Administered by Pillsbury House + Theatre in partnership with the McKnight Foundation, applications are open and close March 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM (CST).

The McKnight Fellowships for Community-Engaged Artist Program provides annual fellowship awards to two (2) outstanding mid-career community-engaged artists who are at a stage beyond emerging in their career.

For the purposes of this fellowship, community-engaged artists are defined as artists who use their artistic practice to build relationships aimed at producing social or cultural transformation. This intention drives choice and process throughout the conception, design, stewardship, and implementation of their work.

The Pillsbury House + Theatre–administered fellowship program uses an independent jury of arts specialists to competitively award two fellowships.

Fellows Receive:

• A $25,000 fellowship award 
• A $3,000 professional development fund 
• Access to PH+T facilities and equipment 
• Support from PH+T staff and community resources 
• Consultation, support, and resources from Springboard for the Arts 
• Access to Artist Residencies through the Artist Communities Alliance 

The fellowship period runs for one year.

For questions, contact Mike Hoyt at 612-787-3655 or [email protected].

For more information and application guidelines, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships

2026 McKnight Fellowships for Community Engaged Artists Information Sessions:

Dates & times:

Wednesday Feb. 25, 2026
5:00pm-6:00pm (CST)

Location:

Pillsbury Creative Commons
3529 Chicago Avenue S. Minneapolis, MN 55407

Virtual option:

(FEB. 25) – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85466410343?pwd=3JKXTvBWCRpbttVsb8CJkEKAfgHBlN.1

McKnight Foundation

Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists and culture bearers thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts and culture program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists and culture bearers has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently, the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.

Learn More and Apply