Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is an esteemed institution recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative approaches to art and design education. MCAD invites exploration and experimentation in creative practice with courses ranging from fine arts and design to entrepreneurship and sustainability. Offering a transformative education for creative practitioners of all backgrounds, MCAD prepares students to confidently lead and practice in an ever-evolving world.

Founded in 1886, MCAD is located in the culturally rich art-and-design community of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. The college is home to approximately 800 students from 45 states and 15 countries; it is where students find their personal and professional purpose as creative leaders. The college offers bachelor’s degrees in fourteen disciplines, including Arts Entrepreneurship, Design, Fine Arts, and Media Arts; one residential Master of Fine Arts and three online master’s degrees; and continuing education classes for all ages. Since 1981, MCAD has been administering the MCAD-Jerome Foundation Fellowships for Early Career Artists and is dedicated to this vital program that supports Minnesota’s artists. As an extension of MCAD’s educational mission, the fellowship allows selected artists to make new work while being supported by the infrastructure of an art and design college. Fellowship recipients have access to local and national arts professionals, an exhibition program that includes promotion, documentation, and engagement opportunities, and access to MCAD facilities and research material in MCAD’s library and archives. Hosting fellows also allows MCAD to expand its community of practicing artists; the MCAD community of students, faculty, and staff benefit from interacting with fellows and seeing their work over the course of the fellowship year.

Jerome Foundation supports MCAD’s MCAD–Jerome Foundation Fellowships for Early Career Artists program. Led by Keisha Williams, Director and Curator of MCAD Galleries and Exhibitions, and Melanie Pankau, Associate Gallery and Fellowship Coordinator, the MCAD-Jerome Foundation Fellowships for Early Career Artists offers 4 early career Minnesota-based visual artists each year the tools and resources to produce new work. Participating artists receive 18 months of support, including a fee, cohort connection through regular meetings, one-on-one studio visits with guest critics, access to MCAD facilities, and a culminating exhibition that includes professional documentation, a public panel discussion, and a group catalog.