Tulsa Artist Fellowship announces inaugural class of 12 artists

TULSA, Okla., July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The George Kaiser Family Foundation has announced the 12 artists who will comprise the Tulsa Artist Fellowship's (TAF) inaugural class. Hailing from nine different states, the class includes artists specializing in weaving, sculpting, installations, painting and public art. Possessing a wide variety of experiences and talents, the fellows will be immersed into the local art scene through gallery shows, community-wide art festivals and First Friday Art Crawls.  

"We couldn't be more pleased with the high-level of talent and diversity of this group," said Stanton Doyle, senior program officer at George Kaiser Family Foundation. "The TAF selection panelists had a tough job and they approached it very deliberately. In our inaugural year, to have more than 300 applicants is truly remarkable. We can't wait to get the 12 selected artists to Tulsa and involved with the art community."

A Tulsa-based artist recruitment and retention program, TAF offers a generous package to early- and mid-career artists. The selected artists will receive a stipend ranging from $15,000 to $40,000 and, in most cases, free housing and studio work space. The fellowship will begin on January 4, 2016.

The inaugural class of fellows includes:  

• Crystal Z. Campbell: Crystal Z. Campbell is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is a mixed-media artist of Filipino, Chinese and African-American descent. She has exhibited around the globe and was awarded the Mondriaan Fond Development Award for Professional Artists in 2014. 
• Alice Leora Briggs: Alice Leora Briggs is a draftsman and printmaker from Lubbock, Texas, who also creates in situ architectural installations. In 2011, she was appointed as a Fulbright Scholar at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
• Molly Dilworth: Molly Dilworth is from Brooklyn, New York, and specializes in public art. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post, and her solo exhibitions include Times Square and multiple prominent U.S. cities. 
• Rafael Domenech: Rafael Domenech is from Miami, Florida, who focuses on the history of places and their connection to the present through large-scale installations. He was the recipient of the Wolfson Family Scholarship in 2012. 
• Akiko Jackson: Akiko Jackson is a visual artist from San Francisco, California, with an emphasis on sculptures and installations. In addition to receiving multiple awards and exhibiting across the country, Jackson also has extensive experience as both an instructor and visiting artist at a variety of universities and art institutes.
• Gary Kachadourian: Gary Kachadourian is a visual artist from Baltimore, Maryland, who specializes in drawing and public art. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and has participated in more than 20 exhibitions and 10 curatorial projects.
• Marlowe Katoney: Marlowe Katoney is a Navajo weaver from Winslow, Arizona. Earlier this year, he was named the Rollin and Mary Ella King Fellow by the School for Advanced Research.
• Monty Little: Monty Little is a painter from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Earlier this year, he was named the recipient of the SITE Scholar Program. 
• Clarissa Rizal: Clarissa Rizal is a multi-media artist, instructor, cultural facilitator and lecturer from Juneau, Alaska. As owner of Clarissa Rizal, LLC, she designs and implements traditional and contemporary art for tribes, collectors, private institutions, business, museums and galleries. 
• Eric Sall: Eric Sall is from Roswell, New Mexico, and specializes in painting. The recipient of multiple grants, awards and residencies, he recently completed a major artwork for the Richard Bolling Federal Building in Kansas City commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration's Art in Architecture Program.
• Nick Vaughan: Nick Vaughan is from Brooklyn, New York, and has a diverse background in scenography for opera, dance and experimental theater that will influence his focus on installations in Tulsa. He and his partner, Jake Margolin, are the recipients of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and a 2013 MAP Fund Grant.
• Nathan Young: Nathan Young is an American Indian conceptual artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who works across sound, composition, video, performance and installations. Young has been displayed around the globe with his most recent international exhibit taking place in Canada in 2014.

"The TAF selection panel, including art historians, curators and artists, made their decisions after a thorough and rigorous process," said Julia Kirt, TAF committee member. "The panel agonized to ensure the class consisted of the highest caliber of artists who would also be a good fit for the community."

The seven member selection panel includes Tom Borrup, Dr. Lara Evans, Gloria Groom, Dr. Sylvester Ogbechie, Jennifer Scanlan, Raechell Smith and Hamza Walker. Their combined expertise is extensive and represents a broad range of exposure to contemporary gallery- and public-oriented visual art.

To learn more about the TAF, visit www.gkff.org/taf.

SOURCE George Kaiser Family Foundation

Related Links

http://www.gkff.org