Mike Cloud, Untitled (2013).
Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

On July 22, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) announced the winners of their highly prestigious Artists’ Fellowship. This year’s roster counts painter Mike Cloud, performance/video artist Kalup Linzy, and video artist duo Eve Sussman and Simon Lee, among 92 others selected from a competitive pool of 2,606 applicants.

Kalup Linzy, Melody Set Me Free 4.0 (2014)

Eve Sussman and Simon Lee, whiteonwhite (2012).

The fellowship program turns 30 this year, and has awarded over $27 million to more than 4,000 artists since 1985. NYFA plans on celebrating the milestone with public programs throughout New York.

The awards are exclusive to artists living in New York State. As described on NYFA’s website, the program’s mission is dedicated to “supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers.”

Each $7,000 cash grant is conferred strings free for unrestricted use. “The grants give our new Fellows the chance to create freely, support their communities, inspire their audiences, and make our society richer in the process,” said NYFA Executive Director Michael L. Royce.

Recipients are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. This year’s cycle was dedicated to the following categories: fiction, folk/traditional arts, interdisciplinary work, painting, and video/film.

Previous winners of the award include: Christian Marclay (1985), Ross Bleckner (1985), David Hammons (1987), Andres Serrano (1987), Walton Ford (1989), Fred Wilson (1987, 1991), Deborah Kass (1991), and Shirin Neshat (1997).