2026 irene yamamoto arts writers fellowship
The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is thrilled to announce the 4th annual Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship. This year’s fellowship will provide $5,000 unrestricted awards to two emerging writers of color who write critically about visual art.
Writers of color have knowledge and experiences that differ from the dominant Eurocentric ones, and their perspectives give art produced by marginalized communities the depth of attention and consideration it deserves. The fellowship seeks to encourage critics of color starting out in the field to continue writing about works from their own cultural and political perspectives, enriching and broadening cultural criticism as a practice and profession. By supporting and highlighting these voices, the fellowship seeks to broaden public discourse and strengthen participation in cultural conversations by diverse communities.
2026 Focus: Visual Art
The focus of this year’s fellowship is visual art. In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples provide critical, analytical, or interpretive perspectives on visual art. Although visual art takes many forms and is experienced in many different contexts, for the purposes of this award, visual art is defined as a creation that is primarily visual in nature OR that is shown in a museum, gallery, or other space dedicated to visual art.
For example:
Reviews of performance, sound art, film, video or other time-based work in a museum or gallery setting will be considered, but a review of a performance, play, concert, or screening in a theater will not.
Analytical writing about immersive or interactive art spaces and installations will be considered, but discussions of functional architecture and design will not, even if they appear in a museum or gallery setting.
Criticism of visual art in public spaces (such as murals, sculptures, and monuments) or online (such as NFTs, memes, or websites) is eligible as long as the works discussed are primarily visual in nature.
Critical views on the visual art market, its figures, or trends are acceptable, as long as they are directly related to the aesthetics, production, or reception of visual art.