The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts sponsors programs for senior and visiting senior fellowships. Fellowships are for full-time research, and scholars reside in Washington and participate in the activities of the Center throughout the fellowship period. Fellows are provided with studies and have access to the notable resources represented by the collections, the library, and the image collections of the National Gallery of Art, as well as to the Library of Congress and other research libraries and collections in the area.
Applications will be considered for research in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts of any geographical area and of any period. Senior and visiting senior fellowships are intended for those who have held the PhD for five years or more at the time of application or who possess an equivalent record of professional accomplishment. One Paul Mellon Senior Fellowship and four to six Ailsa Mellon Bruce, Samuel H. Kress, and William C. Seitz Senior Fellowships will be awarded for the academic year, early fall to spring. The Center awards up to twelve short-term (up to 60 days) Paul Mellon and Ailsa Mellon Bruce Visiting Senior Fellowships annually. For appointment to visiting senior fellowships in 2020 – 2021, the Center encourages applications in the fields of the visual arts and culture of African Americans, Africa, and the African diaspora.