ANNOUNCING THE 2016 KRESGE ARTIST FELLOWS AND GILDA AWARDS
2016 Kresge Artist Fellows
Among this year’s selected recipients are both iconic Detroit artists and rising stars. Collectively, their work represents a broad spectrum, from traditional to contemporary interpretations of this year’s two fellowship categories, Film & Music and Live Arts.
“From emerging practitioners to renowned anchors of Detroit’s artistic community, the 2016 Kresge Artist Fellows exemplify the exceptional talent, vision and dedication that have always defined Detroit’s artists and creative communities,” says Michelle Perron, Director of Kresge Arts in Detroit.
Each fellowship comes with an unrestricted $25,000 prize and a year of professional practice support provided by Creative Many Michigan, including an invitation to an intensive professional development retreat presented by New York-based artist-service organization Creative Capital.
The two Gilda Award recipients receive $5,000 unrestricted awards to foster their work. The award is named in honor of artist, CCS professor and 2009 Kresge Artist Fellow Gilda Snowden’s (1954-2014) legacy as a mentor and champion of young, emerging artists in metropolitan Detroit.
Film & Music Fellows
Christopher Jon Alexander, Documentary/Fiction Hybrid Filmmaker
Chi Amen-Ra, Percussionist
Mahogany Jones, Hip Hop Artist
Marion Hayden, Jazz Musician
Danny Kroha, Musician, Performer
Oksana Mirzoyan, Screenwriter, Director
Joshua Mulligan, Animator
Sterling Toles, Composer, Producer
Pamela D. Wise, Composer, Performer
Live Arts Fellows
Biba Bell, Choreographer, Dancer
jessica Care moore, Interdisciplinary Poet
Corazon del Pueblo, Folk Dance, Choreography
L05, Live Media Artist, Performer
Jimbo Easter, Performance Artist
Shaun S. Nethercott, Playwright
Red Stowall, Choreographer, Dancer
Ralph Taylor, Carnival Body Puppet Artist, Performer
Gilda Award in Film & Music
Ellen Coons, Animator
Gilda Award in Live Arts
Marsae Mitchell, Choreographer
The awardees were selected by independent panels of local and national artists and arts professionals from among 450 applications. “Detroit lived up to its legacy as home to a wealth of outstanding creative talent,” says panelist Njia Kai. “It was exciting to experience such a diverse sampling of performing artists, and intimidating to distill nine fellows from the hundreds of worthy applicants.”
Kresge Arts in Detroit represents The Kresge Foundation’s desire to support artists living and working in the foundation’s hometown, and to elevate the profile of metro Detroit’s artists and creative communities. Since 2008, the Kresge Arts in Detroit program has contributed over $4 million to metro Detroit artists through the Kresge Eminent Artist award, Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Awards in Film & Music, Literary Arts, Live Arts, and Visual Arts.