2027 AnkhLave Garden Fellowship at Wave Hill
Open Call
Wave Hill, in partnership with AnkhLave Arts Alliance, invite NYC-based artists who identify as BIPOC to apply for the 9th Annual AnkhLave Garden Project Fellowship at Wave Hill. The 2027 AnkhLave Garden Project Fellowship supports artists who draw on diverse forms of research, scholarship, and lived knowledge to present site-responsive sculpture and installation at the intersection of nature, culture, and place. Wave Hill and AnkhLave seek proposals that thoughtfully respond to and engage with the site—its plant collections, history, design, and architecture—with a focus on the interconnected relationships between nature, culture, and place. Six artists in total will be selected to participate in the 9th Annual AnkhLave Garden Project Fellowship at Wave Hill.
The 9th Annual AnkhLave Garden Project Fellowship at Wave Hill includes:
- Participation in the Winter Workspace residency program at Wave Hill from February 23 – April 18, 2027
- An artist stipend of $1,800
- Professional development opportunities
- Artist community activities
- Participation in an outdoor group exhibition in the Glyndor Terrace Garden at Wave Hill (May 8 – July 4, 2027), or if applying for the 2027 Van Lier Fellowship below, presenting a solo exhibition indoors as part of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space (May 15 – July 4, 2027)
- AnkhLave Alumni Network Benefits including eligibility for future AnkhLave opportunities, such as the Public Artist in Residence and Curator in Residence Programs
Eligibility & Guidelines:
- Applications are welcome from artists who work across media
- Must be in the early stages of their careers, regardless of education
- Must live in one of the five boroughs of NYC
- Students enrolled in a degree-granting program; artists with commercial gallery representation; and/or artists who have previously participated in a Winter Workspace residency, an exhibition at Wave Hill, or an exhibition with AnkhLave are not eligible to apply
- Wave Hill is a family-friendly public garden that welcomes visitors of all ages. Works may not include nudity, depictions of violence, or profanity
- Applications will be reviewed by a jury comprised of AnkhLave and Wave Hill curatorial staff
Themes at the intersection of nature, culture, and place may include, but are not limited to:
- Immigration and migration
- Indigenous cultures of New York City and those connected to the artist’s heritage
- Popular culture and entertainment influences within BIPOC communities
- Art as a tool for education
- Cultural exchange, connection, and community-building
- The flora and fauna of Wave Hill
- Plant life native to New York City area
- Flora and fauna connected to the artist’s place of origin
- Relationships between nature and urban environments
- Ecological advocacy and environmental stewardship
- Non-human life and expanded perspectives on the concept of nature
2027 Van Lier Fellowship
Emerging artists 30 years of age or younger (born 1997 or after) who are from historically underrepresented communities and demonstrate financial need may apply for the 2027 Van Lier Fellowship as part of the 9th Annual AnkhLave Garden Project at Wave Hill. Funded by the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund through the New York Community Trust, awardees of the Van Lier Fellowship at Wave Hill participate in the Winter Workspace residency, and present solo exhibitions of site-responsive work indoors in the Sunroom and Sun Porch as part of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space (May 15 – July 4, 2027). Two fellows receive an $8,000 honorarium each (paid in four installments), as well as additional stipends that subsidize studio rental between the Winter Workspace and Sunroom Project Space programs, equipment and supplies needed for their projects, stipend for transportation (e.g., subway, commuter train), and a stipend for professional development (e.g., workshop, conference, writing class, etc.).
Additional Eligibility Requirements for the 2027 Van Lier Fellowship:
- You are an emerging artist 30 years of age or younger (born 1997 or after)
- Are from historically underrepresented communities
- Demonstrate financial need
- Artists may not apply to both opportunities. Artists who apply for both will automatically be disqualified.
An Information Session will be held online on Monday, July 20, from 12PM to 1PM. To RSVP, email visualarts@wavehill.org with “RSVP AnkhLave Info Session” in the subject heading.
About the Winter Workspace Program
The Winter Workspace program at Wave Hill offers New York–area artists the opportunity to conduct research and develop work within the context of Wave Hill’s gardens in the Bronx. Through access to Wave Hill’s thriving plant collections, landscape, architecture, history, and horticultural and curatorial staff—as well as engagement with visitors—artists are provided with workspace and support to expand their practice during 7-to 8-week sessions. Since 2010, Winter Workspace has supported more than 180 artists. Wave Hill provides an artist stipend of $1,800 each, invites arts professionals to conduct studio visits with each resident, and organizes public events and professional development opportunities. The program also includes Drop-In Sundays and Open Studios, which allows visitors to meet the artists and learn about their creative practices.
Read more about the Winter Workspace program here.
AnkhLave Arts Alliance is a NYC-based nonprofit, 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing BIPOC artists through contemporary art programming, including the AnkhLave Garden Project Fellowship, Curator in Residence, and Public Artist in Residence. Committed to art as a catalyst for dialogue and community exchange, AnkhLave presents programming in alternative public spaces within BIPOC communities while honoring Indigenous heritage and diverse creative expression.