Guggenheim Fellowships ($50,000) - who wins these?
Published: Sun, 07/31/22
I am writing to you today because I want to give you a sense of who wins these grants - what kind of art? What kind of artist?
I want you to walk out of your inbox feeling “That’s not so different from what I do. Maybe I should apply for this.”
It upsets me that so many artists who could win these life-changing grants never apply because they don’t feel they are “worthy”.
There are a lot of myths about what it takes to win a prestigious grant - like “I need a dozen exhibits every year for the past ten years.”
I know these are myths because I edited and worked on a Guggenheim Grant with five artists who received it, including two recently in the same round, so I know what a winning application looks like.
Yes, this is a competitive grant for artists with a career that is mature. But that should not scare you off. It’s your art that needs to be mature, not your exhibition history.
However, it is a bit daunting to see an exhibition history like these two have.
So I curated a collection of “dark horses” to inspire you. Artists you probably have ever heard of.
These are artists who won the Guggenheim Grant... even though they didn’t have the “prestigious history” that I bet some of you assume you need to have in order to be selected.
Dark Horse #1
Carl Corey is a photographer whose published books include self-publishing and very small presses. He has won awards for his books but has exhibited very little - about a show a year and sometimes less. https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/carl-corey/
Dark Horse #2
Tiona works in multiple mediums: documentary film, experimental video, sculpture, and sound installations. He also has a very slim exhibit history of one show or less a year - https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/tiona-nekkia-mcclodden/
Dark Horse #3
Alice Leora Briggs is a printmaker and book maker that you probably have not heard of. Her exhibition history is about one show a year in the last several years and her imagery is all largely figurative - https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/alice-leora-briggs/
Dark Horse #4
Espernaza Cortés is a multidisciplinary artist that has been in residencies, museums, and received grants, but her exhibitions history is all with non profits. She represents herself, as she does not have a commercial gallery - https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/esperanza-cortes/
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I urge you… Challenge the assumptions that are keeping you from applying to this life-changing grant. Break free of those mental shackles.
Explore the profiles of previous winners (here). They will prove to you that this isn’t a “clique”.
Artists working in all sorts of mediums have won in the past. Paintings, poetry, video projects - anything you can think of…
Artists from very different backgrounds have won. The award isn’t political.
Artists with very different levels of career “maturity” have won. Some had an exhibition and award history that’s longer than a car. Others had almost no press and even fewer awards when they were selected.
“Is it good art?”
That’s all the jury looks at.
I know this because their own website admits it.
I know this because the work of previous winners proves it.
I know this because the President of the Guggenheim Foundation confirmed it when I interviewed him - twice! - for Yale University Radio and asked him how he selects people for the grant.
The deadline for the application is the second week of September. I urge you with all my heart to summon the courage and apply, with or without my help.
Reply to this letter to ask any questions and also to find out the fee structure of hiring me to work with you. I work with you step by step for every element of this grant including image selection and looking closely at your art.
I work with a total of ten artists on this on a first come first served basis and then it is closed. Spots are rapidly filling up, so please reply quickly if you are at all interested.
Sincerely,
Brainard.
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