga en cuenta: las solicitudes deben enviarse en inglés.
Guidelines and Application
Online Application
To access the online SmartSimple application, click the link below.
https://midatlanticarts.smartsimple.com/
Panelists
For this program, Mid Atlantic Arts works with a panel of independent reviewers to recommend applications for funding. To be considered as a panelist for this and other programs, complete our Panelist Interest Form. You only need to complete the form once to be considered for multiple programs. Click here to access the Panelist Interest Form.
Application Assistance Webinars
Mid Atlantic Arts, in coordination with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, offers an application assistance webinar for prospective Fellowship applicants. Applicants will receive an overview of rules and instructions requirements and step-by-step instructions on how to use the SmartSimple application system.
Registration is required. Individuals that register for the webinar will receive the connection information and instructions via email. To register, please follow the link listed below.
A recording of the webinar presentation will be posted below following the June 9th presentation.
Webinar
June 9, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET
Register now!
Live closed captioning will be provided during the webinars. For other accommodation requests, please contact Fellowships@midatlanticarts.org at least three business days prior to the webinar.
Other Application Assistance Resources
Work Sample Preparation Guide
Assists applicants with the technical requirements for audio, video, image and literary work samples and addresses many frequently asked questions.
The Work Sample Preparation Guide is available in both PDF and Word formats below.
- Download the Work Sample Preparation Guide as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
- Download the Work Sample Preparation Guide as an accessible Word document (click link to download)
Application Assistance Webinar Recording
Watch the recording of the June 9th webinar presentation.
Coming soon!
Contact Mid Atlantic Arts
If you have reviewed the guidelines and available application assistance resources and still have questions, contact Mid Atlantic Arts staff at Fellowships@midatlanticarts.org or 410-539-6656 x101.
Support is available during regular business hours, 9:00 AM through 5:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday.
Applicants receive assistance from Mid Atlantic Arts staff on a first-come, first-served basis and should be aware that demand increases significantly shortly before the deadline.
