creative fellowships

Wolfsonian fellowships engage scholars and artists from around the world with the museum's collection and the interpretive possibilities contained in dedicated study of the modern age. Working onsite full-time for the duration of their residency, fellows pursue deeper historical understanding (in research fellowships) or imagine new ways to activate historic ideas and imagery (in creative fellowships).

Fellows expand public access to the collection by sharing their discoveries through new writing, programs, or creative work.

Creative Fellowships

Wolfsonian creative fellowships invite artists of all kinds—visual artists, designers, performers, writers, filmmakers, and musicians—to immerse themselves in the Wolfsonian collection and draw visual, conceptual, or storytelling inspiration from its wide range of historical materials. Grounded in the museum's exploration of modernity and visual culture from 1850 to 1950, the fellowship encourages creative research that connects historical ideas to contemporary practice.

The fellowship is open to creatives with a demonstrated record of accomplishment working in visual, time-based, performative, or digital media. Applicants from a wide range of disciplines are encouraged to apply, particularly those interested in research-driven practice and interdisciplinary experimentation.

Duration: 2 weeks

2026–27 Cycle: Digital Practice

For the 2026–27 cycle, we invite creatives engaging with digital media to explore how digital tools and platforms can activate the Wolfsonian collection and ideas for contemporary audiences. During a 2-week residency, fellows engage closely with staff, objects, and the resources of the Knight Labs to develop concepts for new work informed by their research. Proposals are encouraged for projects involving, but not limited to, animation, moving image, generative media, sound-based work, or other experimental formats. As part of the museum's broader commitment to supporting contemporary practice, The Wolfsonian may also commission a fellow to realize an original digital artwork inspired by their research.