2027 Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program: Thrive

Thrive is a juried career development program and exhibition of work by artists with disabilities, ages 16-25. This year’s exhibition asks disabled artists to consider how their life and their art are flourishing. As an artist how is your work evolving and changing? As a disabled person, how are you vigorously developing and growing? Show us your thrive! 
 

Fifteen winning artists each receive a $3,000 financial stipend and have one of their submitted pieces included in an exhibit in Washington, D.C. Winning artists are required to attend virtual workshops (April 3, May 1, and June 5), and a series of all-expenses-paid career development workshops in Washington, D.C. June 14-18, 2027.

This program is funded by U.S. Department of Education under Grant Number H421F240164. For more information, contact The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at vsainfo@kennedy-center.org . 

Thrive Theme
"Thrive" asks disabled artists to consider how their life and their art are flourishing. As an artist how is your work evolving and changing? As a disabled person, how are you vigorously developing and growing? Show us your thrive!

About Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program
The Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program, showcases the work of visual artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, who reside in the United States.

The content of this program was developed under grant H421F240164 from the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described or discussed in this document. The contents of this program may contain examples of, adaptations of, and links to resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. The Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. The content of this program does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department. This program is not intended to represent the views or policy of or be an endorsement of any views expressed, or materials provided by any Federal agency (EDGAR 75.620).

Awards
Fifteen winning artists are selected by a jury of industry professionals. Each winning artist receives a $3,000 financial stipend and has one of their submitted pieces selected for an exhibit in Washington, D.C. Winning artists are required to attend virtual workshops (April 3, May 1, June 5) and an all-expenses-paid series of career development workshops in Washington, D.C. June 14-18, 2027.

Application Process
The application deadline is November 19, 2026 and winning artists will be notified by January 13, 2027. Artwork will be judged by a panel of experts who are looking for artwork that demonstrates a high level of skill, expresses original ideas, and reflects the Thrive theme. To request an accommodation or receive the application materials in an alternate format, contact Wynsor Taylor, WRTaylor@kennedy-center.org no later than Friday, October 30, 2026.

Upon request, parents and legal guardians of Minors will have the opportunity to review the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) collected regarding their Minors, make corrections, revoke consent, and request deletion. A parent or legal guardian shall not be subject to any discrimination for making such requests. If a parent or legal guardian would like to review the PII collected and used by the Kennedy Center, revoke consent or request deletion, please contact: Privacy@Kennedy-Center.org .

Eligibility

• Artist must be between the ages of 16 and 25 on November 19, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET).
• Artist must reside in the United States and have the right to work in the United States. (Includes 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands.)
• Artist must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Artist must be willing to publicly disclose that they have a disability for all materials and public appearances associated with the Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program
• Artist must be available to participate in virtual activities (April 3, May 1, June 5) and in-person in Washington, D.C. June 14-18, 2027.

Selected applicants will be contacted by email and asked to submit documents proving the above eligibility requirements prior to advancing to the final round of adjudication. Eligibility documents include the following:

Proof of Disability
May include one of the following:

• A letter from a doctor or other healthcare professional
• A letter from a reputable disability association or organization, a professional counselor, or a representative of a college or university disability services office
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents
• A letter from the head of the IEP team
• A letter from vocational rehabilitation services

The document must state the nature of the applicant’s disability or disabilities.

Proof of Age
Must be a copy of a government-issued ID, such as a passport, birth certificate, or driver's license. To be eligible the applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 25 on November 19, 2026.

Proof of US Right to Work
The applicant does not need to be a US citizen but must have the right to work in the United States. (Includes 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands.) Documents accepted for this purpose are the same used in I-9 verification as outlined here.

Other Requirements

• Submitted artwork must be completed within the last 3 years, and after the onset of disability.
• Previous Emerging Young Artist Program award winners are not eligible to apply.
• Submitted artwork must be able to withstand handling, storage, and transportation to/from Washington, D.C.
• Artwork containing perishable materials, such as food, will not be considered.
• 2-Dimensional artwork cannot exceed 60 inches in height or width.
• 3-Dimensional artwork cannot exceed 48 inches in any direction when packed for shipping.
• All visual art forms and media are eligible if adhering to the listed requirements.
• Applicant must be the sole creator and owner of all artwork submitted. Group projects will not be considered.
• Work that suggests visual plagiarism, such as direct copy of another artist's work, will not be considered.
• As a pre-professional career development program, we value human creativity and artistic production. As such, artwork created with generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Leonardo AI, Gemini, Lumen5, etc.) is not eligible for selection. Non-generative AI tools (e.g., spellcheck) may be utilized, but the artwork must be your own original creation. The program team reserves the right to investigate how your artwork was created to enforce this rule.
• Winning artists must participate in the entirety of the professional development activities: virtually (April 3, May 1, June 5) and in-person in Washington, D.C. June 14-18, 2027 to receive their financial stipend.

Note: Artists must submit images of multiple works of art rather than multiple views of a single work of art. Jurors will be looking at the quality and scope of the submitted portfolio of artwork as a whole.

Application Requirements

• Artist must submit images or videos of at least three different pieces.
• Artist must answer all application questions within the word count limits provided:
  • Tell us about yourself. What do we need to know about you? (300 words)
  • Tell us about your art. What is your artistic process? How/why do you create? (300 words)
  • What unique perspective would you bring to the group? (300 words)
  • What are your future plans? How would this program help you achieve your goals? (300 words)

Eligibility

• Artist must be between the ages of 16 and 25 on November 19, 2026 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET).
• Artist must reside in the United States and have the right to work. (Includes 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands.)
• Artist must have a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Artist must be willing to publicly disclose that they have a disability for all materials and public appearances associated with the Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program.
• Artist must be available to participate in virtual activities (April 3, May 1, June 5) and in-person activities in Washington, D.C. June 14-18, 2027.