2026 New City Arts Fellowship
Accepting proposals through June 20, 2026 at 11:59PM. Learn more and apply below.
About the Fellowship
Each year, Charlottesville-area artists are invited to submit proposals in response to an open call for the New City Arts Fellowship. In collaboration with Ivy Creek Foundation (ICF) and supported by the Anyanwu Fund at CACF, New City Arts invites Charlottesville-area artists to submit site-specific artworks activating the Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm (ICNA/HRVF) honoring the site and its history. We welcome proposals from a wide variety of artists including but not limited to writers, painters, musicians, photographers, sound, performers, filmmakers, etc.
Selected artists receive:
Access to a designated site at ICNA/HRVF
A $1,000 stipend (based on W.A.G.E Certification guidelines)
Access to free & discounted services at local arts spaces
Projection mapping equipment and technical support from The AV Company (when applicable)
Access to content experts knowledgeable about Ivy Creek’s natural, social, and cultural histories
The Fellowship program culminates in an outdoor showcase and celebration at Ivy Creek scheduled for mid-November 2026, where Artist Fellows will publicly share their work.
Three Fellowship projects will be selected by a community panel. Selection committee members for the Fellowship will be announced soon.
Fellowship artists may engage with the following sites at Ivy Creek:
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Carr/Greer Garage
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Ivy Creek Barn
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Carr/Hawkins/Greer Home (Porch & Yard)
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Former Site of Mary Carr Greer's Garden
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Paved Trail Path
Artists should indicate which site(s) are of interest to them in their proposal.
In accordance with Ivy Creek’s rules and regulations, Fellowship projects must “leave no impact” or “leave only footprints” so as not to disturb the area’s wildlife or the historic site. Zero-or-low impact creative activations of the site might include but are not limited to performance, projected work, earthwork that does not dig into the land, or any work that is generally temporary, leaves little to no waste, and does not leave a permanent mark. Proposals will be reviewed with ICF staff to ensure compliance with these rules.
Given the complex nature of site maintenance, we’ll need to assess what is and isn’t allowed on an individual basis. For this reason, we strongly encourage applicants to discuss their proposals with New City Arts Staff before submitting an application. Email Tori Cherry (tori@newcityarts.org) to schedule a 1-on-1 meeting.
Applicants are also encouraged to Ivy Creek on their own or through one of ICF’s scheduled events.
Key Dates
May 14, 2026 | Fellowship Application Orientation at Ivy Creek (See the resources shared here!)
June 20, 2026 | Application Deadline (Apply below!)
Late June 2026 | Artists Notified
Mid-November 2026 | Public Exhibition at Ivy Creek
The New City Arts Fellowship is open to artists living in the Charlottesville area including the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange.
About Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm
Text adapted from ivycreekfoundation.org
Scenically shadowed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, this 219-acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is a mix of upland woods, pine stands, open fields, streams, and two miles of shoreline. Its rolling hills and diverse habitats make the Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm an ideal site to learn about the rich natural history characteristic of Central Virginia and has made Ivy Creek a favorite destination for visitors and community alike looking for a peaceful walk in the woods. A network of more than 7 miles of walking trails, designed and maintained by the Ivy Creek Foundation, leaves large areas of natural habitat undisturbed.
ICNA/HRVF is an official site on the Virginia African American Heritage Trail in recognition of its rich social and agricultural history dating back to 1870 when former slave Hugh Carr purchased the land as a family farm. Known as River View Farm, the land was in the Carr and Greer family for a century before becoming the Ivy Creek Natural Area. River View Farm is a rare surviving example of the Union Ridge/Hydraulic Mills community of African American farmers, pastors, craftspeople, and businessmen that flourished in the region beginning in the final quarter of the nineteenth century. In recognition of the contributions made to the local community by the Carr/Greer family who owned it, River View Farm is recognized on the Virginia Landmark Registry of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the National Register of Historic Places, the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, and the African American Civil Rights Network.
The Ivy Creek Foundation offers many public nature. walks and programs each year on the natural and cultural history of the area. All ICF programs are free and open to the public. Fellowship applicants are encouraged to make use of these offerings to learn more about the site.
Ivy Creek’s parking lot, restrooms, barn, and Education Building are all wheelchair-accessible. The paved path totals ¾ mile but only meets ADA requirements in the "main campus" area between the parking lot, kiosk, barn, Quiet Observation Area, and Education Building.
Stars in the map above indicate designated sites for Fellowship artists to engage with.
Proposals should activate sites within or near the paved path at Ivy Creek. You are welcome to propose a site not listed in the open call, provided it is in this general area.
Meet the 2026 Fellowship Selection Committee
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Patrick Costello (he/him) is a queer interdisciplinary artist whose practice considers expanded notions of the archive, with a dedicated focus on stories, cultural artifacts, and sites that help us examine our layered relationships with landscape and place.
Costello has exhibited work at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NY; and Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, NY. He has performed work at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY; Ars Nova, New York, NY; The Philadelphia Museum of Art; and The Public Theater, New York, NY, among others.
Costello is the recipient of a MacDowell fellowship, was a Printer-in-Residence with Shandaken Projects, and has participated in residencies at Bemis Center, LMCC, ACRE, and The Soil Factory, among others.
His writing has appeared in Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture. He holds an MFA from Hunter College and a BA from the University of Virginia.
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Eboni Bugg (she/her) is an emerging writer and culinary artist based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her work focuses on the relationship between people and their natural, social, and built environments. She received a BA in Biology and African American Studies from the University of Virginia focusing on diasporic art and literature. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the desire to heal through narrative change is the galvanizing ethos behind her creative process.
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Shawn Halifax (he/him), the new Executive Director of the Ivy Creek Foundation, is a public historian and historic preservationist with a passion for natural history. His work includes collaborating with artists to reveal and explore our connections to natural, historic, and cultural landscapes.
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Jess Harris (she/her) focuses on the intersection of education, community, and arts. A native of the Charlottesville area, Jess is the Assistant Director of Community Research at the Center for Community Partnerships. She holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia and a Doctorate of Education focused on out-of-school learning from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been published in arts journal Arts Praxis, the American Alliance of Museums, and other publications. Jess is on the board of the Ivy Creek Foundation, and is President of the Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia.
Fellowship Perks!
Cville Tool Library
Cville Tool Library is a nonprofit tool-lending library with an extensive inventory of tools for borrowing and skill-building workshops.
New City Arts Fellows receive a free membership which includes access to over 1,000 tools and the opportunity to skill share with the Tool Library’s greater membership.
Infinite Repeats
Infinite Repeats is a Charlottesville-based print shop with silkscreen, risograph, and etching print resources.
Artist Fellows are offered a discounted $65 monthly membership fee including access to multicolor presses, exposure unit, conveyor dryers, flash dryers, and more.
The AV Company
The AV Company is a modern audio-visual systems and services throughout Virginia.
Artist Fellows whose proposals include projection mapping will receive free access to equipment necessary for activation during the showcase in November.
Creative Framing & The Art Box
Creative Framing & The Art Box is a local art supply and custom framing shop in Charlottesville, VA.
Artist Fellows receive a 15% discount on art supplies and framing services.
2026 New City Arts Fellowship Application
Past Fellowships
Learn more about the New City Artist Fellowship, explore past themes, and meet previous Artist Fellows.