Metropolitan Detroit artists are invited to apply for a 2026 Kresge Artist Fellowship, a $50,000 no strings attached award recognizing creative vision and ongoing contribution to the region’s cultural life. At a time when arts funding is contracting nationwide, these fellowships continue to strengthen metro Detroit’s creative economy and affirm the role of artists in building vibrant, thriving neighborhoods.
Kresge Arts in Detroit is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies. The fellowship application opens December 1, 2025. Full application guidelines are available now at kresgeartsindetroit.org. Artists residing in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County are eligible to apply in the following disciplines:
LIVE ARTS Includes Choreography, Comedy, Dance, Performance Art, Playwriting, Storytelling, Theatre Directing, and Interdisciplinary Work
FILM & MUSIC Includes Animation, Film Directing, Music Composition, Music Performance, Screenwriting, Sound Art, and Interdisciplinary Work
Fellowship selection criteria include: a demonstrated track record of artistic achievement and high-quality work, the potential to grow and advance in one’s career, and the potential to reflect, enhance, or impact communities within metro Detroit.
The number of awards in each category will be proportional to the relative number of applications received. Applicants who choose to be considered will also be eligible for Gilda Awards if they do not receive a fellowship.
Also offered are 10 Gilda Awards of $5,000 each. These $5,000 awards honor Gilda Snowden’s (1954–2014) legacy as a mentor and champion of young, emerging artists in metropolitan Detroit. The Gilda Award recognizes early-career artists gaining momentum and demonstrating exceptional potential through creative risk-taking and boundary-pushing work.
“Detroit’s artists community is an integral driver in our city’s growth and resilience,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director for The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit program . “By investing in creative people, we strengthen neighborhoods, spark new enterprise, and carry forward the culture that makes Detroit unmistakable.”
Through this continued support, The Kresge Foundation affirms that artists are central to Detroit’s growth and essential partners in advancing opportunity and creating resilient, connected communities.
“The cost of living keeps rising, and artists feel that pressure like everyone else,” said Katie McGowan, director of Kresge Arts in Detroit. “What’s different here is the trust behind the support, this fellowship is not prescriptive–both the monetary prize and award year support give artists the space to take risks or slow down long enough to build something lasting. The cumulative effect of well-funded and deeply supported artists might seem intangible, but its economic and social impacts are measurable across neighborhoods throughout the tri-county area.”
Award-winning film program
Each fellowship includes one year of artist support including networking, exhibition opportunities, and legal and accounting consultations. Kresge Arts in Detroit also offers to produce a film for each of the fellows created by a local filmmaker. Select films have been screened and received awards at local, national, and international film festivals in recent years. In 2021, Detroit-based production company Reel Clever was awarded a Michigan Emmy for work on the series.
KEY DATES Nov. 3, 2025: Application guidelines available
Dec. 1, 2025: Online application opens
Jan. 15, 2026 by 11:59 PM: Application deadline
The 2026 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients will be selected by an independent panel of distinguished local and national artists and arts professionals. Previous applicants are strongly encouraged to re-apply, as new panels with fresh perspectives are convened each year.
Now in its 18th year, the program continues to demonstrate how investment in the arts transforms what is possible for communities: fueling creative careers and animating neighborhoods. These fellowships prove that sustained creative work strengthens civic imagination and nurtures the day-to-day wellbeing of communities.
Kresge Arts in Detroit also administers the Kresge Eminent Artist award, presented each winter, which honors a lifetime of artistic achievement and community contribution. In 2024, The Kresge Foundation increased the prize to $100,000. Each award includes the creation of a short film and published monograph chronicling the artist’s work and legacy.
APPLICATION INFO SESSIONS Kresge Arts in Detroit staff will hold an online application info session and walkthrough in December, followed by a second online Q&A session in January. While not required, applicants are encouraged to attend these sessions, which are designed to support artists in creating compelling applications for a Kresge Artist Fellowship. Artists can register to attend using the links below.
Application Info Session (virtual) Dec. 10, 2025 5:30–6:30 PM
Application Q&A Session (virtual) Jan. 8, 2026 5:30–6:30 PM
Visit kresgeartsindetroit.org for the complete guidelines, FAQs, and additional resources. Please direct questions about application requirements to Kresge Arts in Detroit at admin@kresgeartsindetroit.org or by phone at (313)744-3204.
