A Bold New Chapter for the Socrates Fellowship
For nearly three decades, the Socrates Annual Fellowship has embodied the Park’s founding commitment to artistic experimentation, excellence, and care. The Fellowship remains one of New York City’s most vital platforms for emerging artists to create ambitious public works and develop their practices in dialogue with community, environment, and place.
Each year, artists have been selected through an open call to receive financial support, access to Socrates’ outdoor studio facilities, technical guidance, and inclusion in a Park-wide exhibition. Since 2001, 284 artists have participated in the Fellowship—many going on to receive significant public commissions and recognition for their work.
A New Chapter
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the program and in anticipation of the Park’s 40th anniversary in 2026, we’ve turned to our esteemed alumni network to help guide the next chapter through a new nomination-based process. Initiated in August, Socrates invited over 100 artist alumni to nominate up to two artists each. Ultimately the Park will identify ten artists to join the program over the 2026–2028 cycles. Artists will be notified of their fellowships in January of 2026.
Selected Fellows will engage deeply with the Park through individualized timelines, choosing their own seasons for research, fabrication, installation, and exhibition between Spring 2026 and Fall 2028. With increased financial resources and individualized support, this expanded model ensures that Fellows can pursue their boldest ideas and engage with the Park in new and meaningful ways, while allowing us to better understand and meet artists’ needs today.
The Fellowship Open Call will resume in the Fall of 2027.
Investing in Artists
Your support plays a critical role in ensuring artists have the resources they need to imagine and create freely.
Next year, each Fellow will receive increased financial and institutional support including:
- A $10,000 production grant
- A $4,000 artist honorarium
- Access to technical services, materials, and production support valued between $8,000–$10,000
- An additional fund reserved for individualized support based on each artist’s needs
This comprehensive investment allows Fellows to focus fully on their creative process, experiment boldly, and bring visionary new works to life—continuing Socrates’ legacy as a site for artistic innovation and public engagement.
To explore the rich history of the Fellowship and the artists who have shaped the Park over the years, visit our Artists Archive and discover the creative voices that continue to define Socrates’ past, present, and future.