Camille J Gage Fellowship Award

Application is Now Closed


We extend our gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to submit their application. The selected recipient will receive a notification in April. Should you have any inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at gagefellowship@ywcampls.org.

About Camille

Camille Joy Gage’s legacy is multi-faceted. It is one of being a kind-hearted friend who had a knack for bringing the community together. She was a multi-talented, creative and fierce activist who protested, volunteered, advocated and worked hard with a focus on climate change, women’s reproductive rights, racial justice, and homelessness.

She found herself in the service of others; at Minneapolis homeless encampments, at the Native American Community Development Institute and on the Indigenous-led Nibi walks. She touched the lives of countless relatives, friends, neighbors and community members. She often said her daily goal was “to make someone else smile and make their world better for a day.” 

Camille helped start several art galleries and organizations, including Form + Content Gallery and WARM (Women's Art Registry of Minnesota), now known as the Women's Art Resources of Minnesota. She also produced and edited poetry and essay books, including Fierce Lament and One Minneapolis: A City in Verse, at the request of former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, which featured poets from across Minneapolis neighborhoods.

As an artist, her work hangs in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and includes a permanent installation at the Weisman Art Museum called Untitled (Robe for Judith), and “Made Here,” — an initiative to bring art and activation to downtown storefronts, plus many other community and public art projects.

About the fellowship

The Camille J. Gage Artist Fellowship provides a platform to honor Minnesota-based artists who have demonstrated a legacy of service with their creative gifts at the intersections of art and activism, to be recognized for their contributions, plus offered financial resources and organizational support to more deeply impact their communities.

YWCA Minneapolis, with its bold mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, was selected as the host organization of the fellowship as it most aligned with how Camille engaged with the community and for people with marginalized identities. 

The 2024-2025 Camille J. Gage Fellowship awardee will receive a $45,000 fellowship award and a yearlong opportunity to promote their work in partnership with YWCA Minneapolis. The awardee will be publicly recognized in person at the 2024 Empower Possible annual YWCA Minneapolis gala on April 27, 2024.    

Artists can apply directly or be nominated for the award. For nominations, collaboration with the prospective nominee to complete the application is strongly encouraged. A group of YWCA Minneapolis leaders, family and close collaborators of Camille J. Gage will select the awardee.

Fellowship Criteria and Information

    • Resides and works in Minnesota.

    • Gathers and amplifies the voices and creativity of others in their work.

    • Weaves diverse artistic talents into transformational community building.

    • Cares about uplifting other artists alongside their own artistic practice.

    • Shows deep concern for their community as a welcoming and just place that leverages art to achieve this goal.

    • Maximizes artistic opportunities for others, especially those whose voices have traditionally been marginalized.

    • Brings art outside of more traditional spaces, and into the streets or other public spaces within their community.

    • Demonstrates clearly how the fellowship will measurably impact their practice.

    • January 17, 2024: Fellowship application opens

    • February 29, 2024: Fellowship application closes

    • April 12, 2024: Awardee notified and confirmed

    • April 16, 2024: Awardee publicly announced

    • April 26, 2025: 2024-2025 Camille J. Gage Fellowship term closes

    • April 27, 2024: Awardee publicly honored at the Empower Possible Annual Gala and fellowship term begins

  • Due to the funding source for the fellowship from the State of MN Art and Culture Legacy, in addition to the $45,000.00 award, the inaugural 2024-2025 Camille J. Gage Fellowship includes the following deliverables:

    • The CJG Fellow will be encouraged to attend and publicly accept the CJG Fellowship award at the YWCA’s April 27, 2024 Empower Possible Gala.

    • At the start of the fellowship term the CJG Fellow will be allocated $2,500 to develop a fellowship-term project proposal. During this initial six-week timeframe the fellow will be supported to engage in a discovery period as part of their project proposal development to explore ways in which the YWCA can be a meaningful partner. For example, potentially providing opportunities internally and within existing programs that may align with the fellows proposed community and project work.

    • CJGF Committee and YWCA leadership will be available to support the fellow in developing the project proposal as needed.

    • The final project proposal will need to include:

      • Proposed activities that will be supported by fellowship funding during the fellowship term.

      • Measurable outcomes of the proposed activities.

      • Methods of evaluation for the desired outcomes.

      • A detailed budget and funding distribution plan based on the needs of the project.

    • The CJGF will be encouraged to include a professional development opportunity as part of their project proposal that may utilize up to 10% of the total award ($4,500)

    • Near the end of the fellowship year the CJG Fellow will be invited to participate in a final artist talk event centering and highlighting their experience as the inaugural CJG Fellow for a general public audience.

    • The CJG Fellow will be asked to be part of the creation of marketing materials that highlight the awardee and project work over the course of the fellowship term as led by YWCA marketing staff.

    • The CJG Fellow will be required to work with the committee and staff to provide evaluation data for reporting purposes at the end of the fellowship term.

    • The awardee will be provided a detailed guide and tools to support their project proposal.

  • Allowable expenses must conform to Sec. 129D.17 of 2023 MN Statutes for the MN Arts and Culture Heritage Fund. The funds may be spent only for arts, arts education, and arts access, and to preserve Minnesota's history and cultural heritage. Examples of allowable expenses to support project proposals include but are not limited to:

    • Project materials and supply expenses

    • Studio and event space rental fees

    • Staffing, labor, and artist costs

    • Permits and licenses

    • Professional development opportunities

    • Consultation fees

    • Marketing and promotional fees

    • Capital purchases for necessary equipment

  • Ineligible expenses include but are not limited to:

    • Taxes, except sales tax on goods and services and payroll taxes

    • Lobbyists, political contributions

    • Alcohol

    • Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges, or contingency funds

    • Parking or traffic violations

    • Out of state transportation and travel expenses without prior approval from the Department of Administration

FAQ

  • A: Yes, however you would still be required to develop a project proposal to include the activities the fellowship funding would support, the desired outcomes of the activities, and how you would measure and evaluate these outcomes. You would also be required to meet with YWCA leadership and the CJGF Committee to consider how your project could be meaningfully aligned with the organization as well as how the organization could best support your project for the fellowship term.

  • A: Yes, you may so long as you can commit to navigating the project proposal development requirements outlined in the application.

  • Questions can be submitted to gagefellowship@ywcampls.org on or before (date) We will continue to update the FAQs to include questions that are submitted during this process.

  • Yes, but we strongly advise you to consult with that person to be sure they understand the opportunity and wish to commit to the terms for the followship should they win.

  • Yes, you may still be a strong candidate even if you feel you aren’t meeting all the criteria!

  • The fellowship is not limited to visual artists. Artists practicing in any medium who fit the criteria are encouraged to apply.

Photo taken by: Patrick Mulligan