Established by the Rhode Island Foundation in 2003, The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowship Fund provides up to three $30,000 artist fellowships each year. Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) leads the selection process for these fellowships.

The MacColl Johnson 2023 Fellowships will be awarded to emerging and mid-career composers in Rhode Island.

  • Three MacColl Johnson Fellowship Awardees: $30,000 each.
  • Three MacColl Johnson Fellowship Finalists: $1,000 each.

The Rhode Island Foundation is employing Artist Communities Alliance, an independent international association, to manage applications and the jury process for The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowships.

The application is now closed. 

How to Apply

(1) Prepare your application

Be sure to read the Eligibility Guidelines below. Then download a preview of the online application to assist in preparing the below items. Note: no written/hardcopy applications will be accepted. Eligible applicants may only apply online at the link at the bottom of this page which takes you to the online platform Submittable.

  • Statement of purpose (3 questions)
  • Resume/CV
  • Work samples
  • Work sample inventory

(2) Prepare your work samples
The review panel will rely on the submitted information you provide to inform their recommendations. You are encouraged to submit your strongest work created within the past five years.

(3) Review the application in the online platform Submittable
All applications must be submitted online through Submittable; paper applications and physical copies of work samples will not be accepted. Complete all required fields in Submittable and click Submit. You may save drafts in progress in Submittable by clicking on Save Draft.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

In your Work Sample Inventory, list work samples in the order in which you wish them to be reviewed and include the following for each work sample:

  • Title of work
  • Year of completion
  • Length of piece
  • The point of time in each file you'd like the panel to begin reviewing (Note: unless otherwise indicated, panelists will begin reviewing work samples from the beginning.)
  • An optional brief description of any relevant information about the work, its content, and your approach. [50 words or less per work sample]
  • If a sample is excerpted from a longer work, provide a brief description of the selection’s broader context. [50 words or less per work sample]
  • If your work is the result of collaboration, please explain your role and the degree to which the sample reflects your work as an individual artist.
  • In improvisational compositions where the composer is also performing, please identify the instrument played by the composer.
  • If submitting work samples via web link URLs, include full URLs (starting with https:// ) to individual song files after the song title. Be sure to specify the link to individual songs (i.e. not a home page showing a full discography).
  • We recommend a Work Sample Inventory (PDF only) of no more than 2 pages. 


Work Samples

 

  • You are encouraged to submit your strongest work created within the past five years. 
  • You may provide web links (URLs) to individual songs, or upload files, or a combination of both. Your total number of work samples should not exceed 6. 
  • If you are submitting a web link to a work sample, please include the link in your Work Sample Inventory as well as in field 7b below. If you are uploading song files, click 'Add Files' here.
  • Please note: no more than 10 minutes will be reviewed total. You may submit edited selections and note them as such on your “Work Sample Index.”

 

Eligibility

(1) State Residency: Applicants must be Rhode Island residents 12 months prior to the application deadline, at the time of submitting the application, and during the period of the fellowship. If recommended for a Fellowship, applicants will be required to provide two (2) documents as proof of residency.

(2) Disciplines / Media: Applications are accepted for original music. Eligible musical genres include, but are not limited to:

  • jazz 
  • chamber 
  • choral
  • electronic 
  • experimental
  • symphonic 
  • opera 
  • contemporary
  • singer/songwriter
  • nontraditional
  • musical theater
  • world music 

(3) Career Stage: Though the Fellowships are not awarded by career stage categories, applicants must demonstrate that they are within the range of an emerging to mid-career stage in their artistic profession, regardless of age. To assist applicants in determining if they are within this range, The Foundation defines the eligible career stages as follows:

Emerging Artists are considered to be in the early years of their professional careers, which may include having recently undertaken a career change to a significant artistic practice. 

An emerging artist:

  • demonstrates at least 3 years of professional practice and currently is creating independent work;

  • demonstrates promising artistic development and may have attracted some early critical notice, but does not yet have an extensive record of recognition;

  • has produced an elemental yet substantive body of work and has an accruing record of publication, public performances, and other presentations of work.

Mid-Career Artists are those who have created an independent body of work over a number of years and have received some regional or national recognition. 

A mid-career artist:

  • demonstrates at least 7 years of a sustained professional practice and is currently producing work;

  • has produced an accruing body of work that demonstrates artistic exploration and development;

  • has received some regional and/or national recognition, but is not substantially established in the field, or has had substantial professional recognition at an earlier career stage.  

Ineligibility

(1) Established Artists: Established artists are not eligible. They are defined as having reached the mature stage of their careers and advanced levels of achievement. 

An established artist:

  • has a record of at least 15 years of a continuous and sustained professional artistic practice;

  • demonstrates a history of regional, national, and/or international professional recognition through commissions, critical reviews, performances, grant awards, residencies, fellowships, and/or productions; and

  • produces work that is regarded to have measurable critical and/or commercial value.

(2) Previous Awardees: Previous awardees of the $25,000 fellowship are not eligible; however, previous finalists/semi-finalists may apply again. 

(3) Students: Applicants who are high-school students or who are undergraduate or graduate college students enrolled in a degree-granting program, at the time of application or during the period of the fellowship, are not eligible.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is eligible for these fellowships?
A: This year, the fellowships are for Rhode Island based composers. If you're a Rhode Island based writer, you can apply in 2024; if you're a Rhode Island based visual artist, you can apply in 2025.


Q: Are artist duos or collectives eligible for these fellowships?
A: The fellowships are for individual artists. You are welcome to apply using work created collaboratively, but make sure you explain the degree to which it represents your individual work in your Work Sample Index.


Q: Are undocumented artists eligible for these fellowships?
A: Yes, so long as the artist can verify their residence in Rhode Island. The most common ways to verify residence are through a driver's license or other ID, a mortgage or lease, etc. The artist's documentation status will not impact the outcome of the panel decisions. 


Q: Who reviews the applications/selects awardees?
A: ACA stewards the review process by selecting four panelists from outside of Rhode Island with relevant expertise. In past years, the panel has been made up of practicing artists, curators, educators, administrators, and other professionals. 


Q: How much of my work can I share with the selection panel? 
A: Due to the volume of applications we receive, the selection panel will only be able to review up to six work sample files. Please do not exceed these limits, and select your strongest work from the last 5 years. Audio and video files are permitted. Please limit selections to 10 minutes total. Please do not submit written scores.
 

Q: Can I submit work that is older than 5 years?
A: You are encouraged to submit work from the past 5 years. You will not be disqualified for submitting older work samples. However, be aware that the panelists are looking to your work samples to show them your current practice, as well as where the fellowship might take you. It is to your benefit to focus on submitting your strongest recent work. 


Q: Is it ok to have my name on my resume/work samples/Work Sample Inventory?
A: While you are not required to put your name on your materials, you will not be disqualified for having them visible either. It is completely fine to have a name or signature visible on any part of your application.


Q: I'm not sure if I'm an "Established" artist or not. Do I still qualify?
A: The guidelines listed above are what the selection panel will use to determine your eligibility. If you aren't certain if you qualify based on your career stage, you're welcome to apply anyway, as there is no application fee or penalty for applicants who are deemed ineligible.
 

Q: I have been making art for more than 15 years, but have not received major critical recognition. Am I considered "Established" or not?
A: The "Established" artist designation is based primarily on critical success + recognition. A record of major publications, performances, fellowships, etc. is weighted more heavily in assessing career stage than number of years practicing. An artist who has been working for over 15 years, but has not seen substantial career recognition, is still eligible for the Fellowship. 
 

Q: Why do you ask for demographic information at the end of the application? Will this information affect the panelists’ decisions?
A: We ask for demographic information to ensure that we are reaching a diverse range of applicants, representative of Rhode Island’s population. This demographic information is not a deciding factor in who is awarded the Fellowship. If it feels important and relevant to you to speak to how your identity has shaped your creative practice, you are welcome to do so, but this is not a requirement.
 

Q: I have a question that isn't answered on this page.
A: You may email your question to grants@artistcommunities.org. ACA staff will be available to answer questions until Thursday, August 24th at 4pm ET. Any messages, voicemails, and inquiries received after 4pm ET on 8/24 will not be answered before the application deadline. Please prepare accordingly and email any questions regarding your application in advance.