Further Information about the RAM Artist Fellowships and Emerging Artist Award
After six Fellowship Artist cycles, and at the beginning of a new dimension in the jury pool, included here are a few thoughts that may be helpful to potential applicants. The goal is to encourage as many artists as possible to apply and to re-apply as needed and desired.
Application
Many of the RAM Artist Fellowship recipients have applied multiple times. This is not at all unusual within the world of similar competitive awards. Artists are generally encouraged to apply every year it is feasible for them to do so since different jurors, applicants, and criteria all change the potential outcomes from year to year.
2014 RAM Artist Fellowship Recipients, from left to right:Â Bill Reid, Lisa Marie Barber, Jim Sincock, and Diane Levesque
Selection
The RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Award recipients selected in any given cycle are chosen based on how well they will present together as a group, as well as individually. Jurors consider the merits of each artist’s work but also look at other variables, not limited to but including county of residence, gender, type of work represented within the group, experience, heritage, and length of career. Each exhibition award cycle deliberately focuses on a group that represents a wide range of artistic accomplishments and types of careers.
Selection
2014 RAM Artist Fellowship Recipients, from left to right:Â Bill Reid, Lisa Marie Barber, Jim Sincock, and Diane Levesque
The RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Award recipients selected in any given cycle are chosen based on how well they will present together as a group, as well as individually. Jurors consider the merits of each artist’s work but also look at other variables, not limited to but including county of residence, gender, type of work represented within the group, experience, heritage, and length of career. Each exhibition award cycle deliberately focuses on a group that represents a wide range of artistic accomplishments and types of careers.
Emerging Artist Award
The Emerging Artist Award was added to the program in 2020. This award is designed to call attention to artists creating high quality work early in their professional careers and to support the development of this work. During the application process, artists choose whether or not they want to be considered for this award. The work of the Emerging Artist is also taken into consideration as part of the larger group in regards to overall presentation.
From RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition 2021
René Amado
Damaged Goods, 2021
Digital inkjet print
10 x 15 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
Emerging Artist Award
From RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition 2021
René Amado
Damaged Goods, 2021
Digital inkjet print
10 x 15 inches
Courtesy of the Artist
The Emerging Artist Award was added to the program in 2020. This award is designed to call attention to artists creating high quality work early in their professional careers and to support the development of this work. During the application process, artists choose whether or not they want to be considered for this award. The work of the Emerging Artist is also taken into consideration as part of the larger group in regards to overall presentation.
From RAM Artist Fellowship Exhibition 2019
Crystal Neubauer
The Acre of My Soul, 2019
Found objects, encaustic, tar, and adhesive
24 inches diameter
Courtesy of the Artist
Photography: Crystal Neubauer
Photography
As this is all a digitally-oriented process, good photography of work submitted is an absolute must. Applicants need to present their work in its best light to jurors who may not be familiar with it. In addition, the quality of the initial photography speaks to the capability of the applicants to provide publishable quality photography of their work at various stages during the process leading up to the RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition. This does not mean that the artists must pay to have their work professionally photographed at every stage—there is a photo studio at RAM’s Wustum Museum that can be scheduled for a small fee if an artist wants to begin and/or develop their skills for documenting their own artwork.
Photography
From RAM Artist Fellowship Exhibition 2019
Crystal Neubauer
The Acre of My Soul, 2019
Found objects, encaustic, tar, and adhesive
24 inches diameter
Courtesy of the Artist
Photography: Crystal Neubauer
As this is all a digitally-oriented process, good photography of work submitted is an absolute must. Applicants need to present their work in its best light to jurors who may not be familiar with it. In addition, the quality of the initial photography speaks to the capability of the applicants to provide publishable quality photography of their work at various stages during the process leading up to the RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition. This does not mean that the artists must pay to have their work professionally photographed at every stage—there is a photo studio at RAM’s Wustum Museum that can be scheduled for a small fee if an artist wants to begin and/or develop their skills for documenting their own artwork.
Eligibility
The eligibility requirements for applying have changed over time as new dynamics emerge. For this reason, interested artists are encouraged to review the criteria for each cycle as an aspect previously rendering someone ineligible may have changed. Past RAM Artist Fellowship/Emerging Artist Award recipients are welcome to apply again but not for the term immediately following the term during which they won (i.e. if an artist was an award winner in 2022, they cannot apply again until 2026).
Professional Artist Development
Through various means, RAM’s Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts offers professional artist development opportunities to assist and encourage area artists who want to take their work and its presentation to new levels. While RAM and Wustum hope to inspire creative individuals at all points in their art-making practice, the RAM Artist Fellowships and Emerging Artist Award are more formal acknowledgements of the commitment and effort needed to pull together opportunities, talents, and determination to achieve artistic goals.
