NCC: Early Career Artist Residencies (ECAR) - BIPOC Studio Fellowship Grant

NCC: Early Career Artist Residencies (ECAR) - BIPOC Studio Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Northern Clay Center
Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Summary

The NCC: Early Career Artist Residencies (ECAR) - BIPOC Studio Fellowship offers a transformative opportunity for early career ceramic artists of color. This fellowship includes a year-long residency at Northern Clay Center, providing access to studio space, materials, and professional development. Recipients can engage in mentorship, participate in the NCECA conference, and present their work in a group exhibition. This initiative aims to nurture artistic growth and community among emerging BIPOC artists in the ceramics field.

Overview

Early Career Artist Residencies (ECAR) The Early Career Artist Residency program encompasses two unique fellowships, designed to provide up to four ceramic artists with the opportunity to be in residence at Northern Clay Center for one year, where they can develop their work and exchange ideas and knowledge with other ceramic artists. Each recipient will have a furnished studio space with 24/7 access to NCC’s facilities. In addition to the workspace, each fellowship includes an annual material and firing stipend as well as professional development and enrichment opportunities offered through NCC’s education, exhibitions, and sales gallery programs. A group exhibition featuring work produced during the fellowship period will take place at Northern Clay Center. Additionally, recipients have the opportunity to present a brief slide lecture on their work in conjunction with the exhibition. BIPOC Studio Fellowship The BIPOC Studio Fellowship will support one early career ceramic artist of color who is working in a functional, sculptural, relational, or installation-based manner. The recipient will share a furnished studio space from the specified period of time. The recipient will be provided additional resources to pursue mentorship opportunities including participation in the NCECA conference, support more robust materials and firing use, and to buttress the cost of living.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicant Criteria:Eligibility is restricted to clay artists who have completed all formal academic training by the start of the grant period, who are not currently enrolled full- or part-time in a degree-granting institution (including BA, MFA, or a teaching certification program), and who are not employed full-time as a ceramics teacher at the college level. A college degree is not required to apply for this or any NCC award. We encourage applicants who would like to make clay and creativity a continuing part of their lives, even if they do not or have not pursued it in a post-secondary institutional setting. You can apply for all, but cannot receive any combination of the Emerging Artist Residencies, or the Warren MacKenzie Advancement Award. Current Early Career Artist Residents cannot apply again until three years after the date of their award.