Ragdale awards fellowships to emerging and established practitioners based on merit and suitability of practice for public programming in the Ragdale Youth Engagement initiative.

Fellows are featured in a program within 18-months of their residency.

Alice Judson Hayes Social Justice Fellowship

Discipline: Writing (no academic writing)

This fellowship is awarded annually in memory of poet Alice Hayes, who founded Ragdale. All her life she was committed to working for a just and peaceful world. This fellowship is awarded to a writer who is working on a project designed to bring awareness to a social justice issue including peace, education, or the environment. Projects can be nonfiction or fiction (including journalism, essays, memoir, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction). No academic writing. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program.

This fellowship is made possible by the Shaw Family.

Anne Searle Bent Spiritual Art Fellowship

Discipline: Any

This fellowship is awarded annually to an artist of any discipline working on a project relating to spirituality or faith. Disciplines include and are not limited to visual art, performance, composition, choreography, curation, writing, and theology. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program.

This fellowship is made possible by Anne Searle Bent.

Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts

Discipline: Visual Art

The Judy Sigunick Fellowship in the Visual Arts is awarded annually to an exemplary visual artist to afford them the time and studio space to create. This fellowship is offered in memory of sculptor and painter Judy Sigunick, whose beautiful, idea-laden work displays great imagination and vision.  Judy always felt that artists need to recognize and seize on their creativity, and that Ragdale affords them the uninterrupted time to do so.  Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners. 

This fellowship is made possible by Judy’s sister.

Craig H. Neilsen Fellowship

Discipline: Any

This fellowship is awarded annually to up to three artists living with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency; additional room and board for a personal care assistant (if needed); a limited stipend for a personal care assistant (if needed); and an additional stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Ragdale offers four accessible live/work spaces; a writing studio, a visual arts studio, a state-of-the-art digitally equipped music studio, and a large dance studio. Open to emerging and established practitioners. 

This fellowship is made possible by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.

Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship

Discipline: Any (Teaching Artist)

The Ragdale Youth Engagement Fellowship is awarded to a teaching artist working in any discipline. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program by means of the creation of a brief video documentary/interview, and/or the presentation of a public program. Presentation of a public program may include an artist talk, workshop, or other programs and will take place within a year of the residency. The Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program serves students in nearby schools from kindergarten through college level, offering artist talks, presentations, and workshops. Open to emerging and established practitioners. 

This fellowship is made possible by Ragdale donors.

Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship

Discipline: Photography

The Robin and Sandy Stuart Photography Fellowship is awarded annually to an exemplary photographic artist to afford them the time and studio space to create.  It allows a photographer uninterrupted time to seize on their creativity and immerse themselves in their craft. Fellowship recipients receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Open to emerging and established practitioners. 

This fellowship is made possible by Robin and Sandy Stuart.

Sybil Shearer Fellowship for Dancemakers

Discipline: Dance

The Sybil Shearer Fellowship is awarded to an individual choreographer and/or dance artist. The fellowship may be awarded to a collaborative duo who will share the live/work studio space. The fellowship recipient will receive a fee-waived 18-day residency, along with a stipend of $1000 to participate in the Ragdale Youth Engagement educational outreach program. Note for collaborations: one stipend will be awarded and may be split between collaborators. Open to emerging and established practitioners. 

This fellowship is made possible by the Morrison-Shearer Foundation.