The Arts Council of Indianapolis is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship program. Originally conceived as a renewal opportunity similar to an academic sabbatical, this groundbreaking initiative offers 40 artists and arts administrators the opportunity to renew and refresh their creativity through a two-year fellowship with a cash award of $10,000 each. Since the program's inception, 290 artists and administrators have been awarded fellowships through this program. The Arts Council of Indianapolis has awarded more than $1.8 million in direct-dollar support to artists and administrators through this program! The program is funded by a grant to the Arts Council through the extraordinary generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc. 

Submissions are no longer being accepted

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Program?
The Arts Council of Indianapolis is pleased to support individual artists and arts administrators through the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Program. The Creative Renewal program, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., awards $10,000 to each of 40 selected artists and arts administrators. The program is designed to celebrate the work of individual artists and arts administrators and offers the participants unique and challenging ways to renew and refresh their creativity.

The program is a two-year grant program. The first round of fellowship recipients was announced in 1999, the second round in 2001, the third round in 2003, the fourth round in 2005, the fifth in 2007 and the sixth in 2009.

Fellowship Eligibility Requirements
Professional artists and arts administrators employed by non-profit organizations meeting the following criteria were eligible:

• At least three years of consecutive residence in one of the following Indiana counties: Marion, Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, Hancock, Johnson, or Shelby

• Primary source of income was work in dance, theatre, media arts, music, literature, visual arts, or multidisciplinary art forms

• At least 10 years of experience in the arts and at least three years in which the applicant's primary source of income was employment in the arts

• Recipients agreed to share, by way of a public presentation, the results of their fellowship with the community

2. What sort of reporting schedule do you require for grant recipients?

All fellowship recipients are required to document their fellowship experience and present a final report to the Arts Council. In addition, each fellowship recipient must complete a final presentation of their fellowship experience. The final payment of the fellowship award is not made without submission of the final report and completion of the final presentation.



3. How are the fellows chosen?

The Arts Council relies on a panel made up of national arts professionals, in a variety of arts disciplines, to adjudicate the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship program.



4. Is it possible to have Arts Council staff assist me with my Creative Renewal Fellowship application?

Because the Arts Council utilizes out-of-state arts professionals to adjudicate its grant applications, the Arts Council staff is available to review your application. Our staff will be glad to assist you in developing your project/proposal and answering any questions you might have. However, be sure to contact Arts Council staff well in advance of the application deadline. As the deadline date approaches, the availability of staff becomes limited. So please plan accordingly.