Visual Arts Fellowships

WHAT IS A VISUAL ARTS FELLOWSHIP?

Visual Arts Fellowships are $3,000 unrestricted awards of merit, based on the artist’s portfolio, honoring the work of Wyoming visual artists whose work reflects serious and exceptional aesthetic investigation. Artists working in any media, including film and video, may apply. Applications are juried by noted artists, curators, and others in the visual arts from outside the state. Up to three fellowships may be given each year, and jurors may also select honorable mentions.

Recipients of the Visual Arts fellowships exhibit their work in the Wyoming Arts Council Biennial Exhibit, held every two years at a major visual arts institution or museum in the state. Applications are currently closed. Check back in spring 2023 for the next round of applications.

2023 Visual Art Fellowship Recipients

Marcus Dewey

Marcus Dewey is a Northern Arapaho beadworker. He began beading at the age of 10, by watching his mother and grandmother, and learning by their sides. He has been beading full time since 1990 and has art pieces (Fully beaded McClellan Saddles) in the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY, Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, and in the MorDo Collection in Scottsdale AZ.

Dewey regularly participates in the Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk Art Mentoring Program, mentoring numerous apprentices who are all carrying on the tradition of beadwork with hopes they in turn mentor the next generation, so the art is not lost.

Susan Moldenhauer 

Susan Moldenhauer has a 35+ year career as a fine art photographer. She has a national exhibition record, is represented in numerous public collections, and has self-published books including those in partnership with artist Wendy Bredehoft and dancer/choreographer Margaret Wilson. She had a career as an arts administrator and curator from which she retired to her full-time studio practice in 2017.

She has been a community advocate for artists and co-founded public art programs in Laramie, WY where she lives and works. She is a recipient of a 2016 Wyoming Artist Fellowship and in 2017, she won a Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award.

Eileen Nistler 

Eileen Nistler was born in the beautiful Inyan Kara area of the Black Hills in Wyoming. She left for seventeen years to pursue an education and short career as an architect. Then the magic of Wyoming called herback.  Eileen’s home is in the house that she drew her first paintings in as a child.

She and her family operate the family ranch that lies between Upton and Sundance. Much of her inspiration comes from living and loving on a working ranch in northeast Wyoming. Eileen has been a finalist for “Artists Magazine” three times, a finalist for Artistic Excellence for “Southwest Magazine” three times, and a finalist for “International Artist Magazine” three times, including second place. She’s received numerous prestigious awards from the Colored Pencil Society of America, the Salmagundi Club, the Wyoming Governor’s Capitol Arts Exhibition, The Bosque Art Show and many others. She is a signature member of; the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), the Colored Pencil Society of America Explore This (CPX), American Plains Artists (APA), American Women Artists (AWA) and Artists of the Black Hills (ABH). 

---

Jurors

Tasha Kubesh

Tasha Kubesh has over twenty years of experience working with contemporary visual artists and art in the Midwest region, specializing in the presentation of Modern American and Contemporary Art.

Previous Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota, and Gallery Director at Flanders Art, Minneapolis, MN, Kubesh has organized numerous exhibitions, including both emerging and well-established artists. Kubesh graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN, in 2001, and studied at Parsons Paris School of Art and Design, Paris, France, and Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO.

 

Bobbi Walker

Bobbi Walker founded Walker Fine Art in 1999, and opened the gallery space in June of 2002.  She has been actively involved in the arts community in Denver for over  20 years.   Bobbi served two 3 year terms  on the  Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs.  She  is an Associates member of the Denver Art Museum (DAM), and serves as an Ambassador of the Museum Friends. She was President of the Denver Art Dealers Association (DADA) for 3 years.  She has served on the boards of the Golden Triangle Museum District (GTMD) and the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Association (GTA).  She is a member of the Colorado Business Community for the Arts (CBCA), Arts for Colorado, Visit Denver,  Redline, and the Downtown Denver Partnership.

She has been a speaker at the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) Arts Business Expo for 5 consecutive years.  She was a speaker for the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC ) NxLevel premier training program  for small business planning.  She has had speaking engagements with arts and humanities classes at Colorado University (Boulder and Denver), Metropolitan State Denver (MSCD) , Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) , and Arapaho Community College.  She was one of 4 participants in The  Business of Art  panel at Redline.  She has participated in steering committee discussions for Colorado Community for the Arts, Denver Arts Week, Denver Theatre District, and Curious Theatre. 

Previous Visual Arts Fellowship Recipients

List of Previous Recipients