Application Ace: Finding and Submitting Art Applications

Farihah Aliyah Shah will share tips and strategies on where to find opportunities for exhibitions, grants, residencies and fellowships—and what is needed to complete applications. The session will focus on navigating the early stages of a creative career, with insights into how to craft strong applications and avoid common pitfalls. Shah will also explore strategies for overcoming application fatigue and managing multiple deadlines. Participants will have the chance to ask questions about their ongoing applications and engage in an open dialogue on the challenges and triumphs of pursuing artistic opportunities.

Bio:

Farihah Aliyah Shah is a contemporary lens-based artist based in Bradford (Treaty 18). She holds a BHRM from York University and a BFA in Photography from OCAD University.

Shah’s research-based practice explores identity formation through the colonial gaze, forced migration in relation to labour, goods and services, race, connectivity to land and collective memory. Shah was the 2019 recipient of the John Hartman Award, long-listed in 2022 for the New Generation Photography Award and the 2023 recipient of the CCI x WOPA Fellowship at the Perez Art Museum of Miami. Shah has exhibited internationally in Asia, Europe and North America.

Host or Publisher Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography