MFAH Announces Changes to Its Glassell School’s Core Residency Program and Application
On Monday, January 20, 2025, applications open for the 2025–27 Core Program, which now offers an increased stipend.
HOUSTON—January 15, 2025—The Glassell School of Art has announced new changes to the prestigious Core Residency Program for visual artists and critics. Established in 1982, the program has implemented changes designed to affirm its commitment to supporting emerging artists. Formerly a nine-month residency renewable for a second year, the Core Residency Program will now accept applications every other year for a two-year program. Artists and critics-in-residence will receive $100,000 ($50,000 per year) and health stipend over 23 months. International applicants are encouraged to apply, and priority consideration will be granted to a Harris County–based artist or critic when qualifications are comparable.
“The Core Program is exemplary of the Glassell School of Art’s mission,” stated Paul Coffey, Director of the Glassell School of Art. “Positioned within an encyclopedic museum, the Glassell School embraces the depth and dynamism that relationship brings to our many programs, including the Core Residency Program.”
“These changes to the Core Program underscore Glassell’s commitment to fostering emerging talent on the MFAH campus, ensuring that Core Fellows have the resources they need as early-career professionals,” commented Margo Handwerker, Dean of the Core Program.
The Glassell School of Art’s Core Residency Program awards fellowships to exceptional emerging artists and critical writers working to develop a sustainable practice. Throughout their residency, Core Fellows are provided with a studio space and regular studio visits from artists and curators. They also receive a significant discount on classes at the Glassell School of Art and may request access to Glassell studios, including those for painting, printmaking, digital and film photography, sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics. Fellows have ongoing access to the MFAH and its galleries and collections; its two house museums—for American and for European decorative arts; and borrowing privileges at the MFAH Hirsch Library and the Fondren Library at Rice University.
A jury of arts professionals will select the new cohort of Core Fellows based on the quality of submitted work and the potential impact of the residency experience in Houston. Applications for the 2025–27 cohort will open on January 20, 2025, and close on April 1, 2025. Applicants are notified of admission by June 9, 2025.
The Redesigned Core Residency Program at a Glance
• Applications are accepted January 20–April 1, 2025, for up to 4 residencies. Successful applicants are notified of admission by June 9, 2025.
• Residencies are September 2025 through July 2027. Fellows receive $100,000 ($50,000 per year), plus up to an additional $3,000 stipend per year to cover the cost of health insurance.
• Fellows participate in a group exhibition accompanied by a publication in their first year. In their second, each fellow mounts a solo exhibition, accompanied by a dedicated catalogue. Critics-in-residence develop a second-year project that aligns with their professional goals, which may include an exhibition or publication. Fellows also give one public lecture and participate in an open studio event each year.
• Alumni of the Core Program are eligible to apply through a separate application process for short-term residencies of three, six, or nine months, plus a travel grant.
• For successful international applicants seeking J-1 visas through the program’s partner organization, International Arts & Artists, some administrative and financial support is available.
• Additional information and the online application are available here.
About the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Spanning 14 acres in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, the main campus comprises the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. Nearby, two house museums—Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, and Rienzi—present collections of American and European decorative arts.
The MFAH is also home to the Glassell School of Art, with its Core Residency Program and Junior and Studio schools; and the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), a leading research institute for 20th-century Latin American and Latino art. Additional resources include a repertory cinema; two significant research libraries, the Hirsch Library and the Powell Library and Study Center at Bayou Bend; public archives; a conservation studio; and an off-site storage facility.
Media Contact
Alexandria Yancy, Associate Publicist
ayancy@mfah.org | 713.800.5362