Washington University in St. Louis's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and the Saint Louis Art Museum are accepting applications for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Teaching Fellowships. The fellowship offers emerging and mid-career visual artists a $45,000 teaching award, studio space, access to WashU's facilities, and a solo exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum as part of its Currents series. Applicants must hold an MFA earned at least five years prior and have professional exhibition experience; prior teaching is not required. The deadline is September 1, 2025.
The fellowship matters because it provides a rare combination of financial support, institutional resources, and a major museum exhibition opportunity for artists at a pivotal career stage. By embedding artists in an academic environment and culminating in a solo show at a leading encyclopedic museum, the program fosters both pedagogical exchange and professional advancement. Past recipients include notable figures such as Catherine Opie, Ellen Gallagher, and Meleko Mokgosi, underscoring the fellowship's role in supporting significant contemporary artistic voices.