FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Suzanne A. Silitch, APR
VCU School of the Arts
Phone: 804-828-6819
Email: sasilitch@vcu.edu
VCU Schools of the Arts Announces 2018-2019 Fountainhead Arts Fellowships
Artists Sedrick Chisom, Madison Creech and Ingrid Tremblay will spend nine months in Richmond, focusing on their art and craft
RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 27, 2018) – For many artists, the culmination of their artistry is on full display with the exhibition of their MFA thesis work, but what happens next? For some new professionals, the answer is the Fountainhead Arts Fellowship awarded annually by VCU School of the Arts. The fellowship allows artists to travel to Richmond to continue honing their craft, exploring thematic components and research, and experiencing the city and its art community.
“The Fountainhead Arts Fellowship has helped to build valuable bridges between the School of the Arts and artists from beyond the Richmond area,” says VCUarts Dean Shawn Brixey. “During the nine months these fellows are with us, they enhance our programs by bringing new perspectives, invigorate our community through their public lectures, and inspire our students with innovative ways of approaching their artmaking. We are so grateful to be able to support rising artists in this way.”
The Fountainhead Arts Fellowship, sponsored by Fountainhead Properties, awards artists financial support and living arrangements in exchange for teaching courses at the school and giving community lectures on their work. The three fellowship spots are awarded in the school’s departments of Craft/Material Studies, Painting + Printmaking, and Sculpture + Extended Media. The 2018-2019 fellows are:
Sedrick Chisom is a painter and writer from New York. He received his MFA from Rutgers University and his BFA from The Cooper Union. His paintings reference the racialized idioms of Victorian fantasy illustration and use the romantic landscape as a site where the apocalyptic narratives of white supremacy, Christianity and climate change intersect.
Madison Creech holds an MFA in fibers from Arizona State University and a BFA and BS in textile, merchandising and fashion design from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Creech’s work includes surface design, digital art and textile art. She has received numerous awards and has held residences around the U.S.
Ingrid Tremblay is a French-Canadian artist from Montreal. She earned her MFA from the University of Austin at Austin. Additionally, she holds a BFA from Montreal’s Concordia University, a B.Sc. and a Master of Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Montreal. Tremblay is interested in the evocative power of objects, materials and sites to recall memories, create narratives and ultimately to generate affects.
“Artists don’t always get the credit they deserve. They’re true visionaries for our communities,” says Tom Papa, co-founder and managing partner of Fountainhead Properties, who has sponsored the Fountainhead Arts Fellowship since 2005. “These fellowships allow the greater arts community to get a glimpse into the minds of the artists that come to Richmond, to live, work and practice. Every year, I’m more and more inspired by the talents of the artists we bring to VCUarts through this opportunity.”
Creech will give a public lecture on Oct. 2 at 12:30 p.m. Chisom will give a public lecture on Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. Both lectures will take place in the Bowe Street Parking Deck, 609 Bowe St., Room 535.
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About Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
VCUarts has been the top-ranked public university visual arts and design program in the country for more than 10 years, according to U.S. News & World Report. Undergraduate and graduate classes in the school’s 16 departments and programs are taught by a distinguished faculty of professional artists, designers, and scholars. VCUarts is part of a vibrant, arts-centered community with global influence. The School is part of a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research and a deep commitment to diversity, community, discovery and innovation.
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Header image by Madison Creech.
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