(Jason Graham | Photo courtesy of Jason Graham)
Oregon Humanities recently announced the second round of Fields Artist Fellowships. The fellowships, offered in partnership by Oregon Humanities and Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), will pay four artists $100,000 each over the course of two years. The recipients of the 2021–23 fellowships are Jason Graham of Bend, CarlaDean Caldera of Madras, Gabriel Barrera of Ashland and Sharita Towne of Portland. An additional eight finalists will receive a one-time award of $10,000.
“The Fields Artist Fellowship is such an exciting and meaningful program for artists,” said Chey Kuzma, associate program officer, Arts and Culture, Oregon Community Foundation. “OCF is delighted to provide support for a second group of Fields Artist Fellows in partnership with Oregon Humanities. These artists are poised to creatively address the opportunity gap with thoughtful approaches that will have far-reaching impacts throughout Oregon.”
Founded in 2019, the Fields Artist Fellowship is intended to give artists and culture bearers the freedom to develop their art and careers, engage with their communities, learn from one another and explore the opportunity gap in Oregon. In addition to monetary awards, they will have opportunities for professional development, networking and community building. All funding for the fellowship is provided by the Fred W. Fields Fund of Oregon Community Foundation. The program is administered by Oregon Humanities.
Portland hip hop artist Mic Crenshaw was one of the inaugural fellows in 2019. “The most important thing this fellowship has allowed me to accomplish is a greater faith in myself and the world to recognize, support and validate my work,” he says. “The money helped a great deal too. To not have to worry as much about bills, to be able to make purchases that were integral to my career path and technical work, to take a trip with my daughter that was not work-related, to buy a car after getting into a motorcycle accident, to know that my work is valued, not just verbally or theoretically but in the most practical and material sense.”
The 2021–23 fellows have very different approaches to their artistic practices, but all share a commitment to community.
Jason Graham is a writer, painter and musician who often performs as MOsley WOtta. He is an Oregon slam poetry champion and is currently finishing his tenure as Ben, Oregon’s first Creative Laureate.
CarlaDean Caldera is a Culture Bearer and Advocate of the Northern Paiute, who has shared her love and knowledge of the cultural legacies of Northern Paiute Bands as a scholar and teacher since 2000.
Gabriel Barrera is a Mexican American/Chicanx visual artist whose work is rooted in advocacy and social justice. He has worked as a scenic designer for 20 years, and currently operates ScenicG, a business providing design services, workshops, facilitation and membership.
Sharita Towne is a multidisciplinary arts and educator who describes herself as a “true granddaughter of the great migration.” Her work engages local and global Black geographies, histories and possibilities, and she was recently appointed head of the MFA in Visual Studies program at Pacific Northwest College of Art.
The eight finalists from this cohort are Okaidja Afroso (Portland), Christiana Clark (Ashland), Darrell Grant (Portland), Scott Kalama (Warm Springs), Masami Kawai (Eugene), Tumelo Michael Moloi (Eugene), Eduardo Melendrez (Ontario) and Darryl Thomas (Monmouth).
More information about the fellows and finalists can be found at oregonhumanities.org.
oregonhumanities.org • oregoncf.org