Clark Art Institute: Research and Academic Program (RAP) Fellowships 2026
- Omran Aburayya
- Aug 17
- 3 min read
If you're a scholar, curator, artist, or critic with a PhD or equivalent experience aiming to advance the theory, history, or interpretation of visual arts in a rich research setting, the Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program Fellowships for 2026 offer a vibrant, fully supported residency to elevate your work. This article will present to you this exceptional opportunity. Don't miss out!
🎓 RAP Fellowships Summary
Location: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (The Clark), Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
Host Institution: Clark Art Institute – a leading art museum and research center with an acclaimed research library and interdisciplinary scholarly environment
Target group: Established or emerging scholars, independent researchers, artists, curators, critics with a PhD or equivalent professional experience
Fields: Visual art, material culture, art history, theory, visual culture, interdisciplinary approaches
Lengths: Options range from a short 5-week summer residency to a standard academic semester (early Sept–Dec or Feb–June), up to full academic year or flexible 1–10 month terms
Coverage:
Stipend (e.g., up to ~$30,000 per semester, means-tested)
Furnished apartment in a shared faculty residence near campus
Private office in the Manton Research Center library, full access to extensive art history collection, Williams College facilities
Travel reimbursement (fellow and one family member)
Application deadline: October 15, 2025 (11:59 PM EDT)
Decision notification: By end of March 2026
Fellowship period: Covering summer 2026 through spring 2027 (e.g., July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027)
Special fellowships available:
Caribbean Art and Its Diasporas Fellowship
Futures Fellowship (social justice, reimagining museums, canon critique)
Florence Gould Foundation Fellowship (French-American cultural exchange)
Jacqueline Lichtenstein CFHA-Clark Fellowship (summer residency for scholars based in France)
Other named fellowships (Beinecke, Michael Ann Holly, Every Page Foundation, Clark/Oakley Humanities, Class of ’74 Short-Term)
💡 Programme Overview
The RAP Fellowships at Clark aim to nurture both established and emerging voices in art history and visual culture, with a focus on diversifying the discipline and encouraging innovative, critical inquiry. The Institute values projects that transform disciplinary methods or extend visual studies across humanities fields, especially those addressing inequities or expanding marginalized perspectives .
Fellows enjoy a residential fellowship experience: living near campus, working in a dedicated research office, drawing upon a vast library, and engaging with the Clark’s vibrant intellectual community .
🎁 Benefits
Dedicated time and space: Stipend and housing ensure you can focus fully on research without employment distractions
Robust research resources: Access to Clark’s prestigious library, museum collections, Manton Research Center, and Williams College facilities
Diverse fellowship options: Multiple named fellowships tailored to thematic, regional, and methodological interests elevate opportunities for targeted support
Inclusive and international: Open globally to applicants; Clark fosters diversity, equity, and accessibility in all dimensions
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Hold a Ph.D. or equivalent professional experience (e.g., practicing artist, curator with exhibition record, independent scholar)
Applications not accepted from predoctoral or doctoral candidates or those converting dissertations into books
Suitable for academics, critics, curators, artists working across any period, region, or methodology in visual arts, with preference for critical or transformative approaches
📝 Application Procedure
Submission via SurveyMonkey Apply portal
Required materials (in English):
Online application form
CV (up to ~3 pages)
Brief abstract (max 500 characters)
Project description (max 750 words)
Proposed work schedule during residency (250 words)
No letters of recommendation required
Indicate interest in multiple special fellowships (selection committee will nominate appropriately)
Additional Insights
Flexibility in terms: Whether you're planning a 5-week summer project or a full academic year stay, RAP offers various durations to match your needs
Timeline clarity: Applications open July 1, 2025, and close October 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM EDT; decisions by end of March 2026 for residency beginning summer or fall 2026
Strategic fellowships: The Clark strategically supports underrepresented areas and feminist, Caribbean, and museum-engaged art practices through thematic fellowships
⭐ Final Thoughts
The Clark Art Institute’s RAP Fellowships for 2026 offer a rare, fully supported immersion into art-historical research, set within one of America’s finest art institutes. Whether your work advances feminist art history, Caribbean visual studies, performance art praxis, or cross-disciplinary theory, there’s a place for your voice here—backed by resources, community, and impactful engagement.
