Photo Urbanism Fellowship - Asian American Arts Alliance (A4)

Overview

The Design Trust is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Photo Urbanism Fellowship, a call for photographers to create a new body of work on the theme of open and communal use of public space, present at a solo exhibition, and provide mentorship to a cohort of student photographers. The fellowship is connected to the Design Trust's latest project and publication, Untaped, focusing on the dynamic events and programs happening in New York City's public spaces.

Fellowship Details

The Photo Urbanism Fellow will dedicate 5% of the fellowship to administrative tasks (attending meetings, invoicing, and tracking expenses); 10% to providing mentorship to young photographers; and the remaining 85% to developing project work, including photographing, editing images, developing programming, and exhibition planning.

Award & Deliverables

• One comprehensive project proposal
• One final solo exhibition, including a written description of work/project and a minimum of 5 final images (digital and print; size to be determined)
• Participation as a Visiting Critic during the Youth Photography Workshop Intensive for 6 CUNY Macaulay Honors College undergraduate students
• At least one program related to project work, such as a talk or panel regarding the photography series

Eligibility

• At least 21 years of age
• Eligible to work legally in the United States
• Based in New York City to concentrate on the local content of the fellowship
• Full-time students are not eligible due to possible time restraints; part-time students may submit
• 5-7 years of photography experience preferred
• Demonstrated interest in teaching youth/undergraduate students or leading youth engagement preferred
• Must be able to commit to a 9-month long fellowship starting in October

Key Dates

• Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 11:59 pm EST: Deadline to apply
• Around Monday, September 28, 2026: Winner announcement
• Thursday, October 1, 2026: Photo Urbanism Fellowship begins

Application Requirements

• Portfolio of three (3) jpg images showing representative work made within the last three years; applicants are encouraged to include some images that demonstrate their approach to the urban environment
• Project proposal and brief description explaining your approach to capturing the essence and stories of shared spaces and programming in response to Untaped (address: why you are interested in this topic; what you propose to do; how this topic relates to your work; what experience you have had working with youth/college students or teaching photography); maximum 300 words
• Artist statement describing your approach to photography and the type of camera(s) you use; maximum 150 words
• Artist resume including education, exhibition history, mailing address, and email contact; maximum one page
• Image list with corresponding image number, title, date, and location
• At least two references with valid e-mail address and/or phone number; references should know the applicant personally and be familiar with their work, and should be able to specifically address the applicant's professional capacity to carry out a self-directed project
• Save written materials as one PDF named 'lastname_firstname.pdf'

Fellowship Requirements

The Photo Urbanism Fellow must be based in New York City and be available to participate in meetings with the Design Trust, CUNY Macaulay Honors College, and the Youth Photography Workshop Intensive Teaching Fellow. The fellowship requires a 9-month commitment, based on a mutually agreed-upon work plan. The Design Trust will act as a resource and thought partner and will arrange two critiques and opportunities for feedback with local photographers.

Support

The 2026-2027 Photo Urbanism Fellowship is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts.