About the Award
Established in 2016 and first awarded in 2017, the Steven Petrow and Julie Petrow-Cohen LGBTQ+ Fellowship (renamed in 2023) is open to writers in any genre who self-identify as LGBTQ+. This juried fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis, and the selection is made based on the quality of the submitted work. The Petrow Family Fellowship provides a fully-funded, two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo, which includes a private bedroom with private bath, a separate individual studio, and three meals a day in a community of cross-disciplinary artists.
Applications Details
Eligibility: Writers in any genre who self-identify as LGBTQ+
Residencies Available: September 1 – December 31, 2025
Length of Fellowship: Two weeks
Application Opens: October 1, 2024
Application Deadline: January 15, 2025
Application Fee*: $30
Notification by: April 30, 2025
To be considered as a Steven Petrow LGBTQ+ Fellow, complete the “Application for Mt. San Angelo Residencies, VCCA in Virginia – Fall 2025,” selecting your fellowship interest in Question 2.
* If the application fee presents a significant barrier to application, please write to vcca@vcca.com by January 10, 2025, to request an application fee waiver.
About Steven Petrow and Julie Petrow-Cohen
Steven Petrow and his late sister, Julie Petrow-Cohen, grew up in Forest Hills, New York, coming out to each other in their teens. Steven is an award-winning journalist and book author who is best known for his Washington Post and New York Times essays on aging, health, and civility. He’s the author of multiple books, including Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old and the forthcoming memoir, Joy To You And Me. His 2019 TED Talk (“3 Ways to Practice Civility”) has garnered nearly two million views. Much of his work over the past 15 years has taken place at VCCA; he is grateful for the time, space, and magic at Mt. San Angelo and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
Julie graduated from New York University and New York Law School, where she was on Law Review. She started her career as a litigator, moving on to a long and rewarding career in the securities industry during which she was named a managing director at Citigroup. Julie used her knowledge of the law as a fierce advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She volunteered in the legal clinic of New York’s LGBT Center, as a legal advocate for homeless people in New York City, and was highly involved in the fight for marriage equality. Julie, 61, died from metastatic ovarian cancer in June 2023.
Photo credit: Frankie Alduino
Petrow Family Fellows
2023: Thomas Dai, writer
2022: Nicholas Boggs, writer
2021: Carter Sickels, writer
2019: Daniel Handal, visual artist
2018: Lydia Conklin, writer
2017: Cris Beam, writer
Writer Thomas Dai Awarded 2023 Steven Petrow and Julie Petrow-Cohen LGBTQ+ Fellowship
Writer Nicholas Boggs Named 2022 Recipient of VCCA’s Newly Endowed Steven Petrow LGBTQ+ Fellowship