The Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (SARF) program provides visual artists from across the world the opportunity to work with Smithsonian museums, research sites, collections, and scholars in self-directed research leading to the creation of new artwork. SARF Fellows spend one to two months in residence at the Smithsonian immersed in its unparalleled collections and multidisciplinary scholarly expertise, building connections between art, science, history and culture.
The program embodies the depth and breadth of the Smithsonian. Fellows have studied not only what is on view in the Smithsonian’s museums and National Zoo, but also the vast collections in non-public areas, libraries, archives, gardens, laboratories, storage facilities, and field sites in the U.S. and abroad.