Dammeyer Fellowship 2025 Application

About the Fellowship

The Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Awareness, a partnership between Columbia College Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP), supports socially engaged photographers and photo-based practitioners in creating meaningful work within a community. The fellowship fosters authentic partnerships between the artist and a community organization, with preference given to Chicago-based projects or those connecting Chicago to another community. The goal is to elevate public awareness of social, economic, and cultural issues through photography and inspire positive change.

The fellow will engage with Columbia College Chicago faculty and students and MoCP while developing their project, culminating in a public presentation, exhibition, and/or publication. A concentrated commitment is required from September to June, with flexible hours depending on project activities. Residency in Chicago is preferred, though applicants unable to relocate must provide a detailed schedule of their time on-site. Projects should align with Columbia’s academic calendar to maximize student engagement.

Eligible applicants have either an MFA in photography or a related creative field, or a BA with five years of post-degree creative practice. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to community engagement and artistic excellence.

Funded by former Columbia College student Diane Dammeyer, the fellowship was inspired by her experience as a photographer for Heartland Alliance. Now, in collaboration with MoCP, this initiative expands its impact by leveraging the museum’s curatorial expertise and public engagement platforms. We recognize past supporters, including Heartland Alliance, Professor Emeritus Judy Natal, and Centro Romero, which has hosted recent fellowship projects. We are also grateful to Filter Photo for showcasing completed projects. Above all, we thank Diane Dammeyer for her vision and generosity in supporting this impactful initiative.

Application Form

Only completed applications submitted by June 13, 2025, at 11:59 PM (CST) will be reviewed by the fellowship committee. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applicants must complete all required fields in the form below and upload PDFs of the following:

Curriculum Vitae (CV) – No more than three pages
Work Samples – Up to 20 images related to this application

The application includes long-form response fields. We strongly recommend drafting responses in a separate document before copying them into the form to ensure content and length requirements are met.

If you have any questions or experience technical issues, please contact us at negan@colum.edu.

Full Name*

First NameLast Name

Preferred Name

Pronouns*

Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Phone Number*

Please enter a valid phone number.

E-mail*

example@example.com

Secondary Email (if applicable)

example@example.com

Website URL (if available)

Brief biography (500 words)*

0/500

Brief project summary (150 words)*

0/150

Have you previously collaborated with a community partner in your work? If so, please describe your experience. (150 words)

0/150

Areas of Community Partnership Interest*

EducationSocial ServicesEnvironmentalOther (see below)

If "Other," please describe:

Please indicate if you already have a Community Partner(s) in Chicago:*

YesNo

If so, please include Community Partner(s) contact information and short mission statement. If not, please expand on the above area(s) of Community Partnership interest.*

Where will you reside during the fellowship period?*

ChicagoGreater IllinoisOut of StateInternational

If "Out of State" or "International," please specify:

Project Proposal

This section should clearly outline your ideas for the fellowship project, goals, objectives, and relevance the project topic has to your proposed 2025-26 Community Partner(s) or partnership area of interest.

Proposal (1500 words)*

0/1500

Draft Project Schedule/Logistics

This section may include a month-by-month proposed schedule, travel plans if residing outside of Chicago, and final output or presentation ideas.

Schedule/Logistics (500 words)*

0/500

Contact Details for Two Professional References

Please provide name, email, and phone number for two professional references.*

Resume/CV*

Submit as single PDF, smaller than 10 mbs

Image Submission*

Submit up to 20 images as a single PDF, smaller than 30 mbs

Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Awareness 2025/26