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Efroymson Bridge Year Arts Fellowship

The Efroymson Bridge Year Arts Fellowship, established in 2011, are one-year paid fellowships awarded to promising DePauw students who have graduated in the previous year, in Studio Art and/or Art History and planning to seek advanced degrees or professional opportunities in the arts. Both minors and majors are eligible.

Efroymson Bridge Year Arts Fellowship

The Efroymson Bridge Year Fellowship is a paid nine month program available to two promising graduating seniors in the studio art or art history program. The goal of the Bridge Year Fellowship is to provide the fellow with time and resources to work steadily on a portfolio of mature new work, done after the senior seminar, in order to be a competitive candidate for MFA, MA/Ph.D or other post-graduate programs or professional opportunities. By providing time, working space, engagement with the academic and artistic life of the department, and access to faculty, the program will enable the diligent and motivated fellow to deepen and strengthen their artistic or scholarly research and output. The Bridge Year Fellow will have the opportunity to work as studio or research assistants and occasionally as teaching assistants in their particular field, and will have the option to take one course at the University each semester, tuition-free.  The primary activity of The Bridge Year Fellow will be to produce a personal portfolio of new work or scholarly research, with the goal of submitting it with applications to MFA, MA/Ph.D or other post-graduate programs or professional opportunities. In addition, fellows are expected to contribute to the academic and cultural life of the department. Bridge Year Fellows in the past have done this in a variety of ways, including organizing film series, hosting evening drawing sessions, arranging student critiques, planning and executing department events (e.g. major-minor mixers and information sessions for new majors), and running independent galleries such as the Low Road Gallery.
Applicants must be about to graduate from DePauw with a major or minor in studio art or art history; graduation prior to the beginning of the internship is required.

Responsibilities

The Bridge Year Fellow will spend approximately 15 hours per week, on average, working on his or her own work.  In addition up to 6 hours per week will be spent aiding the fellowship supervisor, who will be the faculty member in the fellow's field. This work may include set-up and maintenance of studio space and equipment, occasionally leading class or helping students, and other duties as assigned. Remaining time, 3 hours, will be spent contributing to the cultural life of the department, and other duties as assigned. The faculty will be available for consultation on artistic or scholarly research, career development, etc. Meetings with the faculty supervisor will be held bi-weekly.

Coursework

The Bridge Year Fellow is eligible to audit or take for credit one course per semester. Courses may be taken both inside and outside the undergraduate major. The Bridge Year Fellow will be enrolled as a special status student; for registration purposes, s/he will be given senior priority. Courses taken during the internship will be listed on the DePauw transcript.

Finances

The Bridge Year Fellow will receive an hourly wage as well as tuition remission for courses taken. The Bridge Year Fellow will not be eligible to participate in the University’s fringe benefit program and will be responsible for all other costs, including other living expenses, medical fees, activity fees, course-related fees, and the like. The Bridge Year Fellow will not be eligible for University financial aid, including work study, and since s/he will not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, s/he may have to begin paying off student loans.

To Apply

A meeting with the faculty member you would like to work with during your bridge year is your first step in the application process.  This meeting should be held early in the spring semester. (See planning form date below)

Your application should include a resume, an artist's or research statement, and a summary of 500-750 words covering the following:

1.  Your goals for your fellowship, and the resources available which will help you to achieve those goals
2.  What qualities you think you can bring to the program
3.  Your professional goals for the year after the fellowship (MFA program, museum studies program, gallery work, Ph.D. program, or other)
4.  Contributions you plan to make to the department in general
5.  The name of the professor you intend to work with as your mentor.  

There are only two funded spots, so the awards will be competitive.  Please make sure your application strongly represents you and your desire to participate in the program.

Internship Dates: August 16, 2023 - December 16, 2023 and January 15, 2024-May 17, 2025

April 7, 2023 - planning form due 

April 17, 2023 - Upload application in a single PDF file here.

April 19, 2023 - Interview Date

Recipients will be notified by May 5, 2023