Impact Initiatives
ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives invest in the future of the visual arts by creating pathways for professional growth, leadership development, and meaningful connections across the field. Rooted in the vision of ArtTable founder Lila Harnett, these programs support emerging and established arts professionals while strengthening the broader arts ecosystem.
Through fellowships, mentorship, research, and community engagement, ArtTable expands access to opportunities, fosters collaboration, and helps cultivate the next generation of leaders in the visual arts.
For a full description of ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives, click here.
ArtTable Impact Initiatives are funded by our Impact Initiative Fund. Please help us make a difference by contributing to this Fund.
ArtTable Fellowship
Since 2000, the ArtTable Fellowship Program has helped build pathways into careers in the visual arts by providing meaningful professional experiences, mentorship, and opportunities to develop lasting professional networks. Now in our 26th year, the program supports students and early-career professionals as they transition from academic study or alternative career paths into roles across the arts sector.
Since its inception, ArtTable has supported 205 Fellows, partnered with 115 leading art organizations nationwide, and awarded over $753,000 through the Fellowship Program. During the paid, five-to-eight-week summer program, Fellows work alongside established arts professionals and gain hands-on experience across a broad range of activities at museums, nonprofits, public arts organizations, and other arts institutions.. Fellows are also paired with ArtTable member mentors whose expertise aligns with their interests and career goals, creating relationships that often extend well beyond the summer experience.
In addition to their placements and mentorship, Fellows receive access to ArtTable membership benefits and are invited to participate in ArtTable programs and events throughout their Fellowship, expanding their networks and engagement with the broader arts community.
2026 ArtTable Fellowship Program
We are thrilled to announce the 2026 ArtTable Fellows. Read the full press release with details about the program and this year’s cohort here, and learn more about each Host Organization and Fellowship project here.
To receive updates on ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives and be notified when Host Organization and Fellow applications open, subscribe to our Impact Initiatives newsletter here.
Questions? Please contact Alyssa Garland, Membership & Impact Initiatives Manager at [email protected]
2026 Fellowship Supporters
The ArtTable Fellowship program is made possible thanks to the invaluable support of:
Individuals:
Julie Armistead
Lila Harnett, Founder of ArtTable in 1980
Donna Harkavy
Foundations:
Every Page Foundation
Lenore G. Tawney Foundation
Leon Polk Smith Foundation
Past Fellows
Read more about ArtTable’s previous fellows and the projects they worked on here.
News From Our Fellows
Click here for updates from past ArtTable Fellows.
Marcela Guerrero, 2005 Fellowship Alumna, selected as the 2026 ArtTable Benefit New Leadership Awardee
Marcela Guerrero participated in the ArtTable Fellowship Program in 2005 at the Catherine Clark Gallery. Since then, she has made waves as a curator. Currently, she is the DeMartini Family Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art and will be co-curating the 2026 Whitney Biennial with Drew Sawyer.
Facade: Tschabalala Self–Art Lovers: Opening Fall 2025
A new work for the New Museum’s facade by Tschabalala Self explores connection and romance through the lens of architecture and public space.
Tschabalala Self participated in the ArtTable Fellowship Program in 2014 at Artspace.
Alana Hernandez participated in the ArtTable Fellowship Program in 2015 at the Phoenix Museum of Art.
Table for Two: ArtTable’s Mentorship Program
Table for Two is ArtTable’s new mentorship initiative connecting members across generations, disciplines, and regions of the visual arts field. Through thoughtfully matched one-on-one relationships, the program creates space for meaningful exchange, professional guidance, and lasting connections within the ArtTable community.
Mentorship has long been one of the most powerful ways professionals grow and advance in the arts. Table for Two strengthens that tradition by bringing together emerging professionals and established leaders to share knowledge, build networks, and support leadership across every stage of a career.
Participants benefit from:
- Curated one-on-one mentorship matches
- Cross-generational exchange within the ArtTable community
- Opportunities to expand professional networks
- Support and resources from ArtTable throughout the mentorship experience
Member Access Required
Table for Two is an exclusive benefit of ArtTable membership.
To participate as either a mentor or mentee, you must be logged into your ArtTable member account.
If you are already a member, please log in to access the application. You must be logged into your ArtTable member account to access the mentorship application.
LOG IN TO APPLY FOR A MENTORSHIP MATCH
Not yet a member? Join ArtTable to access mentorship opportunities, professional development programs, and a national network of leaders across the visual arts.
For questions about membership, please contact Alyssa Garland at [email protected].
CareerRoundTable
The 2026 CareerRoundTable will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 2 – 4 pm EST and Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 4 – 6 pm EST.
In 2009, ArtTable launched the CareerRoundTable, one of our longest-standing and most impactful career mentoring programs, influencing the career paths of more than 2,000 students and emerging professionals.
The program, hosted virtually over two days, is designed to give emerging leaders in the visual arts an experience to meet with professionals in the visual arts to discuss career opportunities.
Career Roundtable Facilitators include, but are not limited to, the following roles:
- Appraising
- Art Advising
- Art Fairs
- Art Logistics (Shipping, Framing, Fabrication, etc.)
- Art Law
- Art Publishing
- Auction Houses / Online Art Businesses
- Collection Management / Registration / Archive / Art Conservation
- Curator / Art Historian
- DEIA in the Arts
- Development / Fundraising
- Gallerist / Dealer
- Museum and Cultural Organization Leader
- Public Programming / Education / Community Engagement
- Public Relations / Marketing / Social Media
Every year, participants have the opportunity to gather in 6 different breakout rooms across 2 days via Zoom for open and engaged conversations with leading women and nonbinary professionals, to learn about their diverse career paths and experiences, to gain insights and advice for their career development, and to network and build future relationships with peers and mentors. This is also an opportunity for ArtTable members and the community to participate in a mentoring role.
2025 CareerRoundTable Partners and Supporters
THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
HELP US TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM
Pay Equity
ArtTable’s Pay Equity initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing greater transparency, awareness, and dialogue around compensation in the visual arts field. While inequities in pay and career advancement persist across many sectors, research continues to show that gaps remain particularly significant within the arts, making access to reliable information and meaningful conversation especially important.
To better understand compensation trends and inequities within the field, ArtTable conducted a comprehensive pay equity survey examining experiences across the visual arts workforce. Because compensation data in the arts can be difficult to access and often incomplete, this research sought to contribute valuable insights and create a stronger foundation for future discussion and advocacy.
The findings informed a series of public conversations and educational programs that brought together arts professionals, researchers, and community members to explore key issues affecting the field, including economic barriers, intersectionality, caregiving and family responsibilities, and broader workforce challenges. These discussions highlighted not only the complexities of compensation inequities but also opportunities for institutions and individuals to create more equitable pathways forward.
ArtTable’s final Pay Equity report, incorporating insights from research and community dialogue, is available free of charge, with additional resources accessible to ArtTable members through the membership portal.
Although the initial research phase of this project has concluded, ArtTable continues to integrate the lessons and findings from this work into its broader advocacy, programming, and leadership initiatives. We remain committed to fostering conversations and supporting efforts that strengthen equity, sustainability, and opportunity throughout the visual arts ecosystem.
This initiative was made possible through the generosity of individual donors, foundations, organizations, and supporters of ArtTable’s Impact Initiatives.
Help us to expand on this project
Press Coverage
March 21, 2025 – Can the Art Industry Close Its Gender Equity Gap?
March 18, 2025 – How to Make the Art Industry More Equitable for Women
February 8, 2024 – ArtTable Survey Sheds Light on Hardships Faced by Arts Workers of Color
November 7, 2023 – The Hidden Costs of Working in the Art World
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