Press Release
Applications for City of Aspen’s Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship open Aug. 24
Calling all adult and youth artists to apply for the new fellowship 2026–2027 cycle
Aspen, CO – The city of Aspen will open applications Aug. 24 for the Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship, a program that supports local adult and youth artists through financial assistance, professional development and opportunities to build meaningful connections within the community. Local artists are encouraged to apply by Sept. 24.
The Red Brick Center for the Arts and the Wheeler Opera House are designing and hosting a program that recognizes, showcases and supports local artists. Through the fellowship, participants will have opportunities to gather, learn, share, and explore a variety of artistic topics and experiences.
Selected artists will receive financial support for their creative practice. Up to 12 adult artists will be selected to participate in the program, with each artist receiving $5,000 in funding. Adult applicants must be at least 19 years old and reside or work within the Aspen Urban Growth Boundary for at least nine months of the year. Adult participants from the 2024 fellowship are welcome to reapply and should articulate new artistic goals, learning opportunities, or developmental needs they wish to pursue through the program. Recipients from the previous year, 2026 cohort, are not eligible.
The youth cohort will include up to 10 participants, with each eligible to receive $750. Youth applicants must be 14 to 18 years old and either live within the Aspen Urban Growth Boundary or attend school within the Aspen School District Boundary. Youth participants from prior years are welcome to reapply and should identify a new artistic goal, area of growth, or learning opportunity they wish to pursue.
"Year after year, we see the Aspen Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship empower artists to pursue new ideas, develop their practice, and contribute to the creative vitality of our community," said Sarah Roy, Executive Director of the Red Brick Center for the Arts. "We look forward to supporting the next cohort of fellows and encourage Aspen artists to take advantage of this opportunity."
The Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship is open to individual artists working across a wide range of disciplines, including performing arts, visual arts, film, literary arts, mixed media and new media arts.
For grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and to apply online, visit the grants webpage at aspen.gov.
For more information, please contact: Sarah Roy, Red Brick Center for the Arts Executive Director
Phone: 970.429.2722
Email: [email protected]
Mariela Hale, Digital Communications Coordinator Phone: 970.309.9959
Email: [email protected]