Deadline: 26 October 2025 at 11:59 PM
The Center for Art and Advocacy believes there is an abundance of uncultivated talent and exceptional creativity among individuals who share the lived experience of incarceration. At a time when the U.S. leads the world in the criminalization of its most vulnerable populations—often made up of people with marginalized identities—justice-impacted artists remain especially at risk of being under-funded, under-mentored, under-resourced, and disconnected from traditional institutions and arts communities.
The Center is dedicated to removing these barriers and empowering justice-impacted artists across disciplines, recognizing that their distinct creative vision has the power to challenge punitive systems, reshape public discourse, create more connected communities, and inspire movements for justice.
What we do
To improve outcomes for these artists, we provide financial and community support through: our catalytic Fellowship program, capacity-building Academy and Arts Incubator, exhibition and programming opportunities through our Gallery, and practice exploration through our forthcoming Residency and Retreat in rural Pennsylvania. Through mentorship and professional development, we equip our community with the tools to succeed—helping to reframe our society’s criminal legal narrative, advocating for racial justice and equity, and using art to build, organize, and support local and national movements.
The Fellowship
The first of its kind, the Center’s Fellowship offers an annual award of $10,000 in unrestricted funds and $10,000 in project development funds to formerly incarcerated artists. Fellows are invited to an annual retreat to network with previous fellows, advocates, industry leaders, and funders. During the retreat, they can present their project proposals to the cohort, receive feedback from their peers, and participate in New York City’s many cultural events. The Fellowship (formerly Right of Return) was founded in 2017 by artists Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig
The Center for Art and Advocacy will accept applications from creatives working in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, design, and multidisciplinary practices for the 2026 Fellowship (formerly Right of Return) from September 15 through October 26, 2025.
The Center’s Fellowship, formerly known as Right of Return, is open to directly impacted creatives from every discipline. For the 8th annual cohort, a panel of external reviewers will select six new 2026 Right of Return Fellows from our open-call applicant pool to receive a $20,000 grant, mentorship, and community building opportunities. For the first time ever, one of the six fellowships will be designated to an artist between 18-24 years of age.
Eligibility
Through our Fellowship, the Center for Art and Advocacy seeks to support directly impacted artists with a demonstrated capacity to advance social change and a clear vision for utilizing their creative practice to end mass incarceration.
More specifically:
- Directly impacted artists of all creative disciplines, ages 18 or older at the time of the application. We do not fund organizations or non-profits, only individual artists.
- We define the word “artist” in broad terms to include creatives who work in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, and multidisciplinary practices.
- In the context of this Fellowship, “directly impacted” includes those who have themselves been incarcerated in U.S. prisons, jails, or detention centers. Those who were detained in migrant detention centers must have since attained U.S. citizenship by the time of this application’s opening.
- Artists must collaborate with an advocacy organization during the development and/or execution of their proposed project (collaborating organizations do not need to be secured at the time of application and the Center for Art and Advocacy can help connect fellows to advocates).
- Artists may be at any stage of their career, with or without formal training.
- Projects and applicants must be U.S. based. This includes all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
- The Center for Art and Advocacy seeks a diverse cohort of fellows with regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and experience.
How to apply
To apply visit the Center for Art and Advocacy website
Timeline
- Applications open: Monday, September 15, 2025
- Virtual Q&A Zoom: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
- Applications close: Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 11:59 PM
- Fellows Notified: January 2026
- Cohort 8 Fellowship Year: January – December 2026