We are thrilled to announce the launch of The AFH Artists Fellowship, led by acclaimed Boston artist and AFH co-founder Rob Gibbs. The Fellowship seeks to amplify the voices and advance the careers of AFH alums, and other local and national artists, on the public stage. Under the umbrella of the AFH mission, the Fellowship offers artists an opportunity to contribute to a growing and thriving intergenerational artistic community.

AFH will host two back-to-back, six-month Fellowships, annually, that will serve as a catalyst for advancing artists’ goals, building long-term creative connections, and bringing a richer diversity of perspectives to the AFH community and beyond.

Each Fellowship session will engage five established artists and support them in furthering their professional development with one-on-one mentorship with ProBlak. Over the course of six months, the Fellows will create a plan of action to identify their goals and work towards accomplishing them. Each will be rewarded with a stipend that will be dispersed throughout the course of the Fellowship.

Fellows will be expected to create new pieces, collaborate with one another on larger external projects, engage with AFH teens, and display their body of work in a culminating Fellows' exhibition.

Opportunities for Fellows:

• 1 x 1 mentorship

• Access to studio space

• Creating a unique body of work for a curated exhibition at the conclusion of the Fellowship

• An opportunity to work on external and client projects

• Engagement with AFH teens as role models

• Participation at events to network and build long-term creative connections

Applicant Criteria and Eligibility:

This initiative aims to support and develop the careers of a range of community-based artists with a focus on those who are newly established in their careers and an AFH alum. A successful candidate will be:

• 18 years or older by the time of application submission
  

• A current resident in/or surrounding Boston, Massachusetts
  

• Not enrolled in any degree-seeking program (i.e. undergraduate, graduate)
  

• Newly established career as a community-based artist 
  

• A visual artist who creates 2D art (e.g. painters, graffiti artists, illustrators, etc.)
  

• Open to sharing their unique talents and techniques with AFH teens (e.g. artists' talks, studio tours, etc.)
  

• Desires to build and strengthen their skills in partnership with other Fellows
  

• Ability to dedicate two, 8-hour days per week for six months to the AFH Artists Fellowship program: one of the two days dedicated to working on a public art mural and the second day in studio with Rob "ProBlak" Gibbs
  

• Interested in collaborating to increase the online and community profile of the Fellowship cohort 

Details: 

• 5 Fellows per session

• 6-month session

• Session 1: April 3 - September 30, 2023

• Monthly stipend: $1,600

• Expected Time Commitment: 2x/week for a total of 16 hours per week (8 hours per day)

Interested in becoming an AFH Artists' Fellow?

Apply by February 3, 2023 [11:59pm EST].

Have questions or need more information?

Contact Nicole Dubov, Fellowship and Alumni Program Coordinator at ndubov@afhboston.org