LARRY LEDERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY FELLOWSHIP

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) cordially invites applicants for a nine-month Larry Lederman Photography Fellowship, awarded to an outstanding photographer whose work focuses on gardens or landscapes. The grant is awarded annually to an established or emerging photographer whose work demonstrates excellence and a creative approach to the art of landscape photography. 

The fellowship is intended for a photographer whose practice explores landscape as a complex, evolving relationship between people and the natural world. We welcome both traditional and experimental approaches, but applicants should approach landscape as a social and cultural construct (shaped by history, use, and perception), rather than through close-up or purely botanical studies.

The application period runs from October 10, 2025, through January 30, 2026. The selected Fellow will receive a $20,000 grant disbursed in two installments for a nine-month term, March 15 through December 15, 2026, during which time the Fellow will have complimentary access to NYBG’s 250-acre landscape and historic collections.

During the nine-month term, the Fellow will pursue their personal vision of garden landscape photography in an urban setting, creating photographs that capture the aesthetic character, seasonality, and ephemeral quality of vibrant plant life. Projects may be centered at the New York Botanical Garden and the surrounding Bronx area, or may extend beyond, provided that a portion of the work engages with the Garden’s spaces, collections, or mission. At least 20 percent of the work should include photos taken onsite at the New York Botanical Garden, a 250-acre National Historic Landmark site, or its affiliated community gardens.

A portfolio of at least 20 prints, from the submitted body of work, will be presented to the NYBG’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the end of the term, to become part of the Larry Lederman Fellowship Collection.

A nomination and advisory committee appointed by NYBG will assess applications. The committee will consider the appreciation for natural beauty that the applicants’ proposals will inspire. Committee members include: Todd Forrest, NYBG’s Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections; Rhonda Evans, Director of NYBG’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library; Lucas Mertehikian, Fellowship Coordinator at NYBG; Jay A. Levenson, Director of the International Program at the Museum of Modern Art; Bryan Whitney, member of the International Center of Photography faculty; and photographer John Maggiotto. 

The selected Fellow will hold up to five meetings with the Fellowship Coordinator and members of the committee over the course of the term. These include one introductory onboarding meeting, followed by four sessions devoted to discussing the Fellow’s work in progress. Meetings are intended as open, two-way exchanges: a space for the committee to learn about the Fellow’s process, and for the Fellow to receive feedback and support. Meetings may take place in person or online, depending on the Fellow’s location.

At the end of the term, the Fellow is required to submit a portfolio of signed prints and digital images for inclusion in the Garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library and archives. An additional stipend will be available to cover the cost of printing and preparing the portfolio. The Fellow should also make themselves available to participate in a presentation, event, or exhibition arranged by NYBG.

NYBG will own the signed print portfolio subject to the Fellow’s retention of the copyright in the images; however, the Fellow will be required to grant NYBG an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide and royalty-free license to use and reproduce the images for its educational, publication, exhibition, promotional, fundraising, archival and other lawful purposes. This license will also extend to the Fellow’s biographical information, footage including their voice and likeness, and other materials relating to the Fellow as an individual and photographer.

The Larry Lederman Photography Fellowship is available to photographers 21 years of age or older and a U.S. citizen or international photographer currently authorized to work in the U.S. Residency requirements remain open and flexible.

Application Deadlines

• Opens: October 10, 2025
• Closes: January 30, 2026
• Award Announced: End of February, 2026

Application Requirements

Applicants are required to submit the following files to a link which will be provided after you complete the initial application:

• Artist Statement – up to 200 words. A concise overview of your photography practice.
• Preliminary Proposal – up to 300 words. A concise statement of your proposed approach and anticipated coverage of the gardens and landscape. Proposals should outline how the project will explore landscape as an evolving relationship between the natural world and people.
• Work Samples –10 2,000 pixels+ digital images with descriptions. These represent your artistic work created within the last five years. This is an important part of your application. Please label each uploaded image with a number 01 through 10, followed by the title, date, and location of each work. Work samples should demonstrate sustained engagement with landscape in its broader environmental dimensions, rather than focusing narrowly on botanical detail.
• Bio/Resume

We advise applicants to submit applications in advance of the deadline to allow time for work samples to upload and to avoid potential technical problems. Applicants will receive a response within one business day that their application has been successfully received.

Questions should be directed to the Fellowship Coordinator, Lucas Mertehikian (New York Botanical Garden), at lmertehikian@nybg.org.

Commitment to Equity

NYBG is committed to an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible work environment and further recognizes that diversity in the workforce fosters excellence in its mission of advocating for the plants of the world. Leveraging the strong foundation of existing policies and practices, NYBG will advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility through a number of institutional initiatives. Its aspiration is to continue to cultivate a workforce and institution that is as diverse as the communities it serves and the audiences it engages.

NYBG is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. NYBG does not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, and veteran or disability status. Underrepresented communities, Black, Indigenous, persons of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.