Frances Hodgkins Fellowship

The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most prestigious awards for visual artists, established by the University of Otago in 1962. Named after the celebrated New Zealand painter, the Fellowship is awarded annually to a painter or sculptor normally resident in New Zealand.

The Fellowship offers dedicated time to focus entirely on your practice, with a total package of $97,377 NZD for 2027 — covering salary paid in fortnightly instalments, plus approved travel and relocation expenses. A studio space with basic facilities is provided either on campus or nearby, along with access to the University Library and other staff facilities.

You'll be expected to reside in or near Dunedin during University semesters and work full time on your art throughout the tenure. No formal scheme of work is required — just a general outline of what you intend to pursue. The Fellowship normally runs for one year, with the possibility of a second term (up to two years total).

No degree, diploma, or membership of any art society is required to apply. While preference may be given to applicants under 40 when other criteria are equal, there is no strict age limit. Full-time art teachers are generally not eligible.

As part of the Fellowship, you'll be expected to donate a work to the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship Collection, and may be invited to contribute further works to the Hocken Library's Picture Collection.

Past recipients include Ralph Hotere, Gretchen Albrecht, Shane Cotton, Fiona Pardington, Seraphine Pick, Kushana Bush, and Bridget Reweti — a remarkable lineage of New Zealand artists.