Connected Theme
This call for art asks artists to plug in, to span new distances, and to see unexpected relationships. When is connection, or disconnection, most needed? What roads lead there? Overlapping stories and interconnected ideas can overwhelm or can create important new discoveries. We're asking artists for work that resonates deeply and may spur greater understanding of our connected lives.

About VSA Emerging Young Artists Program
The VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program, recognizes and showcases the work of emerging young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, who are residing in the United States.

Volkswagen Group of America is the VSA Emerging Young Artists Program Presenting Sponsor.

Awards
Fifteen winning artists are selected by jury. Grand Prize is $20,000, First Prize is $10,000, Second Prize is $6,000, and the remaining Awards of Excellence are $2,000 each. For winning artists, some or all of the submitted artworks will be selected to travel in a yearlong national exhibition. Winning artists are required to attend an all-expenses-paid professional development workshop at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in October 2019.

Application Process
The application deadline is June 5, 2019 and winning artists will be notified by August 1, 2019. Artwork will be judged by a panel of experts who will be looking for artwork that demonstrates a high level of skill, expresses original ideas, and reflects the Connected theme. To request an accommodation or receive the application materials in an alternate format, contact Katharine Mead, kmead@kennedy-center.org at least two weeks prior to the entry deadline.

Eligibility

• Artist must be between the ages of 16 and 25 on June 5, 2019 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (EDT).
• Artist must reside in the United States.
• Artist must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Artist must be comfortable publicly identifying as an artist with a disability.

Selected applicants will be contacted by email and asked to submit documents proving the above eligibility requirements prior to advancing to the final round of adjudication. Eligibility documents include the following:

Proof of Disability
May include one of the following:

• A letter from a doctor or other healthcare professional
• A letter from a reputable disability association or organization, a professional counselor, or a representative of a college or university disability services office
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents
• A letter from the head of the IEP team

The document does not have to be recent but it must state the nature of the applicant’s disability or disabilities.

Proof of Age
Must be a copy of a government issued ID, such as a passport, birth certificate, or driver's license. To be eligible the applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 25 on June 5, 2019.

Proof of US Residence
The applicant does not need to be a US citizen, but must reside in the United States for at least 9 months of the year. Proof of US residency may include a lease or utility bill in the applicant's name, a student loan statement, a notarized affidavit of residency, a letter from a current employer, a letter from a teacher or professor, or another official document indicating current residency. International students must be residing in the US with a current student visa at the time of application.

Other Requirements

• Submitted artwork must be completed within the last 3 years, and after the onset of disability.
• Previous Emerging Young Artist Program award winners are not eligible to apply.
• Submitted artwork must be able to withstand handling, storage, and transportation for a year-long, national tour.
• Artwork containing perishable materials, such as food, will not be considered.
• 2-Dimensional artwork cannot exceed 60 inches in height or width.
• 3-Dimensional artwork cannot exceed 48 inches in any direction when packed for shipping.
• All art forms and media are eligible if adhering to the listed requirements.
• Applicant must be the sole creator and owner of all artwork submitted. Group projects will not be considered.
• Work that suggests visual plagiarism, such as direct copy of another artists’ work, will not be considered.
• Winning artists must participate in the entirety of the professional development activities in Washington, D.C. in October 2019 to receive their award.

Note: Artists are strongly encouraged to submit the maximum number of images allowed in CaFE (6 images), and to submit images of multiple works of art rather than multiple views of a single work of art. Jurors will be looking at the quality and scope of the submitted portfolio of artwork as a whole.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria