For Artists
Individual Artist Fellowship
The California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship recognizes, uplifts, and celebrates artists and culture bearers practicing across all disciplines. RAC supports Riverside County artists as part of the Region 7 fellowship network.
Mural “Hija de Maiz” by Andrea Lopez. Photo by Roger Rodriguez.
About the Fellowship
Unrestricted support for artists and culture bearers
The Individual Artist Fellowship program supports artists at key moments in their careers through unrestricted funding. The fellowship is designed to recognize artistic excellence, creative leadership, cultural contribution, and the role artists play in shaping California communities.
The 2026 Region 7 program served artists in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Applications opened April 2, 2026 and closed May 15, 2026, with the fellowship period running August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.
RAC’s Role
Countywide outreach, access, and representation for Riverside County artists
Riverside Arts Council serves as part of the Region 7 consortium of county arts councils supporting local outreach and representation. Region 7 includes Arts Orange County in Orange County, Riverside Arts Council in Riverside County, and Arts Connection in San Bernardino County.
Fellowship Levels
Three stages of artistic practice
Emerging Artist Fellows
Artists in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.
Established Artist Fellows
Artists who regularly make their work public and engage the larger community through artistic or cultural practice.
Legacy Artist Fellows
Artists with a significant body of work over time, deep community engagement, and meaningful social or cultural impact.
2026 Region 7
Riverside County fellows
The 2026 Region 7 fellowship awarded funding to artists across Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The Riverside County fellows are listed below by fellowship category.
Loriann Hernandez
Legacy Artist Fellow representing Riverside County in the 2026 Region 7 Individual Artist Fellowship program.
EstablishedAllyson Allen
EstablishedPatrick Barwinski
EstablishedMaryam Crogman
EstablishedCherie Hill
EstablishedAndrea Lopez
EstablishedAlejandro Mirandé
EstablishedJuan Navarro
EstablishedCarlos Puma
EmergingMatthew Balane
EmergingJames Coats
EmergingDenise Silva
EmergingCaroline Espinoza
EmergingLenore Hamel
EmergingWendi Johnson
EmergingIsabella Madrigal
EmergingSophia Madrigal
EmergingSarah Wilson
EmergingSTUDIO X
Region 7
2026 fellows by county
Orange County
Legacy: Jose Hernandez, Alicia Rojas
Established: Lisa Alvarez, Brian Dehn, Tara Ghassemieh, Sakina Ibrahim, Dimple Malhotra, Carla Roque
Emerging: Yoliztli Flores, Xue Han, Sarah Johnston, Alisa Khodos, Kacie Lyn Martinez, Salina Mendoza, Boroka Nagy, Sarah Nguyen, Lauren Nicole, Namrata Poddar, Michael Tran, Dorothy Xiao
Riverside County
Legacy: Loriann Hernandez
Established: Allyson Allen, Patrick Barwinski, Maryam Crogman, Cherie Hill, Andrea Lopez, Alejandro Mirandé, Juan Navarro, Carlos Puma
Emerging: Matthew Balane, James Coats, Denise Silva, Caroline Espinoza, Lenore Hamel, Wendi Johnson, Isabella Madrigal, Sophia Madrigal, Sarah Wilson, STUDIO X
San Bernardino County
Legacy: Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja
Established: Cindy Bernard, Cesar Garcia, Vanessa Gomez, Duan Kellum, Alejandro “Man One” Poli, Jr., Heidi Schwegler, Danielle Wallis
Emerging: Brandon Allen, Anthony McCann, Candace E Pearson, Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, Isabel Quintero-Flores, Elaine Talamaivao, Zebulon Zang
Application Cycle
Future fellowship cycles
The Individual Artist Fellowship takes place periodically through California Arts Council funding cycles. When the next application window opens, RAC will share information through the Artist Opportunities page, social media, and artist communications.
Artists should confirm current eligibility, county residency requirements, application deadlines, guidelines, and submission instructions before applying.
Check Artist OpportunitiesStay Connected
Follow RAC for future fellowship updates
RAC shares artist calls, workshops, exhibitions, fellowship information, public art opportunities, and creative career resources for artists across Riverside County.
Visit RAC’s artist hub for opportunities, programs, workshops, and support.
02 Artist OpportunitiesFind current calls, exhibitions, workshops, Creative Workforce Fellowship opportunities, and artist resources.
03 Creative Career PipelineExplore programs that help artists build skills, visibility, and pathways.
04 Contact RACReach out with questions about artist support and fellowship information.