Scholarships for artists

For over a century, the Art Students League of New York has helped emerging artists gain access to a high-quality education. League scholarships have covered the cost of tuition and provided funds to supplement the education of thousands of students. The goal of the League’s scholarships are to provide new and greater opportunities to artists who need them. Past recipients of League scholarships include  Norman Rockwell,  James Rosenquist,  and  Tshabalala Self, among others.  

The League is now accepting applications for three 2026 scholarship opportunities:

Watercolor Painting (Open to artists working in watercolor)‍, Tweedy Scholarship for Figure Drawing (Open to artists who draw from life)‍, Realism, Abstract, Combined Genres (Open to artists working in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, or mixed media in one of three categories: Realism, Abstract, or Semi-Abstract/Semi Objective).

Scholarships are open to all current and prospective new students and provide tuition for one full-time class for a Regular Session. Partial tuition scholarships are also awarded. A list of eligibility requirements can be found on the League’s website.  

Applicants are reviewed by a panel of judges, unaffiliated with the League, who each represent an important and unique perspective on fine arts education, and the art world at large. The 2026 panel of jurors includes:

Anne Harris, Artist, Associate Professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago / Erich Kessel, Assistant Professor, Institute of Fine Arts / Julie Morrisroe, Artist, Professor, University of Florida / Martha Mysko, Artist in Residence, Cranbrook Academy of Art / Corina Reynolds, Artist, Executive Director, Center for Book Arts, New York / Kelly Taxter, Deputy Director, Artists Space / Caitlin Woolsey, Assistant Director of Research and Academic Programs, The Clark Institute / Rina Yoon, Artist, Professor, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

All applications are  due by April 19. Jurors will review all applications in May and winners will be announced shortly after.  Apply now. Scholarships are made possible by our generous donors and members of our 1875 Society.

The Art Students League of New York has provided affordable, high-quality fine art education in our historic 57th Street studios for more than 150 years. Rooted in the atelier tradition of artists teaching artists, the League offers classes and workshops focused on a wide range of media and based in traditional and contemporary techniques that are open to everyone. All of our classes are led by distinguished practicing artists who will guide the development of your creative voice and professional practice within a diverse community of fellow artists. Our ongoing lineage of accomplished instructors is matched only by our legacy of extraordinary students. Artists who have studied or taught at the League include Georgia O’Keeffe, Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Bourgeois, Norman Lewis, Yayoi Kusama, and many others.   

Visit  here  to find information on in-studio or online art classes.