In 2026, two selected individuals will have the opportunity to move through the Spillway Fellowship Program.
The fellowship will take place in the Winona region between Summer 2026 - Fall 2027. Fellows will visit Winona for four multi-day visits between Summer 2026 and Fall 2027. Between visits, Fellows will be digitally connected with individuals, organizations, and communities that further their creative and relational process.
The majority of the fellowship is self-guided, social, and research-based, but studios/creative workspaces can be made available as needed during the multi-day visits, which are facilitated by Art of the Rural and our partners. Each fellow will receive $10,000 in support, with travel, food, and lodging costs covered by Art of the Rural. Through Art of the Rural’s partnership with Honoring Dakota Project, fellows will also have the opportunity to learn more about the dynamics of Dakota life and culture, while reflecting upon the futures of intercultural collaboration in this region.
Fellows will also be supported to attend public presentations by the first year’s fellows in Fall 2026, thus creating threads of conversation and relationships that will advance their creative practice. In Fall 2027, this year’s selected fellows will exhibit work at the Winona County History Center gallery, or offer a public presentation/event with partners cultivated through the Fellowship's relational process.
The Spillway Fellowship award of $10,000 covers these fellows’ time, reflection, and creative practice in engaging and learning from the land, cultures, and communities of the Winona region – and, from those relationships, creating work and presenting it publicly at the conclusion of the fellowship. Travel, food, and lodging costs are directly supported by Art of the Rural, as are costs associated with the form of public presentation chosen by the fellow.
Half of the stipend will be provided at the start of the fellowship, with the second half of the stipend provided after the first visit to Winona.