Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship

About

The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is thrilled to announce the 3rd annual Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship. This year’s fellowship will award $5,000 unrestricted awards to two emerging writers of color who write critically about music.

Writers of color have knowledge and experiences that differ from the dominant Eurocentric ones, and their perspectives give art produced by marginalized communities the depth of attention and consideration it deserves. The fellowship seeks to encourage critics of color starting out in the field to continue writing about works from their own cultural and political perspectives, enriching and broadening cultural criticism as a practice and profession. By supporting and highlighting these voices, the fellowship seeks to broaden public discourse and strengthen participation in cultural conversations by diverse communities.

Irene Yamamoto (1937–2020) was a life-long lover of the arts. Born in Los Angeles, she was incarcerated with her family during WWII in Gila River, AZ. Upon returning to Los Angeles, she attended UCLA and had a long career as a production artist for several design and advertising agencies. In her free time, she loved to draw, learn new languages, visit museums, and travel.  

The Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship is made possible through a gift from Sharon Mizota to honor Irene Yamamoto. This project is also supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

Purpose

The fellowship focuses on a different artistic discipline each year. This year’s focus is music.

In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples are works of criticism or reviews of live or recorded music. Although music is experienced in many different contexts, for the purposes of this award, music is defined as a creation that is experienced primarily as sound. For example:

• A review of a film’s soundtrack would be appropriate, but not a review of the film.
• Criticism of an audio recording of songs from an opera or musical theater production would be considered, whereas a response to the overall production would not. 
• Critical views on the music industry, its figures, or trends are acceptable, as long as they are directly related to the artistry, production, or reception of music.

Above all, writing samples must provide a critical, analytical, or interpretive perspective on a piece or pieces of music. 

Award 

Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowships will be awarded to two (2) emerging writers of color, each of whom receive a $5,000 award to be spent over a six-month period.

The awards are unrestricted. Funds may be used for any purpose that helps the fellows advance their careers, including paying themselves to write. In addition to the cash award, the fellows are given the opportunity to write a piece of criticism or review of a musical work for the Democracy Center blog as well as the opportunity to deliver a talk at the Democracy Center at JANM on their work.

A brief, written report in the form of a letter accounting for the use of funds is required at the end of the fellowship period. No receipts or other documentation is required.

Organizations

Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)  promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @jamuseum. 

The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at JANM, convenes and educates people of all ages about democracy to transform attitudes, celebrate culture, and promote civic engagement. The Democracy Center is a place for dialogue about race and social justice, where visitors can examine contemporary and historical frameworks, including the Asian American experience.