2025-2027 Matter of Intelligence Open Call
The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School is pleased to announce its 2025–2027 Focus Theme, Matter of Intelligence, and Open Call. Our newly envisioned Open Call, now spanning two rounds, is designed to welcome ideas and project proposals that find support and advance across a range of VLC’s programs and initiatives, including our signature fellowship program.
As part of our sabbatical, a year of slowing down and recalibrating our institutional rhythms and programmatic reappraisals, the Open Call has been reimagined to better support and celebrate the richness and diversity of creative practice, scholarship, and knowledge of our extended communities, thus shaping our curatorial thinking, approaches, and programs throughout our two-year exploration of intelligence.
With Matter of Intelligence, and an emphasis on forms of collective intelligence, this cycle of the Open Call places artists and their ideas at the forefront of our exploration from the outset, continually highlighting these voices and perspectives throughout the two-year inquiry. This approach builds on a solid history of past fellowship project proposals that have been successfully supported and presented through the center’s programs and publications.
Projects submitted in the first round will be considered for the VLC Fellowship, as well as a range of other programs, including the center’s seminar series, exhibitions, annual VLC Forum, and digital or print publications. A limited number of applications will advance to the second round and be invited to submit full proposals for fellowship commission projects. This new open call approach is designed to minimize the labor involved in the fellowship application, while continuing to engage and develop ideas and projects from the first round within the center’s programs.
Fellowship project proposals creatively and rigorously approach the Focus Theme in content and form and make an intellectual and artistic contribution that advances the understanding of intelligence. Up to four two-year, non-residential fellowships will be awarded to commission and support scholarly and creative work that critically engages with the Vera List Center’s 2025–2027 Focus Theme: Matter of Intelligence. With support from the Mellon Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The VLC Producers Council, Vera’s List, and other donors, the VLC Fellowship stipend for this cycle has been increased to $25,000.
Vera List Center Fellowships
Vera List Center Fellowships support the development and presentation of ambitious art and research projects by national and international early or mid-career artists, writers, scholars, and activists, especially those who are members of underrepresented communities in the art world and those who struggle to find support because of the experimental, political, and/or research-intensive nature of their practice. The VLC Fellowship appointment is one of reciprocity and mutual benefits: VLC Fellows draw from the curatorial, academic, and professional resources of the Vera List Center and The New School, including faculty and students, as they contribute to the intellectual foundation of the Center. As commissions, the resulting VLC Fellowship projects are presented to the public through the Vera List Center’s interdisciplinary public programs and institutional networks.
For further information on the Fellowship Program, including eligibility, benefits, and terms and conditions, please visit https://veralistcenter.org/fellowships/about. To learn more about VLC programs and initiatives, such as our VLC Seminars, Exhibitions, VLC Forum, Publications, and Focus Theme, please visit www.veralistcenter.org.
Matter of Intelligence Open Call
Process and Timeline
Round I Matter of Intelligence – Have an idea? We’d love to know!
This first phase welcomes project proposals responding to the Focus Theme: Matter of Intelligence. Are you working on or have an idea for a project you would like us to know about as we embark on a two-year exploration of intelligence? Projects are considered for the two-year VLC Fellowship, as well as a range of VLC programs, including the center’s seminar series, exhibitions, annual VLC Forum, and digital or print publications. Applicants will be notified if their application has advanced to the next round for the fellowship, if it is being considered for support and development through the VLC’s other programs and initiatives, or if it has been declined.
December 12, 2024
Online information Session at 11 am EST Registration
January 6, 2025
Round I Applications Due
January 30, 2025
Notification of Advancement to Round II
Round II – Fellowship Proposals – Let’s take a closer look at your project!
Applicants who advance to this phase must submit a detailed project budget, timeline, and work samples for consideration for the VLC Fellowship, which will be reviewed by an ad hoc selection committee composed of VLC staff and Advisory Board members, past VLC Fellows, and New School faculty. Selection committee members make recommendations to the VLC team, who makes final decisions based on project feasibility, institutional capacity, and curatorial priorities.
March 7, 2025
Round II Fellowship Proposals Due
March 30, 2025
Fellowship finalists meet with the VLC curatorial team to confirm eligibility and fellowship requirements.
May 2025
Announcement of fellowship appointments.
October 2025
Vera List Center Forum 2025 and convening of 2025–2027 Vera List Center Fellows.
Dates are subject to change.
Preview the application form before applying here.
For tech support, please contact support@submittable.com. For fellowship-related questions, please contact vlc@newschool.edu with “2025–2027 VLC Fellowship” in the subject line. No phone calls, please.
Information Session
We will host an information over Zoom on December 12 at 11 am EST. We will cover frequently asked questions in addition to accepting questions in real-time. To register, please visit the registration form.