The Kresge Artist Fellowships are like the James Beard Awards for creatives in Detroit.
On Thursday, the Kresge Foundation announced the 15th cohort of deserving artists including 15 visual artists and five literary artists. Along with the prestige and bragging rights, winning a Kresge comes with a $25,000 no-strings-attached grant and professional development opportunities.
Among the winners is sculptor Austen Brantley who was tapped by the city of Detroit to build a Tuskegee Airman monument in Rouge Park. Other winners in visual art include hyperrealistic painter Mario Moore, interdisciplinary artist Halima Afi Cassells, watercolor artist Miranda Kyle, book artist Francis Vallejo, and performance artist Jessica Frelinghuysen.
Literary arts fellows for this year are James D. Fuson, Tuyishime Claire Gasamangera, Gail Parrish, Edward Salem, and Morgan Mann Willis.
Kresge also handed out seven Gilda Awards, named for the late Gilda Snowden, to early career artists who are making waves in Detroit. These artists will receive $5,000 and include creative nonfiction writer Liana Jahan Imam, poet Brittany Rogers, and fiber artist Quinn Alexandria Hunter.
“For 15 years, The Kresge Foundation has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to Detroit artists and an unwavering respect for their contributions and impact,” Christina deRoos, director of Kresge Arts in Detroit said in a statement. “Looking ahead to the next 15 years, Kresge Arts in Detroit will continue to champion abundant, unrestricted investment, consistent exhibition and performance opportunities, and other conditions that are necessary for artists to truly thrive.”
See the full list of winners below.
Kresge Literary Arts Fellows
- James D. Fuson, Poetry
- Tuyishime Claire Gasamagera, Creative Nonfiction
- Gail Parrish, Playwriting
- Edward Salem, Interdisciplinary
- Morgan Mann Willis,Creative Nonfiction
Kresge Visual Arts Fellows
- Austen Brantley, Sculpture
- Halima Afi Cassells, Interdisciplinary
- Rita Dickerson, Ceramics
- Jessica Frelinghuysen,Performance Art
- Louise Jones, Painting
- Lauren Kalman, Interdisciplinary
- Miranda Kyle, Painting
- Elton Monroy Duran, Painting
- Mario Moore, Painting
- Robert Schefman, Painting
- Erin K. Schmidt, Book Art
- Rory Scott, New Media
- Francis Vallejo, Book Art
- Venusloc, Video Art
- Tony Whitfield, Interdisciplinary
Gilda Awards, Literary Arts
- Cieara Estelle, Fiction
- Liana Jahan Imam, Creative Nonfiction
- Brittany Rogers, Poetry
Gilda Awards, Visual Arts
- Quinn Alexandria Hunter, Fiber
- Kimberly LaVonne, Ceramics
- Shanna Merola, Collage
- Ackeem Salmon, Interdisciplinary
- Manal Shoukair, Sculpture
- Melissa Webb, Interdisciplinary
- Lauren Williams, Interdisciplinary
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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2023.
