Contact Us:

dieudonne@dieudonne.org

63 Flushing Avenue • Building 3 • Suite 602
Brooklyn, NY, 11205
United States

(212) 226-0573

Dieu Donné is a leading non-profit cultural institution dedicated to serving established and emerging artists through the collaborative creation of contemporary art using the process of hand papermaking.

West Bay View Fellowship Application Info

West Bay View Foundation Fellowship
2025 Application

 
 

About The West Bay View Foundation Fellowship

Established in 2018, the West Bay View Foundation Fellowship is an immersive, full-time, six-month studio position for a visual artist with papermaking experience and a strong desire to use handmade paper as an art form. Fellows work alongside Dieu Donné master papermakers, gaining practical experience working in a professional papermaking studio that focuses on artistic collaboration.

This fellowship provides mentorship from our studio directors, Amy Jacobs and Tatiana Ginsberg, a stipend of $30,000 to support transportation and living expenses in NYC for the six months of the fellowship, and a week in the professional studio with one of the studio directors to realize a larger or more complex project than could be achieved alone.

The West Bay View Foundation Fellowship is open to artists with papermaking training and who possess an MFA degree. Applicants must be available to work in person at Dieu Donné, a busy and active studio with many projects going on simultaneously. The fellow must be able to engage in demanding physical work five days a week for six months and make the fellowship their primary focus while living in New York.

Fellows must possess the right to live and work in the United States. Dieu Donné is unable to sponsor visas at this time.

Learn more about current and past WBVF Fellows.

Award

  • A stipend of $30,000 to support transportation and living expenses in NYC for the 6 months of the fellowship

  • Mentorship by our studio directors, Amy Jacobs and Tatiana Ginsberg, master papermakers each with more than 25 years of experience.

  • A week in the professional studio with one of the studio directors to realize a larger or more complex project than could be achieved alone.

  • The opportunity to develop their professional practice and artistic network in NYC.

Criteria and Qualifications

  • Commitment: Demonstrated commitment to papermaking as an art form, and a strong interest in using handmade paper as an integral part of the image-making process—not just as a substrate.

  • Education and Background: An MFA, plus experience and training in papermaking, with proficiency in Western papermaking.

  • Emphasis on Experimentation: Interest in experimentation and focus on problem-solving.

  • Enthusiasm for Collaboration: Prior experience working communally in a shared space, and interest in the collaborative creation of fine art.

  • Professionalism: A professional and positive demeanor, with an energetic and hardworking approach.

  • Fellows must possess the right to live and work in the United States. Dieu Donné is unable to sponsor visas at this time.

Commitments

  • The fellowship will start approximately at the end of August 2025 and run for six months thereafter.

  • The fellow must be available 5 days/week for six months and maintain a flexible schedule that depends on Dieu Donné studio programming. The fellow may be asked to assist with artistic collaborations on days that they are not normally scheduled.

  • The fellow will work onsite at least 3 days/week with our professional studio staff, learning about the process of collaborating with emerging and renowned artists. Outside of these days, the fellow can concentrate on their own work, visit museums and galleries, and make connections.

  • The fellow must be able to engage in demanding physical tasks while in the studio and have the ability to lift at least 50 lbs.

  • The fellowship must be his/her/their primary focus while living in New York.

Application Instructions

Applications are only accepted via our online Slideroom portal. Please do not mail or e-mail application materials. Applicants are required to provide a CV, artist statement, two professional references, a letter of recommendation, a letter of interest, eight to ten artwork images, and answer a few short questions regarding their practice and papermaking experience.

Application due on March 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.

Application fee is $10.00 USD
Anyone experiencing a significant financial hardship may request a fee waiver after beginning, but before submitting, the application. Please email Facility & Administrative Manager Emma Hill at ehill@dieudonne.org to request a fee waiver.

2025 wbvF Fellowship TIMELINE

January 28 –– Application opens.
March 3, 11:59 PM EST –– Application closes. Grace period of 3 days granted to those with in-progress applications.
March through April –– Finalists will be invited to interview.
Late April –– All applicants will be informed of the decision.
End of August 2025 through approx. February 2026 –– Fellowship period.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The fellowship is intended to be a post-graduate experience. The ideal candidate will have made papermaking their primarily focus during graduate school. Candidates should have taken multiple classes in papermaking at a university level or have augmented their graduate study through in-depth learning at a craft school or other apprenticeships. The purpose of the fellowship is to provide specific hands-on training in creative collaborative papermaking beyond what can be taught in schools.

  • It is not necessary to have had extensive Western papermaking experience, but you should be proficient in Western sheet-forming, pressing and drying techniques.

  • No, you do not need to already live in NYC to participate. However, you would be expected to live in NYC during the fellowship. You must also be a US citizen or have the right to work lawfully in the US.

  • Housing is not provided. Past fellows have been able to find sublets or shares in NYC. We are happy to offer suggestions and resources to help you with your search.

  • No, Dieu Donné does not have any private studio spaces. The fellow will have full access to our shared studios.

  • The fellowship period is essentially set to begin at the end of August 2025. However, if the candidate needs to start a few weeks earlier or later those schedule shifts can generally be accommodated. 

  • Yes! You will have the opportunity to work with artists, as well as learning to prepare all of their materials and practice the techniques that they use in their projects.

  • The fellowship is expected to be the primary focus. If you have a very flexible part time job 1 day a week, or other occasional commitments those can generally be accommodated.

  • The fellow assists with studio work 3 days a week. After an initial training period, the fellow is welcome to work on their own in the studio at other times, including weekends.

For any additional inquiries, please email dieudonne@dieudonne.org.