OPEN CALL
Ann Street Gallery Emerging Artist Fellowship 2026

<sup>Program: June 1 - November 30, 2026

Exhibition: September 19 - November 22, 2026

Opening Reception: September 26, 2026, 5:00-7:00pm

Info Session online: Wednesday, February 18, 6:00-7:00pm
Join Zoom meeting via this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88271747004

The info session and program application are free and open to all.

Please read the program description and application requirements in full below before applying.</sup>

*CLICK HERE TO APPLY*
Submission Deadline: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11:59 pm

INTRODUCTION

Safe Harbors of the Hudson's Ann Street Gallery is pleased to announce that applications are open for our annual Ann Street Gallery Emerging Artist Fellowship. Now in its fifth year, the program provides a supportive platform for early-career or under-recognized artists in Newburgh and the Hudson Valley, with a focus on artists from historically marginalized communities. The fellowship provides three artists with opportunities for mentorship, networking, and professional development as well as a $2000 materials and supplies allowance, a shared studio space on site, a cohort exhibition in the gallery during Newburgh Open Studios, opportunities to engage with the public, and individual guidance toward identifying goals and further opportunities.

OVERVIEW

The Ann Street Gallery Emerging Artist Fellowship aims to provide artists a supportive platform for experimental and substantive growth for a six-month fellowship from June through November 2026. Located in the heart of Newburgh NY, Ann Street Gallery is situated at the nexus of community and the arts. Through the Fellowship, fellows have direct access to ASG's and SHOH's exhibitions and programming, explore the resources offered by Newburgh’s vibrant arts scene and cultural institutions, and the possibility to connect and engage with arts professionals and practitioners based in Newburgh and surrounding areas, and those participating in ASG and SHOH programming.

Under the umbrella of Safe Harbors of the Hudson (SHOH), a nonprofit arts and housing organization, Ann Street Gallery (ASG) presents contemporary art through exhibitions and programming to create new opportunities for education and immersion in the arts in Newburgh. Ann Street Gallery’s exhibitions and programs seek to increase arts literacy and appreciation by engaging community and promoting forward thinking, socially and ecologically responsive, and under-represented positions in contemporary practice.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Fellowship comprises both access to, and participation in, a supportive cohort led by the Gallery Director, Alison McNulty, and includes the mentorship of other local and regional artists, critics, and arts professionals. Past mentors have included Vernon Byron, Hannah des Cognets, Donna Francis, Daniel Giordano, Carmen Lizardo, Jonette O’Kelley Miller, Jaime Ransome, Seph Rodney, Jackie Skrzynski, Greg Slick, and Jean-Marc Superville Sovak, as well as past Fellows.

Click here to read about fellowship mentors, programs, & trips.

The cohort will meet regularly at the Gallery for:

• Sharing, discussion, and constructive conversation and guidance on fellows' work and fellowship project development
• Professional practice workshops covering such topics as: artist statements and bios, budgets, CVs and resumes, research materials/methods, studio visit protocols, networking, portfolios, project proposals, grant writing, artwork documentation, gallery talks, and other topics related to building strategy and identity as professional artists
• Guided exhibition planning, including promotional strategies, project statements, curatorial layout and, installation, and exhibition promotions
• Arranged visits/tours of local and regional art institutions to broaden exposure to arts organizations and institutions in the Hudson Valley
• Studio Visits to other practicing artists’ spaces, and to cohort members’ workspaces or exhibitions as desired

Click here to view profiles of Fellowship Program alumni.

Fellows will receive:

• A materials and supplies expense allowance to support the expansion of each fellow’s practice and/or creation of new work in two payments: USD $1500.00/artist at the start of the program + $500 after completing the program with an exit interview at the final meeting
• A fellowship cohort exhibition showcasing the fellows’ work at Ann Street Gallery (to open end of September, pending schedule for Newburgh Open Studios weekend)
• Use of a shared studio space at Safe Harbors of the Hudson Ann Street Studios
• Regular access to the Gallery space, Open Reading Room, Safe Harbors Green, and other exhibition/event spaces at Safe Harbors as permissible
• Opportunities for collaboration, public engagement, and experimental programming
• Participation in ASG’s Open Reading Room Curated Reading List program
• Post-exhibition feedback, reflection & guidance toward identifying next goals and opportunities
• A post-fellowship interview and questionnaire

2026 TIMELINE

• Applications open Thursday, February 5
  
• Info Session on Zoom Wednesday, February 18, 6:00-7:00pm
  
• Applications close Saturday, March 21, 2026 11:59 PM
• Applicants will be notified of decisions in early May
  
• Fellowship will run June 1 through November 30, including bi-weekly meetings at Ann Street Gallery with more frequent meetings leading up to and during the exhibition
• Exhibition Dates: September 19 - November 22, 2026 at Ann Street Gallery
  
• Opening Reception: Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 5:00-7:00pm
• Fellows are expected to be present during Newburgh Open Studios weekend, Saturday, September 26 & Sunday, September 27, 2026 from 12:00-6:00pm
  
• Fellowship concludes November 30, 2026

Other Expectations:

• The Fellowship is a six month program that requires a significant commitment to attend regular meetings, meet deadlines, work collaboratively
  
• A regular meeting date/time will be scheduled with selected fellows at the first meeting; some trips may need to be scheduled at alternate times
  
• Exhibition Installation dates: September 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 
• Fellows are expected to participate in informal gallery talks in October
  
• Fellows are encouraged to attend the SHOH Gala September 17
  
• Fellows will be guided to contribute a reading list of research materials to the ASG Open Reading Room Curated Reading List program

ELIGIBILITY & SELECTION CRITERIA

ASG welcomes applications from emerging (early-career or under-recognized) artists in Newburgh and the Hudson Valley, especially those from historically marginalized communities. In seeking artists with experimental practices within the visual arts, performance, and interdisciplinary practice, the selected fellows will form an essential part of Ann Street Gallery’s program and mission. The Fellowship places special emphasis on artists exploring narratives aside or sub-current to those formally acknowledged by art historians, especially practices that foster an active exchange with local communities or are rooted in exploring aspects of place, history, or non-dominant cultural competencies and practices.

Ann Street Gallery Emerging Artist Fellows are selected by an annual open call in the early spring of each year. Artists may only apply to the Fellowship during the open call period. For full consideration, applicants should submit an artist statement, a CV or resume, a proposal outlining their interest in the program and their intentioned fellowship exhibition project (new work should be accomplished during the fellowship program, but may build on previous work), and a portfolio of completed creative work as outlined below. Artists will be selected by a jury led by Ann Street Gallery’s Director with members from the region’s arts community.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS All instructions are included on the application form, which can be found HERE.

Please include your first and last name in the file name of every file you submit.

Please consider whether you can commit to participating in the full fellowship program and timeline before applying.

Please submit the following items to apply to the Ann Street Gallery Emerging Artist Fellowship; all items are required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

1. Current CV or resume that includes your full contact information, education, significant exhibitions, awards, grants, residencies, published writings, and other experiences relevant to the application (3 pages max).

2. Artist statement (400 words max).

3. Proposal outlining your interest and intentions: Please explain your interest in being an Emerging Artist Fellowship participant, in what ways you or your practice are ‘emerging’, how you would benefit from participating in the full Fellowship program as provided in the description, as well as your proposed project for the Fellowship. Please explain how your work or proposed project aligns with the focus of the Program and fits within the context of Newburgh and/or the region (600 words max).

4. Work Samples: Please submit 10 work samples. You may submit a pdf or jpegs of images. Videos, films, and sound recordings can be submitted as a document with up to 5 hyperlinks to external websites. Those applying as an artist duo/collaborative should only submit examples of collaborative work.

5. Work sample ID list: Please submit a corresponding work sample identification list including title, date, medium/materials, dimensions/duration/or site as relevant, and short descriptions if needed.

6. List 3 professional references who can speak to your practice, motivations, and potential as an artist. For each reference include their Name, Job Title, Relationship to you (how long and how do you know this person), Email, Phone & Website (if applicable).

INFORMATION SESSION with Q&A ONLINE

Wednesday, February 18, 6:00-7:00pm on Zoom
Zoom LINK can be accessed here on the day of the event.

Applications will be accepted through this online form.

APPLY HERE via JotForm

Questions about the fellowship can be addressed to annstreetgallery@safe-harbors.org

Please click here to visit our Fellowship Program Archives to learn more about the program!