2025 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award Recipients Revealed

First fellowship cohort in history of program to receive $50,000 each

Kresge Arts in Detroit announced the 2025 Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Award recipients. Twenty-five artists received the no strings attached prize from the program, administered by the College for Creative Studies (CCS) on behalf of The Kresge Foundation.

For the first time in history, each Kresge Artist Fellow will receive a $50,000 award, up from $40,000 last year—doubling the original $25,000 fellowship established in 2008. 

“Each year, the Kresge Artist Fellowships reaffirm a profound truth: that Detroit’s creative community is a force of resilience, vision, and transformation,” said Rip Rapson, President and CEO of The Kresge Foundation. “This year’s recipients exemplify the depth and breadth of artistry rooted in this city—from poetry that reclaims identity and uplifts voice, to visual work that reframes legacy, place, and memory. Together, their contributions move us beyond what is seen and heard, into what must be felt—reminding us that the arts are not simply reflections of Detroit’s vitality, but active architects of its future.”

The 17th cohort of artists consists of 5 Kresge Artist Fellows in Literary Arts and 10 Kresge Artist Fellows in Visual Arts, in addition to 3 Gilda Award recipients in Literary Arts and 7 in Visual Arts. Awards in each category are proportional to the relative number of applications received.

Visual Arts Fellows

Taurus Burns, Painting (CCS Alumni)
Donald Calloway, Interdisciplinary Work (CCS Alumni)
Malak Cherri, Painting
Allana Clarke, Interdisciplinary Work
Maya Davis, New Media (CCS Alumni)
Kimberly LaVonne*, Ceramics
Elise Marie Martin, Installation (CCS Alumni)
Ivan Montoya, Painting (CCS Alumni)
April Anue Shipp, Interdisciplinary Work
Slumdog Visionaire, Photography

Literary Arts Fellows

Louis Aguilar**, Creative Nonfiction
Beenish Ahmed, Fiction
Anetria Cole*, Playwriting
Marwa Helal, Poetry
Brittany Rogers*, Poetry

*past Gilda Award recipient
**past Kresge Artist Fellow

Since its founding, Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded nearly $10 million in unrestricted dollars directly to Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county artists through 17 Kresge Eminent Artist Awards, 317 Kresge Artist Fellowships, and 72 Gilda Awards ($5,000 each).  

“We consistently receive feedback from artists about the transformative impact of these awards—they open doors, create connections, afford time for rest, and offer capacity for artistic growth and exploration,” said Katie McGowan, director of Kresge Arts in Detroit. “Unrestricted grants underscore the core principle that artists deserve to be respected and valued. We look forward to seeing how this increased monetary investment in individual artists strengthens the arts and culture landscape in Detroit and beyond.”

Elevating Artists’ Careers

In addition to the monetary prize, Kresge Arts in Detroit connects fellows and Gilda Award recipients to legal and accounting support, promotional opportunities, and more. Fellows also are invited to participate in a film series highlighting Detroit artists. The films featuring the 2024 Kresge Artist Fellows premiered on Detroit PBS and are available online. 

“The incredible class of 2025 Kresge Fellows and Gilda Award recipients displays the rich diversity of the arts in Detroit,” said Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies. “The College for Creative Studies is proud to honor these artists and their outstanding artistic achievements.”

The Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Awards

Gilda Awards are $5,000 prizes for emerging artists, named in honor of beloved Detroit artist and mentor Gilda Snowden (1954–2014). The recipients are selected from the applicants for the Kresge Artist Fellowships. Gilda Awards recognize early-career artists who are:

• gaining momentum
• demonstrating exceptional potential through creative risk-taking
• pushing the boundaries of their chosen art form
  

Gilda Awards in Visual Arts 

Akea Brionne, Interdisciplinary Work
Taylor Childs, Fiber (CCS Alumni)
Jimel, Photography
Amara Murphy, Photography
Oshun, Painting
Frisly Soberanis, New Media
Cat Washington, Fiber

Gilda Awards in Literary Arts

Laura Kraftowitz, Creative Nonfiction
Megan Peiser, Creative Nonfiction
Maddox-Julien Slide, Fiction

A Competitive Selection Process

Artists were selected through a months-long review process involving new panels of local and national arts professionals to reduce bias and provide fresh perspectives. Selection is based on:

• a demonstrated track record of artistic achievement and high-quality work,
• the potential to grow and advance one’s artistic career; and 
• the potential to reflect, enhance, or impact communities within metro Detroit. 

“I believe this cohort of artists represents how multifaceted excellence can be,” said Sharbreon Plummer, 2025 Visual Arts panelist. “They are thinking critically about their respective practices and are unafraid to push boundaries within their respective media.”

2025 Visual Arts Panelists

• Ethan Bach, Experiential artist; Founder and executive creative producer, Alt Ethos
• Mariam Ezzat, Sculptor; 2019 Kresge Artist Fellow
• Asia Hamilton, Photographer; Curator; Gallerist; Administrator, Columbia College of Arts Chicago
• Sharbreon S. Plummer, Ph.D., Curator; Artist-Researcher; Interim artistic director, Threewalls; Consultant, AYA Thought Studio

“The 2025 Literary cohort feels like a slow drive through Detroit,” said 2025 Literary Arts panelist Jeni De La O. “Street to street the scenery changes, but mile after mile the feeling is the same: craft without pretension, precision with heart.”

2025 Literary Arts Panelists

• Michael Awkward, Gayl A. Jones Professor of Afro-American literature and culture, emeritus, University of Michigan
• Jeni De La O, Poet; Creator, The Brown Study; 2021 Kresge Artist Fellow
• Michelle Cruz Gonzales, Author; Menopunk; Professor of composition and creative writing, Las Positas College
• Josh Malerman, Author; songwriter; film director/producer; cartoonist
• Lev Mirov, Poet; Author; Fabulist; Interdisciplinary Artist; Historian; Doctoral candidate at Antioch University

Artist Information: For artist bios, photos, social media handles, and contact information, please visit 2025 PRESS FOLDER.

Kresge Arts in Detroit is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies. The goals of Kresge Arts in Detroit are to enrich the quality of life for metro Detroiters by helping artists provide a broad spectrum of cultural experiences; celebrate and reflect the richness and diversity of our community in all its aspects; heighten the profile of arts and artists in our community; and strengthen the artistic careers of local

Artists. Since 2008, Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded nearly $10 million through 17 Kresge Eminent Artist Awards, 317 Kresge Artist Fellowships, and 72 Gilda Awards ($5,000 each). The fellowships are currently $50,000 each and the Eminent Artist Award is $100,000. kresgeartsindetroit.org

The Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.

The College for Creative Studies (CCS). The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and authorized by the Michigan Department of Education to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens, and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society.

The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, such as transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business. collegeforcreativestudies.edu