Queens Museum is accepting applications for the 2027–28 QM-Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists, with a deadline of September 28, 2026, at 11:59pm EST. The fellowship selects two visual artists, each receiving $20,000, professional development consultations with QM staff, and mentorship from an established New York-based artist.
What the year actually looks like
The fellowship runs for roughly a year and culminates in a solo project exhibition at Queens Museum in 2028, giving fellows a concrete endpoint to build toward rather than an open-ended grant. Selection runs through a jury of QM curatorial staff and two guest jurors; shortlisted applicants are invited to an in-person interview at the museum in November.
Who qualifies
Eligibility is specific: applicants must be emerging visual artists living in one of New York City’s five boroughs, defined here as someone with at least 2 but no more than 10 years of experience producing new work outside a degree-granting program. That window is worth noting for anyone weighing whether they count as “emerging” — it’s not aimed at students, and it’s not aimed at artists decades into an exhibition history either.
Why this one’s worth the application
$20,000 fellowships aren’t rare, but the combination here — direct mentorship from a working New York artist, staff-level professional development support, and a guaranteed solo show at a museum with real institutional weight in the city — is a genuinely uncommon package for an “emerging artist” tier. With 48 days of runway from today’s date, there’s real time to put together a strong application rather than scrambling toward a near-term deadline.