The Ford Family Foundation Board established the Visual Arts Program in 2010, in recognition of Foundation co-founder Hallie Ford's (1995-2007) enduring commitment to Oregon and to honor her interests and legacy in the visual arts. It is intended to help accelerate an enhanced quality of artistic endeavor and bodies of work by established Oregon visual artists and to improve Oregon's visual arts ecology. The program provides a range of resources to support the most promising of Oregon's practicing visual artists to help them take major strides forward at a pivotal point in their careers. As well it also strategically invests in Oregon visual arts institutions that further the progress of these artists. In so doing, the Foundation hopes to raise the region's profile nationally and internationally as a thriving creative environment.

The Foundation seeks to support and inspire Oregon's visual artists to reach new heights in the conceptualization and creation of work that reflects and celebrates the diverse richness of contemporary art of the region. An integral component of this program is the annual awarding of Hallie Ford Fellowships in the Visual Arts to established Oregon visual artists who have demonstrated a depth of sophisticated exploration and the potential for significant future accomplishment. Unrestricted resources, such as these Fellowships, can often be the catalysts for artists poised to take quantum leaps. 

In addition to the Fellowships, the Foundation provides additional resources to support its Fellows including but not limited to in and out-of-state exhibitions, production of catalogues of their works, and hosting an annual convening of all Fellows to encourage their continued association with the Foundation and with other Fellows to share experiences and to learn from one another's explorations. 

Selection Process

A jury of five arts professionals, representing a wide range of fine art expertise will independently review all applications submitted. They will convene as a group to deliberate on a smaller pool of semi-finalists to determine a collective recommendation to the Foundation of up to three finalists based on the quality, evolution and the effect the Fellowship will have on the applicants' work. The Foundation will confirm eligibility compliance with award terms as outlined below in the Legal Agreement, and will check references before awarding the Fellowships.  Use of the award funding is unrestricted.

Since the Fellowship jury changes annually, each panel may take the award in new directions, selecting artists with different focus of practice than in past years. Therefore, we encourage artists who have submitted in prior years, but who have not been awarded a Fellowship, to continue to submit.  

Each year panelists' names are disclosed simultaneously with the announcement of the Fellowships, which will occur in July/August 2024.  Fellowship participation will be monitored at key milestones throughout the year.

Application Requirements

Required Application Materials

All application materials must be assembled and submitted through the CaFÉ system. Please visit CaFÉ Help for answers to application and formatting questions. Applicants unfamiliar with or requiring assistance with the CaFÉ system may contact WESTAF's technical advisors for support during the application process. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. The system will prompt the applicant if the application has not been completed but it is the responsibility of the applicant to complete and submit it by the above deadline.

Questions regarding eligibility may be emailed to visualartsprogram@tfff.org.  Applicants may find more information about the Fellowships and the Visual Arts Program at www.tfff.org.

Submission of Materials

The following documentation is required:

Artist Statement:  Describe in 3,000 or fewer characters/spaces: (1) the conceptual framework of your work; (2) the media you work in (please be as specific as possible); (3) how your work has evolved over past 7-10 years; and (4) how this Fellowship would enhance your practice at this time. This is not a project grant. Please do not propose a specific project. (When this item is printed, the CaFÉ™ system automatically omits all characters/spaces that exceed the 3,000 limit.)

Resume:  Upload one (1) PDF (*.pdf) or MS Word (*.doc) file, not to exceed three pages, with both a current resume that contains your professional arts experience (i.e., exhibitions, commissions, teaching, etc.), education and training. Be sure to include evidence of activity in the field for at least seven years, which is a Fellowship requirement. 

References:  List three (3) professional references with their contact information (name, title, organization, telephone number, email address, postal address).  Please specify your relationship to each of your references and secure their agreement to list them as references before submitting their names. 

Work Samples: 

It is important that applicants make use of the descriptor fields when uploading images into your account. 

Upload 10 samples of work that has been created in the past 7-10 years and that show a range of your artistic practice; weight sample visuals to more recent work. If you work with moving image, please make use of the allowable 5 video files. We encourage you to limit the length of content. 

As previously stated, make use of the file description when uploading each sample to your account. Care with the description is extremely helpful and highly recommended as it increases the jury’s understanding and appreciation of your work. It is not necessary to enter the value of the artwork. 

One image per frame is preferred; however, indicate if the work is a part of a larger series. Do not embed label information into the image.

Please note: Once an application has been finished, an auto reply message is generated by CaFÉ noting the application process has been finished.  However, our team does one final, additional review of each application for completeness and/or errors.  If application information is missing and/or unreadable after this final check, you will receive an email letting you know your application is incomplete and needs to be revised if you wish to continue to be considered.  You will then have an opportunity to resubmit within a short window of time.  The Foundation cannot make changes to an application; only an applicant is allowed to make changes.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility
Application is open to any individual Oregon visual artist actively producing new work who meets the following criteria: (1) is a practicing visual artist currently producing works of art in the fields of contemporary fine art and craft; (2) is a full-time resident of Oregon for at least 36 months prior to the application deadline, provides legal proof of residency if awarded a fellowship, and remains a resident through the duration of the grant period; (3) is 30 years of age or older at the time of application; (4) provides evidence, through appropriate documentation, of seven (7) or more years of serious, active professional participation in his/her/their medium; (5) not enrolled in a degree-seeking program, either part-time or full-time, at the time of application or during the successive grant period; and (6) has not previously been named a Hallie Ford Fellow.

Visual Arts Medium: The Foundation recognizes a broad array of contemporary visual arts practices. It accepts  applications from any visual arts medium, including social practice and media arts that are intended to be experienced in an installation setting, with the exception of those solely devoted to animation, film or video. The Foundation acknowledges that some artists’ practices may cross boundaries and encourages applications that focus on that work that is eligible.

The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability or religion.