Organizer Information
WAF — Women in Art Fellowship is an initiative of the VIA Outlets centres in Portugal — Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet and Vila do Conde Porto Fashion Outlet — in partnership with Portugal Manual and SOTA – State of the Art, with the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes (SNBA) as institutional partner. The fellowship was created to strengthen the presence and voice of women in the arts in Portugal, offering funding, mentorship, and public visibility to support artistic and professional development. WAF is coordinated by Filipa Belo (Portugal Manual) and Astrid Sauer (SOTA), with VIA Outlets Portugal serving as operational and financial partner. The inaugural 2025 edition received 210 applications and selected ten finalists; the winner, visual artist Beatriz Narciso, later presented her solo exhibition "Sótão" at the SNBA. The fellowship's 2026/27 edition is its second, with artist Joana Vasconcelos serving as its "madrinha" (patron/ambassador).
Title & Description
WAF — Women in Art Fellowship, 2026/27 Edition
WAF is a fellowship created to reinforce the presence and voice of women in the arts in Portugal, born from a commitment to turn female creativity into real opportunity and give space to narratives that remain, in many cases, made invisible. The fellowship supports women artists with funding, specialized mentorship, and public visibility, aiming to advance original projects in visual arts, sculpture, design, textiles, crafts, and other forms of expression, bringing together art, community, and social impact. Beyond financial support, WAF describes itself as a platform for encounter, dialogue, and exchange between artists, mentors, and the public. Twenty finalists will be selected to take part in a mandatory masterclass program; one winner will go on to develop and present a solo exhibition at the SNBA's Galeria de Arte Moderna in 2027, mentored directly by Joana Vasconcelos.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Sculpture
- Design
- Fiber/Textile Art
- Craft
- Curatorial
Eligibility
- Women aged 18 or older
- Must have resided in Portugal for at least 3 years (residency abroad is not accepted)
- Must have practice in the visual arts
- Fluency in Portuguese required
- Must not currently be represented by a gallery
- Must not have received an artistic creation fellowship/grant in the past 5 years
- Only individual applications are accepted; artistic collectives cannot apply
- The proposed project must be original — either an entirely new project or an unprecedented development created specifically for WAF
- Applications limited to the first 300 complete and validated submissions
Program Benefits
- Direct financial fellowship of €27,500, to be applied to the production of the artwork(s) and the final exhibition at the SNBA's Galeria de Arte Moderna (covering, among other things, installation and de-installation, materials and communication production, insurance for the works, and other technical, logistical, or operational costs)
- Payment structure: 40% at project start, 40% after a progress report and completion of mentorship sessions, and 20% after the final exhibition
- Access to specialized masterclasses on artistic positioning, portfolio, communication, and financial sustainability (mandatory for the 20 finalists, held October–November 2026)
- One-on-one mentorship from curators, gallerists, artists, and cultural/art-sector specialists, covering curatorship, the art market, communication and media, artistic career development, and exhibition production
- Public presentation of the developed project, with curatorial support, production, and professional oversight
- Networking opportunities with art professionals and new collaborative networks
- Visibility and promotion through WAF's and its partners' communication channels
- A Communication Package for the winner: creation/optimization of a professional Instagram account; creation of a professional website with paid domain and hosting for 1 year; creation of the artist's graphic identity; a graphic package for social media; production of photographic and audiovisual content; and promotion across WAF, Portugal Manual, SOTA, and VIA Outlets channels
- The fellowship is not a subsistence grant or personal remuneration; it is intended solely for realizing the artistic project and exhibition
- Copyright and ownership of produced works remain fully with the artist
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 20 September 2026
- Masterclasses for the 20 finalists: October–November 2026
- Final Exhibition: 2027, at the SNBA's Galeria de Arte Moderna
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Additional Details
- Selection process: 20 finalists are chosen to take part in the mandatory masterclasses; finalists then present their projects to a jury, which selects the winner. The jury's decision is final and cannot be appealed.
- Evaluation criteria: artistic quality, originality, viability, cultural impact, sustainability, and suitability to the SNBA's exhibition space
- No studio or production space is provided; the artist is responsible for securing her own working space
- The winning artist is responsible for contracting installation, de-installation, and insurance services for her exhibition, though the WAF team supports coordination with the SNBA's technical team; the artist may also choose her own service providers, provided SNBA's technical requirements are met and the space is returned in the same condition
- The fellowship does not constitute a commission or purchase of the artwork by WAF; the organization does not acquire ownership of the works produced
- Applicants may reapply in future editions provided they continue to meet the eligibility criteria
- Personal data is processed in accordance with GDPR, solely for management of the fellowship