Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship

2024 CEF Fellows

photo by Braiden Maddox for Understory

Zach Fitchner
Matt Smith
Sara Cottingham
Amanda Jane Miller
Peyote Nikolai
Kristen Colebank

Some Past CEF Fellows

Artist Steve Hughart welding

Steve Hughart

Artist Rachel Dennison Painting in her studio

Rachel Dennison

Artist Jess Davis painting a bird in watercolor at her desk

Jess Davis

Artist Jessie McClanahan working on a large net shaped ceramic piece.

Jessie McClanahan

Artist Fierce Sonia sketching out a piece on an easel in her studio

Fierce Sonia

Multicolored assemblage collage work by Robb Shobe featuring a wide variety of materials with lots of organic and inorganic textures composed in a frame of white woodwork reminiscent of Victorian architecture

Robb Shobe

The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts’ (TFA) Creative Entrepreneur Fellows are artists who demonstrate not only a superior level of mastery in their craft, but also the aptitude to become successful professionals capable of leading well-managed creative enterprises. Fellows represent the potential for outcomes beyond the scope of their individual bodies of work and are viewed as future contributors to growing local economies and businesses that make communities more desirable places for all.

Each year, the Tamarack Foundation’s Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship program awards up to five fellowships to qualified and talented artists working in the fields of traditional and fine craft or visual arts.

The Fellowship provides technical training, mentoring, consulting, branding, and a $2,500 award to assist each fellow with the successful development and launch of their creative business. Through increased visibility, marketing and networking we assist each fellow to integrate into local and regional markets and access professional development.

As a complement to entrepreneurship training and financial literacy education, the program also provides experiences, connections, skills and relationships with West Virginia professional artists and arts institutions to support the fellows in their career goals.

The Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship helps artists improve their business practice to match their creative practice.

SHOULD YOU APPLY TO CEF?

The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts’ (TFA) Creative Entrepreneur Fellows are artists who demonstrate not only a superior level of mastery in their craft, but also the aptitude to become successful professionals capable of leading well-managed creative enterprises. 

An overview of the fellowship:

  • Fellows receive a $2,500 award, distributed in two payments. 
  • Programming takes place from April through September 2025.
  • The fellows will meet, in-person or virtually, at least once a month during programming. 
  • Fellows must attend no less than 75% of CEF programming.
  • Fellows will create new artwork for a CEF exhibition. 
  • Programming includes finding opportunities, marketing, asset evaluation, financial literacy, networking, sustaining a business practice, connections and other valuable resources.
  • Fellows receive individual coaching to help achieve their goals.
  • Program themes/subjects include goal assessment, financial literacy, networking/communication, marketing, presentation of work/exhibiting, and business sustainability. If you need help with two or more of these subjects, you should apply!

The Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship 2025 application is now open.

The submission deadline is January 13, 2025

Apply Here!

2025 Selection Committee

Jamey Biggs

Susan Feller

Sandra Reed

Anthony Peyton Young II

Nichole Westfall