June 3–August 28, 2027 · Saugatuck, Michigan · Fully Funded
The Ox-Bow Summer Fellowship is a 12-week live-work experience for emerging visual artists. Fellows receive a private studio with 24/7 access, room and board, a weekly stipend, and to live on Ox-Bow's historic artist-built campus, alongside a community of visiting artists, faculty, students, and staff.
In exchange, fellows contribute 20 hours per week to campus operations and participate in a campus beautification project and week-long professional practice intensive.
Who Should Apply Senior-level BFA students, MFA students, and artists with equivalent experience. Artists not currently connected to an academic program are encouraged to apply. See FAQ for eligibility details.
Application Materials to Apply
You will be asked to provide the following for the application.
- Résumé / CV
- Three short written reflections
- Statement of Purpose: Describe your work and what you hope to accomplish while at Ox-Bow.
- Community Practice: Fellows are integral members of the Ox-Bow community. What makes you a good community member?
- Shared Values: What are some examples of values you are looking for in a workplace?
- If you are not currently enrolled in academia, describe how this Fellowship is the right opportunity for you at this time, whether as a bridge between academic experiences, an alternative to higher education, or an intentional immersion into a para-academic structured residency at a pivotal growth edge.
- A reference: Currently enrolled students, please submit a name and email of a faculty member or administrator from your school. If you are not a student, select someone who can speak to your excellence as an artist and community member.
- Video Introduction: One minute video introducing yourself and giving a brief glimpse into your creative practice. Video hosted on Youtube or Vimeo.
- Portfolio: 10 images, written pages, or minutes of documentation
- Submitted Images: Acceptable file types: .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg
- List of Artworks: Include your titles, mediums, dimensions, year, runtime (for video/audio), word count (for writing samples), etc. for the work submitted.
Questions? Email oxbow@ox-bow.org
This scholarship is available to students enrolling in an Ox-Bow Core course or Art on the Meadow workshop who demonstrate financial need. Applications for this scholarship are informational, not portfolio based, and are reviewed by the Ox-Bow Scholarship Committee on a rolling basis.
Prospective faculty are invited to submit proposals for 1- or 2-week Core Courses in Ox-Bow’s programs.
Ox-Bow welcomes proposals that merge craft and concept, with a clear emphasis on the skills, techniques, and processes students will learn. Courses may be concept-driven, technique-based, or combine both, and may draw from an artist’s studio practice.
What You’ll Need to Submit
- Faculty information: Name, email, website, and CV or résumé
- Course information: Course title, proposed session, and preferred course length
- Course description:
- Up to 100 words describing the overall concept, content, and techniques
- Up to 100 words describing artists, historical context, readings, and/or screenings
- Up to 100 words describing student assignments, projects, and the final project
- Faculty credentials: Highest degree, field of study, and institution
- Co-teacher information, if applicable
Before You Begin
An MFA or equivalent terminal degree is required to teach at Ox-Bow. For co-taught courses, only one faculty member is required to hold an MFA or equivalent terminal degree.
New faculty who have not previously taught or participated in an Ox-Bow program are welcome to submit a Core Course proposal to express interest. Before a proposal can be selected, the faculty member must serve as a Visiting Artist to experience Ox-Bow’s campus, community, and pedagogical environment firsthand. For new faculty who have not previously participated in an Ox-Bow program, this proposal will also serve as an expression of interest in serving as a Visiting Artist.
Art on the Meadow is a program that offers a variety of art-making experiences through short-term workshops for teens and adults on Ox-Bow’s campus. These community-driven workshops aim to provide an intergenerational, accessible space for artists to cultivate new work and ideas through experimentation and play within our rich, natural environment. Ideal workshops will engage participants of all experience levels, from novice to pro, and consider the specificities of Ox-Bow’s context.
Teaching artists from the West Michigan area are encouraged to submit proposals to teach workshops at Ox-Bow. Workshop instructors receive a teaching stipend and a budget for instructional materials. Please note that there is no additional travel stipend available for Art on the Meadow instructors at this time; however, if an instructor does not live locally, Ox-Bow will provide room and board during the duration of their workshop.
Ox-Bow has facilities to offer workshops in painting, drawing, ceramics, papermaking and printmaking. We encourage proposals in a variety of disciplines, including: fiber, collage, craft, writing, poetry, watercolor, mixed media, and interdisciplinary areas. Please include the following in your proposal:
- Faculty name, email, phone number, website if applicable
- CV/Resume
- Workshop name
- Preferred workshop dates (June - October)
- Length of workshop (half day; one day; multi-session)
- Brief description of core concepts and assignments (1-3 sentences)
- Full workshop description (approximately 100 words)
- Budget/space/equipment information: Note that Ox-Bow has limited technological resources; please submit a list of equipment and materials needed for your workshop
- Not required but recommended—documentation of faculty and student work, may be in the following formats: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, jpg, gif, mp3, mp4, tiff, png, mov. If this is included, please note that the program will automatically alphabetize your files, so name them accordingly. Please provide a documentation list which indicates the artist (Self or Student), title, media, etc.
Questions? Contact Claire Arctander, Deputy Director, at carctander@ox-bow.org
Ox-Bow will award a limited number of partial merit scholarships this winter. Applications are due Sunday, November 1 by 12:00 a.m. EST/11:00 p.m. CST. All students are eligible to apply. These portfolio based applications are reviewed by an outside panel of diverse arts professionals.
Students who receive a scholarship are able to pre-register for their preferred course, beginning November 9.
Registration begins for everyone on November 16 at 9:00 a.m. CST / 10:00 a.m. EST.
Beginning in Fall 2026, artists are invited to apply for a 2–4 week, self-directed residency during Ox-Bow’s quieter seasons (September, October, November, March, April). Residents receive simple studio space, private accommodations, and shared meals while working independently on their practice.
Please complete the form below to express your interest. A portfolio is required.