2025 FELLOWSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (FIPP) PILOT PROGRAM

The transformative year-long mentorship program includes a $5,500 honorarium and culminates in a solo exhibition at DORF in Fall 2025

Submission Deadline – January 13, 2025 at 11:59 pm CST.

Apply Here: bit.ly/fipp25 (FREE TO APPLY. There is no application fee to create an opportunity accessible to as many artists as possible.)

This is an online application process only. Applications will NOT be accepted by postal mail or email. 

FIPP PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

FiPP has three main components:

• A Solo Exhibition at DORF – Fall 2025 

• Professional Development and peer networking through an official DORF partnership with the Mid-America Arts Alliance Artist Leadership Fellowship Program – January 27–March 31, 2025

• Ongoing year-long support during 2025

The DORF Fellowship in Professional Practice (FiPP) is a year-long mentorship program designed to guide an artist through every step of planning, producing, curating, and marketing their solo exhibition at DORF. This exhibition will take place in Fall 2025.

In addition to this milestone exhibition, the selected artist will join the 2025 Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) Artist Leadership Fellowship (ALF) cohort. This nomination-based, transformative program hones the professional skills of emerging artist leaders across the region, offering unparalleled growth and networking opportunities.

HONORARIUM

The selected FiPP artist will receive an honorarium of $5,000 from DORF and an additional $500 from Mid-America Arts Alliance to help support their work.

2025 SOLO EXHIBITION DETAILS

The artist will receive a solo exhibition at DORF’s new location at 218 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas in Fall 2025 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: M-AAA ARTIST LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM DETAILS

Eight-week professional development program in which artists meet virtually on Mondays from 4:00–6:30 PM (see detailed timeline below).

• M-AAA ALF Fellows will leave the program with a cross-discipline, geographically broad network of peer artists, the strategic framework to manage enduring artistic careers, and the tools to serve as facilitators and mentors to others in their home communities across M-AAA’s region and beyond.

• Fellows gain access to additional revenue streams through M-AAA Artist Services programs; and artist professional development facilitation (both through M-AAA and with organizations in their communities).

• FiPP Fellow must be available to attend at least 7 out of 8 Mid-America Arts Alliance Artist Leadership Fellowship meetings

POST-FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT

• FiPP alumni receive continued support through:

• Ongoing mentorship through consultations with DORF and M-AAA leadership and network

• Access to revenue streams through M-AAA Artist Services programs; and artist professional development facilitation (both through M-AAA and with DORF)

• Personal invitations to all future openings and events 

• Invitation to join future Selection Panels to help us shape and improve the FiPP program for future cohorts

TIMELINE

• Open call opens: Thursday, December 12, 2024

• Application Deadline: Monday, January 13, 2025 (11:59 pm CST)

• Selection Panel Conveining: week of January 13, 2025

• Finalist notified; enters contract: week of January 20, 2025

• M-AAA Artist Leadership Fellowship Meetings: 

• Monday, January 27, 2025


• Monday, February 3, 2025


• Monday, February 10, 2025


• Skip February 17, 2025, Presidents’ Day


• Monday, February 24, 2025


• Monday, March 3, 2025


• Monday, March 10, 2025

• Skip March 17, 2025 for spring break and SXSW


• Monday, March 24, 2025


• Monday, March 31, 2025


• Spring/Summer 2025: monthly studio visits with DORF and visiting artists and curators

• FiPP Solo Exhibition: Fall 2025

• Other programming during the run of the exhibition, TBD

ELIGIBILITY

• Emerging and mid-career artists, 21 years or older, living and working in Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, and Williamson Counties may apply.

• DORF values openness, intention, expression, and community to guide its programming. We highlight artists that tackle social justice, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful dialogues. 

• Artists who demonstrate the vision and scope to design, fabricate, and install a cohesive body of work into a gallery exhibition.

• Historically underrepresented and marginalized artists are strongly encouraged to apply

• Artists must have the time and interest to participate in M-AAA ALF Program

• Currently enrolled students are not eligible

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

• 5-10 work samples (JPG or PNG; no larger than 3MB. All video clips must be no longer than 3 minutes in length. If video work is longer format, please provide timestamps you would like us to review)

• Current bio – 150 words or less (PDF)

• Image list with your name, title of work, year made, media, dimensions 

• Artist Statement – 500 words or less (PDF)

• Proposal (optional) – vision for a solo exhibition at DORF and how the artist plans to uniquely activate the space – 500 words or less (PDF)

• Resume/CV – a current resume or CV (PDF)

• References – two references. Please include name, title or relationship to artist, email, and phone number (PDF)

EXHIBITION SPACE

DORF is a 1,062 square feet gallery space with floor-to-ceiling windows on the front two walls of the space ,14’ ceilings, track lighting, and one moveable wall. Projectors, media players, and sound equipment are available. The floor plan, renderings and photos of the space can be found here.

SELECTION CRITERIA

SELECTION PROCESS

The selected 2025 DORF FiPP artist will be chosen by a selection panel that includes Alexis Hunter, DORF Advisory Council Member, Independent Artist; Emmy Laursen, DORF Board Member, Curator of Public Programs at The Contemporary Austin, Holistic Psychotherapist; Eric Manche, Founder and Creative Director at DORF, Independent Artist and Filmmaker; Paloma Mayorga, DORF Advisory Council Member, Mexican American interdisciplinary Artist and Independent Curator; Lise Ragbir, DORF Advisory Council Member, Co-founder at VERGE, Independent Writer; Sara Vanderbeek, Founder, Executive Director and Curator at DORF, Independent Artist and Consultant.

The Selection Panel will review applications received through this open call and determine the selected artist based on a rubric co-created by the Panel. The rubric is created based on the qualifications outlined below.

ARTISTIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong artistic voice and abilities displayed in the Artist's portfolio

• Proven ability to execute complex ideas through artistic projects

• Produces work and explores subject matter that aligns with DORF’s values of openness, intention, expression, and community. 

• Strong conceptual skills with innovative and effective approaches demonstrated in creative projects

• Effective communication and project management skills

• Completeness of application

CULTURAL EQUITY AND KEY CONSTITUENCIES

DORF is committed to serving artists at immediate risk of cultural erasure and displacement within Austin and aforementioned surrounding counties or who have been institutionally marginalized, under-funded, and/or historically underrepresented.

By 2040, the United States population is projected to be a majority of people from the global majority (non-white). Today, over fifty percent of Texas is made up of the global majority, however, this is not reflected in the representation within our art institutions. DORF aims to disrupt the balance of power and believes the best way forward is to support, promote, and provide resources for artists who are currently underrepresented to further their standing within their field. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

We aim to make our programs as accessible and welcoming as possible for visitors and artists. Please let us know if you need any specific accommodations.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS 

• Available to attend at least 7 out of 8 Mid-America Arts Alliance Artist Leadership Fellowship meetings

• Available for monthly check-ins with DORF Program Team on the progress of the solo exhibition

THANK YOU!

Thank you in advance for your submission! We greatly appreciate your interest and support of this pilot program. 

For information on all of the work we do at DORF, please see our past projects. Any questions? Please don't hesitate to get in touch: dorf@dorfworld.org.

PARTNERS

This program is supported in part by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, City of Austin Economic Development Department, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

ABOUT DORF

Founded by Sara Vanderbeek and Eric Manche in 2018, DORF is a nonprofit art space with a mission to build a village of artists, advocates, and innovators. DORF’s values of openness, intention, expression, and community have guided its programming, which includes exhibitions that tackle social justice, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful dialogues. 

We have received recognition in publications like Texas Monthly, Sightlines Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, Glasstire, Southwest Contemporary, and more, and received “Best New Experimental Art Gallery” in The Austin Chronicle.