The Creative Arts Fellowship awards $4,000 to support your work on your project full time over the summer.
Broaden your artistic scope as you bring your own idea to life (under the guidance of a faculty mentor). Join a diverse group of creative scholars from different specialties for workshops and discussions.
Film, writing, studio works, theatre, music — all creative projects are welcome, especially interdisciplinary concepts. Open to all majors.
Applications for this fellowship will be posted in Spring 2025.
Creative Arts Fellowship details
Overview
The Honors College Creative Arts Fellowship supports students producing a piece of creative work under the mentorship of a faculty member or subject-matter expert. Fellows get the opportunity to engage with other artists and methods across disciplines.
This fellowship is a summer intensive fellowship (May - August) that requires the successful applicant to exhibit their work in the following Fall semester.
- Summer - work on your creative projects full-time (~30 hours/week), while meeting weekly to discuss your progress with your Fellow group.
- Fall - After the Fellowship, you will present your finished product via public exhibition or event.
Fellows will be awarded a stipend of $4,000 during the summer to support their work. Work you produce during the fellowship will remain your property.
Summer Meetings
Tuesdays from 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. (1 credit.)
The exact fellowship curriculum is tailored to each fellow group, but each group will receive 1 academic credit for their summer work. Fellowship recipients will also work with another fellowship recipient over the summer to create and prepare a workshop that explores an interdisciplinary, creative topic and educates others about their work.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must:
- Have completed at least 24 credits and be registered as a full-time undergraduate student on Pitt's Oakland campus during the fall following their summer fellowship. Please note, students graduating in April are not eligible for the fellowship. Students must be enrolled through at least the fall semester following the summer program.
- Identify a Fellowship mentor — either a faculty member or experienced subject-matter expert in your area of interest.
- Live in Pittsburgh during the summer term. Some work may require time outside the city, but it should be limited and explained in your proposal. If your work requires time outside the city, please speak with the fellowship director before applying.
Students from any discipline are encouraged to apply, but students not majoring or minoring in a creative discipline should seek out a mentor (or an additional mentor) in a creative field.
Selection Criteria
It is an expectation of the fellowship that you will present a final piece of work via exhibition or other public presentation format. You must also be willing to share your work with audiences within and outside of the Honors College.
Fellowship applications should include the following:
- Academic record
- Quality of the project proposal
- Originality and promise of the proposed project. This section should include:
- A draft timeline for the project and its completion
- An explanation of the project's purpose or your personal motivation
- Previous creative work that demonstrates promise in your ability to carry out your proposed project
- Your interest in participating in a creative fellowship with students outside your own discipline
- A letter of recommendation from your mentor
We are interested in a variety of proposals and interdisciplinary projects from creative fields will get special consideration. View previous student work via our blog.
Creative Arts Fellows share about their work with peers from different backgrounds. You should write your proposal for a broad, non-expert audience (plain language, with minimal jargon.)
You will be notified about the decision within about 35 days of the application deadline.