NEW INC fellowship — applications open for digital artists
NEW INC (the New Museum's incubator) is accepting applications for their 2026-2027 cohort. The fellowship includes studio space in NYC, mentorship, and a $10K stipend.
Focus areas this year include: digital art practice, creative AI, and decentralized cultural infrastructure.
Deadline: May 15. Portfolio + statement required.
I went through the program in 2024 and happy to answer questions about the experience.
For anyone considering applying: the most important part of the application is your project proposal. They want to see that you have a clear vision for what you'll accomplish during the fellowship, not just a general interest in the space. The proposals that succeed tend to be specific and feasible within the timeframe.
The cohort experience itself was probably the most valuable part for me. Being surrounded by 30+ practitioners working at the intersection of art and technology — from AI researchers to fashion designers to blockchain artists — creates a density of creative exchange that's hard to find elsewhere.
5 comments
I was at this event and can confirm — well worth attending. The conversations happening in the margins were as valuable as the formal programming.
Would love to see more discussion threads like this. This is exactly the kind of substantive conversation that's hard to have on Twitter.
I think the comparison to photography's legitimization is apt but the timeline is more compressed. We're seeing in 5 years what took photography decades.
Interesting perspective. I'd push back slightly on the premise though — I think the situation is more nuanced than the binary you're setting up.
The museum analogy is spot-on. I've been saying for years that we need a "condition report" equivalent for digital works.