VCU news

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has announced its 2019-20 fellowship recipients. More than half are from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

The award — $4,000 for students and $8,000 for professionals — is given to Virginia residents and can be used for anything from education to studio investments. Fifteen VCU arts students, alumni and faculty were among the 28 awardees selected this year by a jury of professional curators and working artists.

Abigail Giuseppe, a communication arts student and one of nine VCU students to receive the fellowship, said the VMFA award is “extremely exciting and validating.” Earning an accolade from highly qualified professionals, she said, “provides a really amazing personal anchor for me to know that I’m studying the right thing and makes me excited about the potential for the future.”

A glance at some of the award-winning work from the VCU recipients:

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Professional ($8,000 award)

Mahari Chabwera (painting), Department of Painting + Printmaking alum

Lily Cox-Richard (sculpture), Department of Sculpture + Extended Media alum, assistant professor in Art Foundation and sculpture

Patrick Harkin (new and emerging media), adjunct faculty in Department of Photography and Film

Holly Morrison (photography), associate professor in the Department of Painting + Printmaking

Julia Pfaff (crafts), Department of Craft/Material Studies alum

Sasha Waters-Freyer (film and video), chair of the Department of Photography and Film

Undergraduate ($4,000 award)

Amarise Carreras (photography), Department of Photography and Film alum

Ava Blakeslee-Carter (film and video), Department of Kinetic Imaging student

Jae Cha (photography), Department of Photography and Film student

Michelle Erin Dominado (film and video), Department of Kinetic Imaging student

Abigail Giuseppe (mixed media), Department of Communication Arts student

Madison Hansen (new and emerging media), Department of Sculpture + Extended Media student

Kiel Posner (crafts), Department of Craft/Material Studies student

Marisa Stratton (drawing), Department of Communication Arts student

Qiduo Zheng (drawing), Department of Communication Arts student

Since its creation in 1940, the VMFA has awarded nearly $5.8 million to more than 1,350 Virginia artists, art students and graduate students through its fellowship program. For more information, visit the VMFA website.