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The Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship 2026 is now accepting applications. Interested candidates are urged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and to apply.
Opportunity Details
The New York Fellowship is a six-month program that offers artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich and varied cultural life of New York City and the United States, and to develop their artistic practices and perspectives from this cultural immersion experience.
What does the New York Fellowship offer?
Freedom to Explore
A New York Fellowship is a valuable and rare pause in the day-to-day activities of an artist, scholar, or arts professional, giving them a chance to dive into a new, rich cultural landscape–it is not a residency or a public relations or performance tour.
New York Fellows, motivated by their own research and cultural exchange objectives, will spend six months visiting arts and cultural institutions in New York City and around the U.S., attending performances, exhibitions, meeting with other arts professionals, scholars, and members of the local community, participating in workshops and discussions, conducting archival research, and more.
ACC hopes that New York Fellows will use the learnings and insights from this cultural exchange experience to shape their own practice and later contribute to larger artistic and cultural communities back home.
Peer-Learning and Exchange
New York Fellows will join a cohort of fellow artists, scholars, and arts professionals.
Cohort members come from different countries, territories, and regions in Asia, have diverse artistic backgrounds and experiences, and have varying research and cultural exchange objectives.
Through group activities and exploration of New York’s arts and cultural communities, New York Fellows have a unique experience learning from each other and developing bonds that can last a lifetime.
Activities and Events
New York Fellows have the opportunity to participate in diverse activities during their six-month program.
Informed by fellows’ interests and areas of practice, ACC will organize group activities that may include visits to arts and cultural institutions, performances, exhibitions, discussions with local artists and arts professionals from diverse disciplines, and gatherings with local ACC alumni.
New York Fellowship cohorts also often co-organize their own group activities, visits, trips, and meals around the city.
In addition to the scheduled group activities, ACC staff will share a curated, bi-monthly (every other month) events bulletin with recommended exhibitions, performances, festivals, and other cultural events in New York City.
Individualized Support
ACC offers New York Fellows “office hour” appointments during which they can meet with our staff to brainstorm and receive feedback on their fellowship research and activities.
ACC is committed to making connections between current New York Fellows and ACC alumni who have shared interests and relevant expertise and can offer advice.
Staff can connect New York Fellows with resources, potential contacts, and information to advance their research.
Fellows can contact ACC Program Staff to schedule office hours as desired throughout their six-month stay.
International House
New York Fellows are also given the opportunity to reside at the International House (I-House) during their fellowship.
I-House is a residential learning community located in New York City's vibrant Morningside Heights neighborhood.
New York Fellows who choose and are admitted to I-House (subject to availability) will be provided a studio apartment and access to a variety of amenities, including a fitness center, laundry facilities, a dining hall, health and wellness services, study and practice spaces, as well as event programming organized by I-House.
I-House residents will have their housing fee deducted directly from their ACC grant in advance of their arrival, meaning New York Fellows who are I-House residents will not need to process their housing payment on their own.
Independent Housing Option
New York Fellows are not required to reside at I-House and may secure their own housing arrangements. However, please note that ACC is unable to provide assistance with independent housing searches, negotiate rental agreements, or serve as a guarantor. ACC is not liable for New York Fellows’ independent housing decisions.
In addition to the general eligibility requirements (see here), applicants to the New York Fellowship program must carefully review and meet the following eligibility requirements:
Applicants must be citizens or legal permanent residents of one of ACC’s eligible countries, territories, and regions.
Note: New York Fellowship applicants cannot be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate at least five years of experience in one of ACC’s eligible disciplines at the time of their application.
Applicants, if awarded, must be over the age of 21 by the New York Fellowship start date.
Applicants, if awarded, cannot actively pursue university coursework or teaching (in-person or online) for their degree program during their fellowship. New York Fellows enrolled in a university degree program should take a temporary leave of absence from these activities during their fellowship.
Applicants must feel confident in their ability to speak English in order to participate in conversations and form relationships without special language assistance. While applicants may have different degrees of English proficiency, we expect Fellows to be able to conduct daily tasks, write basic emails, and have the confidence to ask for help. The U.S. government requires all J-1 visa-holders to speak English at a sufficient level.
Applicants cannot be previous recipients of a New York Fellowship.
Fellowship Period
Fellows must commit to pursuing the New York Fellowship for the full duration of one of the two cohort periods below. While applicants are asked to indicate their preferred cohort period, ACC reserves the right to make cohort assignments.
January 1, 2027 – June 30, 2027
July 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027
Fellows must arrive in the U.S. no later than the first week of the program start date and depart no earlier than the last week of the program period.
Fellowship Travel
While New York Fellows may visit other cities and regions of the U.S., ACC strongly discourages international travel during the New York Fellowship, with the exception of medical and family emergencies and fundamental, time-limited (less than ten days) career engagements that are approved by ACC at least 60 days before the fellowship start date (see also the visa requirements below).
Visa Requirements
New York Fellows must come to the U.S. on a J-1 visa that ACC sponsors–no exceptions. The J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa intended for individuals participating in exchange programs in the U.S. The U.S. government has regulations governing the J-1 visa program that ACC and New York Fellows must follow, including the following:
ACC will begin J-1 visa preparations about four months prior to the start of the New York Fellowship. We kindly ask for New York Fellows’ patience and cooperation in providing the required information, reviewing documentation, and communicating with ACC staff during this process. Please also note that, while ACC initiates the J-1 visa process as a sponsor, New York Fellows are asked to submit their application (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule and attend their visa interviews.
According to the relevant government regulations and under ACC’s sponsorship in the J-1 visa program, New York Fellows are not allowed to conduct paid work activities while in the U.S. on their J-1 visa, such as teaching courses virtually, writing articles for payment, or producing work for hire. This includes work for an employer based outside the U.S. or work performed during the fellowship but paid afterwards. If you are in a full-time position, we suggest you ask your employer if you can take a sabbatical or another form of paid or unpaid leave.
The J-1 visa program requires that New York Fellows inform and seek written approval from ACC in advance of any travel outside the U.S. in order to return to the U.S. to complete their fellowship. This written approval includes ACC’s signature on the Fellow’s DS-2019 (certifying ACC’s visa sponsorship) in order to re-enter the U.S., and the Fellow’s signature on ACC’s International Travel Liability Waiver, which acknowledges that ACC is not responsible for providing New York Fellows assistance when they experience medical, legal, or other incidents or emergencies while traveling outside the U.S. during their fellowship. ACC, at its sole discretion, considers requests for permission to travel outside the U.S. during the New York Fellowship. Work-related international travel requests must be submitted to ACC no fewer than 60 days prior to the fellowship start date.
Please carefully review the instructions below to learn more about submitting an application for the New York Fellowship program. As a reminder, you may submit an application for only one ACC fellowship or grant type per grant cycle.
Deadlines
Applications must be submitted by November 19, 2025, at 9:59 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by November 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST. Learn more about the letter of recommendation requirements further below.
GoApply
Applications must be submitted through GoApply, ACC’s application platform. Previous applicants may log in to their account with their email and password.
Starting on October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM EDT, previous and new GoApply users can click here to log in or create a GoApply account. Once you have logged in or registered with GoApply, you can open the “Opportunities” menu item, and then click on the “apply” button next to “2026 New York Fellowship Application”. GoApply registration instructions are available in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
Please note that ACC’s GoApply applications will only be available from October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time to November 19, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST.
Eligibility Quiz
The application begins with an eligibility quiz, which will ask questions assessing your eligibility based on ACC’s general grant guidelines and the New York Fellowship guidelines. Only applicants whose responses confirm their eligibility for the New York Fellowship will be allowed to proceed with the rest of the application.
If you are not sure how to respond to an eligibility quiz question, please contact the relevant ACC representative office (see here).
Required Application Materials
Applicants must be prepared to provide the application materials listed below. Required items are marked with an asterisk (*).
Passport/biographical data information *
Contact information *
Social media accounts and/or website
Work samples (see below) *
CV/resume *
Biography *
Personal statement that describes your work or research (i.e. an Artist Statement) *
Name and contact information for one individual who will submit a letter of recommendation (see below) *
Names and contact Information for two references (see below) *
Bilingual application responses, as required by region (see below)
Work Samples
Applicants must provide up to three work samples that best exemplify their work. Work sample attachments may include image files (JPEG or PNG) or PDF files containing images, links to videos, audio clips, or other relevant media or materials to support your application. (See examples of work samples.) Please refer to the work sample guidelines listed below.
Audio/Video-based Samples: Applicants may submit a PDF with URLs for up to three audio or video clips that each contain no more than three minutes of content. Staff and review panelists will review only the first three minutes of audio or video provided in clips that are longer than three minutes.
Image-based Samples: Applicants may submit their image-based work samples in PDF, JPEG, and PNG formats. PDFs may contain no more than two pages of images per work or exhibition sample. Multiple images and captions are allowed on the same page, but they must be from the same work or exhibition sample. You can submit images for up to three works/exhibitions.
Text/Literary Samples: Applicants may submit PDFs containing no more than five pages per work sample (literature, art history, art criticism, etc.).
Multimedia Samples: Applicants may submit a PDF containing a combination of images (no more than two pages), text (no more than five pages), and/or links to video/audio clips (no more than three minutes) for a single work or exhibition.
Recommendation Letter and References
ACC asks you to provide contact information for three separate individuals: one person who will submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf and two references who ACC can contact if we have any questions about you or your proposal.
Conflicts of Interest
The recommender and references should not be ACC trustees, staff, or donors. All applicants will be asked to sign a conflict-of-interest statement attesting that their recommender and references, to the best of their knowledge, are not ACC trustees, staff, or donors.
Letter of Recommendation Deadline
Your recommender must upload their letter of recommendation to GoApply after you have submitted your application. The deadline for the letter of recommendation is November 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST. Only after you have submitted your application will your recommender receive an email containing a link and instructions for uploading their letter to GoApply. We recommend that you ask for your recommender’s support in advance and that you submit your application early, so that your recommender has enough time to upload their letter. Your application will not be considered complete and will not be reviewed until your letter of recommendation has been uploaded.
Bilingual Applications
In addition to submitting question responses in English, applicants who apply through ACC Hong Kong, ACC Japan, and ACC Taiwan should refer to their respective bilingual application requirements. Please note that the bilingual fillable forms (for completion and upload) and translated eligibility quizzes (for reference) will be made available for download on October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM EDT.
Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Mainland China (Optional)
In addition to completing the application in English, applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Mainland China, and are applying through ACC Hong Kong, may also submit an optional copy of their application in Chinese. To do so, please download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below. Please note that the application is provided in traditional Chinese, but applicants may provide responses in simplified Chinese, if desired.
New York Fellowship Translated Eligibility Quiz (Traditional Chinese)
New York Fellowship Bilingual Application Form (Traditional Chinese)
Japan (Required)
Applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Japan and are applying through ACC Japan must submit an additional copy of their application in Japanese and a PDF of their CV/resume in both English and Japanese. Descriptions or captions of work samples must also be made available in both English and Japanese. Applicants should download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below.
Taiwan ROC (Required)
Applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Taiwan ROC and are applying through ACC Taiwan mustsubmit an additional copy of their application in traditional Chinese and a PDF of their CV/resume in both English and traditional Chinese. Descriptions or captions of work samples must also be made available in both English and Chinese. Applicants should download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below.
New York Fellowship Translated Eligibility Quiz (Traditional Chinese)
New York Fellowship Bilingual Application Form (Traditional Chinese)
