A.I.R. Gallery 2027–28 Fellowship: NYC visual and digital artists can apply by November 10
Six New York City artists will receive a year of support
A.I.R. Gallery is accepting applications for its 2027–2028 Fellowship Program for emerging women and non-binary visual artists. The application deadline is November 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Six artists will be selected for a 12-month fellowship running from September 2027 through August 2028, offering curatorial and professional guidance, a solo exhibition opportunity and a US$3,000 stipend. The opportunity is specifically for artists connected to New York City's five boroughs, not a general international open call without location conditions.
For artists who work with digital images, experimental moving image, web-native imagery, computer-generated visuals or installations, this fellowship deserves consideration because the organiser accepts visual art in any media. Yet an application is not automatically eligible simply because it involves software or motion graphics. The work should be presented as a visual artistic practice capable of being meaningfully discussed and exhibited at a gallery. Applicants with unusually technical or performance-focused proposals should confirm presentation compatibility with the gallery.
Eligibility: women and non-binary visual artists aged 18 or older
The official criteria state that applicants must be women or non-binary visual artists, aged 18 or over, and emerging in their artistic careers. Applicants need to be residents of New York City's five boroughs—Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx or Staten Island—for the fellowship period from September 2027 to August 2028. The official FAQ further addresses a qualifying NYC studio, but artists based outside the city should not assume that living in the wider metropolitan area is enough; the main eligibility rule is specific to the five boroughs, and uncertain cases should be referred to A.I.R.
American citizenship is not a stated requirement; the gallery's FAQ specifically says applicants do not need to be US citizens. However, A.I.R. cannot sponsor applicants for a US visa, and artists must be able to participate locally in the programme. This distinction is essential for international artists already in New York: the opportunity is not an overseas relocation grant or an offer of work-visa sponsorship.
Past NYC solo exhibitions can make an applicant ineligible
Applicants must not have had a solo exhibition at a permanent venue in New York City within the past ten years. Permanent venues include commercial galleries, nonprofit exhibition spaces, museums and universities. The gallery distinguishes this from a solo presentation in a temporary pop-up space, a non-art space or an art fair, which does not automatically disqualify an artist. Two-person and group exhibitions at permanent venues are likewise treated differently from a solo show.
Previous fellows cannot reapply, and neither can artists who have already had a solo exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery. Current gallery members, staff and board members are also excluded. These restrictions protect the programme's focus on offering a substantial first gallery opportunity to artists who would otherwise struggle to access that platform.
Current students and overlapping fellowships
Selected artists may not be enrolled in a degree-granting programme while the fellowship runs, from September 2027 through August 2028. Someone studying at the time of application can still be eligible if they graduate before the fellowship begins. Artists must also not be participating in a comparable fellowship, residency or professional-development programme during the same period. The gallery expects fellows to attend scheduled in-person activities, with no more than two planned monthly events missed over the year.
What the US$3,000 stipend actually represents
Each selected fellow receives a US$3,000 stipend alongside a year-long package of support. This should not be confused with a $3,000 monthly salary or a large project-production budget: the official page lists a stipend amount, without promising a separate fabrication allowance or housing provision. Collaborative applicants are possible where a genuine joint practice exists, but they submit one application and share the stipend rather than each partner receiving the full amount.
Solo exhibition, curatorial support and professional development
Benefits include four to five professional-development workshops in fall 2027, an A.I.R. artist-mentor, scheduled one-on-one studio visits, continuing support from gallery staff and a visit with a member of the selection panel. Each fellow is offered a solo exhibition at A.I.R. during spring or summer 2028. Fellows must also undertake a group discussion during their exhibition and attend the programme's workshops, making active participation part of the award rather than an optional benefit.
For a visual media artist, the exhibition can help move a screen-based or installation practice into a curatorial context where artistic intention, display conditions, audience experience and practical production decisions are considered together. The organiser's guidance is media-open, but the FAQ does not guarantee specialist hardware, custom projection equipment, unlimited computing facilities or funds to license software. Artists should plan only on the resources explicitly stated and enquire about unusual technical needs if shortlisted.
Anonymous review: remove your name from every file
One of the most consequential rules is the fully anonymous review process. A.I.R. states that none of the submitted materials may identify the artist—not the image filenames, the body of images, the statement, the CV or any other uploaded materials. An artist's name embedded in a file title or document may result in disqualification, without permission to reapply until the next cycle. If a personal website or social handle can identify the maker, applicants should carefully follow the application portal's own instructions before including that information.
To respect this review process, prepare a separate anonymised application package instead of uploading your normal named portfolio PDF. Check PDF metadata and visible page headers, any caption overlays in photographs, image export filenames and the body of written materials. These are practical recommendations for preventing accidental identification; the application instructions provided by A.I.R. remain the definitive checklist.
Select representative completed work from the last three years
The official FAQ recommends work samples that show an applicant's strongest and most representative work from the previous three years. Applicants should not submit unfinished concepts, sketches or work-in-progress images as substitutes for completed practice. A.I.R. advises showing one view of each work per image, rather than combining several photographs or angles of a single artwork into a montage. For digital installations, choose evidence that communicates the physical or visual experience without creating a confusing collage.
How collaborative artists can apply
Established collaborative teams can submit a joint application, but the proposed solo exhibition must genuinely reflect an existing shared practice rather than combine unrelated individual projects into a group show. The CV and other documents must describe the collaboration's collective history. Applicants submit just one set of materials, and the US$3,000 stipend is divided among participants if selected. This option should not be mistaken for an open call for a loose group exhibition.
Free information session and selection timetable
A.I.R. advertises an online information session on October 29, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Attendance is not compulsory; the gallery says a recording will be available. The organisers expect to notify applicants in April 2027. Applications pass through three rounds of anonymous review by outside curators, critics and established artists, followed by a final interview and selection stage involving A.I.R. members and staff. Six positions are available.
Application deadline: November 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Applications must be submitted through the official Submittable link accessible from A.I.R.'s 2027–2028 fellowship page. The organiser states that a draft may be saved and edited until it is actually submitted, but a submitted application is final; applicants should not expect to replace incorrect files after clicking submit. Because anonymity mistakes can prevent a valid application, leave time for one last review of the full upload, not simply the text fields.
A.I.R. encourages applicants to ask the gallery directly if they are unsure whether a particular prior solo exhibition, NYC location or fellowship overlap is disqualifying. Applicants may contact info@airgallery.org. For technology-based artists, another useful question is how a gallery-format project would be supported technically at the final exhibition; the absence of an equipment promise should be taken into account when planning a proposal.