Stamps Faculty, Alumna Receive 2021 Kresge Honors
Today’s announcement of 2021 Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Awards included several members of the Stamps community: LEO Lecturer II Andrew “AndyT” Thompson and alumna Gisela McDaniel (BFA ’19) were named 2021 Kresge Fellows, and LEO Lecturer II Jessica Frelinghuysen received a 2021 Gilda Award.
Kresge is a highly competitive bi-annual arts grant in Wayne and Oakland counties and comes with a non-restricted 25,000 dollar award and professional support. In 2020, there are now 30 awards total — 20 Kresge Artist Fellowships and 10 Gilda Awards — representing an increase of $90,000 in no strings attached support to individual artists in Detroit.
Last year, in recognition of the impact of COVID-19 to the arts community, Kresge expanded funding to support two additional Kresge Artist Fellows, for a total of 20 annual fellowships, and an additional eight Gilda Awards, for a total of 10. In announcing the 2021 award recipients working in Literary Arts and Visual Arts, Kresge Arts in Detroit and The Kresge Foundation commit to sustaining this increased level of investment.
In addition to a $25,000 no strings attached award, Kresge Artist Fellows receive one year of professional development support and inclusion in Kresge Arts in Detroit’s ongoing commissioned film series, which has documented the work and perspectives of fellows throughout the program’s history.
Gilda Award recipients were chosen from among the applicants for the 2021 Kresge Artist Fellowships. In keeping with the late Gilda Snowden’s legacy of encouraging and mentoring early-career artists, Gilda Awards recognize artists who are early in their artistic career, are gaining momentum, and who demonstrate exceptional potential through creative risk-taking and pushing the boundaries of their chosen art forms.
The selection criteria for Kresge Artist Fellowships include: A demonstrated track record of artistic achievement and high-quality work, the potential to grow and advance in one’s artistic career, and the potential to reflect, enhance, or impact communities within metropolitan Detroit.
Announcing the 2021 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award Recipients | Kresge Arts in Detroit