THE IMPACT OF A FELLOWSHIP
“In Provincetown, I get to live with a project every hour of the day, and I spend my time reading and thinking and writing in ten different directions, which means the stories get to be stranger and better and the writing more exact. I get to research and sketch and read in an odd direction and maybe decide, ultimately, not to write that story. And because I have all the time I need, this process happens quickly.” Cornelius FitzPatrick, Fiction Fellow 2016-17
These have been the best two years of my life as a writer. No matter where I’m traveling to or what gig I’m going to do, knowing that I’ve had this home to come back to and work in has been invaluable. I think the FAWC is the most densely populated, interdisciplinary group of talent I’ve ever been a part of.” Jerriod Avant, Poetry Fellow 2015-16 and 2016-17
“The time, space and support that the Work Center provides are incredible….[It] presented my first opportunity to work as an artist completely unfettered from job or time commitments, and take risks and develop ideas that I otherwise would not have allowed myself. For an artist, this chance to plunge so deeply into one’s work is critical for real creative development. This experience has allowed my work to progress in ways that continue to surprise and delight me.” Adam Davies, Visual Arts Fellow 2008-9
“There is something remarkable about the landscape here, the care and encouragement of the Work Center and its community, and especially the close contact I have had with the other Fellows. Living in such an environment has enabled me not only to sustain a deeply engaged writing practice, but also to continue to push the bounds of what is possible, to delve even deeper, week by week and month by month.” Erica Ehrenberg, Poetry Fellow 2008-09
“Prior to coming to the Work Center, I was struggling to balance teaching college full-time with exhibiting actively….the amount of uninterrupted time and space to focus solely on my artwork was an unprecedented gift. I have attained a new level of understanding with how to achieve sustainability in my pursuits as an artist, which I hope will stay with me throughout the course of my lifetime.” Michele Kong, Visual Arts Fellow 2008-09
“During my time as a Fellow I’ve been able to devote myself to poetry. Every day of it has felt like a gift….To spend five or six mornings a week at my desk has been an extraordinary luxury – a challenging one, to be sure, but all the more welcome because of it. That the time comes without expectations of any kind makes it even more wonderful; above all, it gives one a chance to experiment, and in doing so I’ve discovered new interests in both subject and form that will motivate my poems for years to come.” Sam Reed, Poetry Fellow 2008-09
“I came here the summer after I graduated from RISD with a desire to work alone in my studio for seven months. This was my first opportunity to work outside of the structure of school and it was difficult. Every day I would walk into my studio, scared of myself and of the possibility of failure. The nurturing environment created by twenty hardworking artists and writers fueled me and the support of the Fellows and staff helped me work through the difficulties I faced. I have grown so much as an artist here – I feel like I have become an artist here.” Meghan Gordon, Visual Arts Fellow 2007-08 and 2008-09
“Here in Provincetown, I have not only had the time to write more than I have ever written; I have also had the time and peace to discover what I wanted to write about, and how I want to write. At my desk, at the public library, and while taking long walks in the solitary dunes, I have felt my confidence expand. Were I still in Brooklyn, dashing off a few sentences between classes, I would never have come to such a realization.” Elizabeth Abigail Durden, Fiction Fellow 2008-09
“I don’t know if my fellowship saved my life, but it definitely saved my writing life. I’m about to complete a 700-page novel that I’ve been working on for seven years – but I wrote half of it in the seven months I spent in Provincetown. I never would’ve finished this book without the Fine Arts Work Center. I might’ve finished some other novel someday, but never this beast. My time at FAWC was the most productive period of my life, and also, not coincidentally, one of the happiest. I can imagine no better place for a serious artist. I would’ve gladly stayed forever.” Vinnie Wilhelm Fiction Fellow 2011-12