Eliza Moore Fellowship Program for Artistic Excellence

This award is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians.

OSGF intends to award the Fellowship to an exceptional artist whose works show remarkable promise to contribute to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and humankind’s place in it.  The Fellow will be scheduled to visit when there are other Interdisciplinary Residents or Fellows on-site. This scheduling will allow the Fellow to join in communal meals, and optional activities and field trips with other artists, ecologists, researchers, or scholars working on projects related to OSGF’s mission. Beyond time devoted to their projects, a Fellow’s typical day at Oak Spring might include a walk to enjoy the landscape or birds; an appointment to visit the Oak Spring Library; and/or a morning spent volunteering at the BCCF or in the formal garden.  These optional activities provide Fellows time to learn from, and interact with their staff.  None of these activities are required, and they understand that some Fellows might want to spend most of their time in their writing or working independently. They support and enable Fellows to use their time as they best see fit.

Award Information

• The $10,000 individual grant associated with this award can be put towards travel to and from OSGF, materials and supplies purchased for their residency, and other items that will support their work, before or after their stay at OSGF.

Cost Covered

• The selected Fellow should make travel arrangements to Dulles International Airport, where Oak Spring will arrange ground transportation for them to their estate in Upperville, VA. The Fellow will be housed in nicely appointed shared accommodations. The Fellow will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other Residents or Fellows.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants must be early-career artists not enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in 2025. They will consider individuals with a proven track-record of professionalism, but who are yet under-recognized, as early-career. Eligible early-career applicants will have some recognition in the form of exhibitions, commissions, performances, grant awards, residencies, Fellowships and/or publications.
• Individuals who have participated in an extensive number of solo exhibitions, or who have published a significant number of books will be considered established or late career, and are not eligible for the Eliza Moore Fellowship. They encourage those who are not eligible for this Fellowship to apply to the Interdisciplinary Residency.
• The successful Fellow must be self-directed and able to work independently while on site. Applicants are expected to show dedication to their artistic practice, clear connection to the natural world in their work, exceptional promise, and good communication skills.

Selection Process

• Fellows are carefully selected through a multi-round review process in which OSGF staff, residency alumni, and external jurors review and score applications. Fellows are ultimately selected by panels of external reviewers who are established and working in fields or practices relevant to OSGF’s mission.
• The primary criteria for scoring applicants include: an applicant’s current work’s relationship to the OSGF mission; potential of applicant; and quality of work samples.

For more information, visit Oak Spring Garden Foundation.