The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and The Joyce Foundation are pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of the 2014-2015 DCASE Studio Artist and Curatorial Residency Awards. Following a competitive review of over 200 qualified applicants, a panel of esteemed jurors selected six Studio Artists in Residence and two Curatorial Fellows. Each recipient will be awarded a stipend to develop their proposed creative project and engage with the public. Additionally, the Artists in Residence will be provided with three months of studio space, either private or public, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, where they will engage visitors in public programs and talks to be announced. These awards are provided through a generous grant of $50,000 from The Joyce Foundation to support underrepresented artists and curators who demonstrate a strong level of commitment to diversity and community and whose work shows promise or is on the brink of advancement.

“Congratulations to the inaugural Studio Artist and Curatorial Residency award recipients,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The residency project at the Chicago Cultural Center will recognize and support talented local artists who contribute so much to the fabric of our city.”

“We are proud to present the artist and curatorial residencies at the Chicago Cultural Center,” said DCASE Commissioner Michelle T. Boone. “True to goals of the Chicago Cultural Plan, this program provides space and funding to Chicago community artists while also giving the public opportunities to see artists at work.”

“When DCASE came to the Joyce Foundation and proposed the Studio Artists and Curatorial Residency Awards, we recognized the program’s potential to nurture local talent and provide a platform for arts leaders to catalyze change within the city,” Ellen Alberding, president of the Joyce Foundation, said. “The program provides critical support to these extremely talented artists and curators who are working with the community and taking on some of Chicago’s most pressing issues. This first class of fellows has the potential to transform the city and the city’s art organizations.”

During the Fall season (October–December, 2014), Alexandria Eregbu explores her Nigerian heritage as the Public Studio Artist in Residence. This Winter (January–April, 2015), Mahwish Chishty and Adebukola Bodunrin will each work as Private Studio Artists in Residence while Faheem Majeed and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford will share their practice in the Public Studio Artist in Residence space. Following in the Spring through Summer (May–August, 2015), the Private Studio Artist in Residence will be Cecil McDonald and the Public Studio Artist in Residence will be Cheryl Pope. Curatorial Fellows for the 2014-2015 season are Allison Glenn and Ross Jordan.

Public Studio Artists in Residence each receive a $6,000 stipend and a dedicated studio space on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center. The Garland Gallery studio (first floor north) is a hub of creative activity, which provides ongoing opportunities for artists and public to interact over the course of three months.