The Socrates
Annual Fellowship
For 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 early career 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 the Park’s 40th anniversary in 2026, Socrates turned to its esteemed alumni network to help guide the next chapter through the Park’s first ever nomination-based process. Initiated in August, Socrates invited over 100 artist alumni to nominate up to two artists each. The Park, ultimately, identified ten artists to join the program over the 2026–2028 cycles.
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
Starting in 2026, 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.
The Fellowship was formalized in 2000 and has included artists such as Sable Elyse Smith (2016), David Brooks (2009), Leilah Babirye (2018), Orly Genger (2004), Sanford Biggers (2001), and Torkwase Dyson (2015).
