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Announcing the 2026 Fellowship Award Recipients
Published: March 24, 2026
Categories: Featured | Grants & Fellowships
$160,000 reaches 16 artists across five Washington State counties
We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Artist Trust Fellowship Awards! Artist Trust Fellowships are merit-based awards of $10,000 providing unrestricted support to practicing professional artists of exceptional talent and ability residing in Washington State. The first Artist Trust Fellowship Awards were selected in 1987, making it our longest-running award program.
About the 2026 Recipients
This year, we are proud to award $160,000 to sixteen powerful voices doing critical work across our state, including literary artists Kathya Alexander, Luther “Lue” Hughes, and Ruby Hansen Murray; media artists Tobi Iverson-Halliday and Cris Romento; performing artists Miguel del Aguila, Vania C. Bynum, Dan Hurwitz, Gloria Majule, Monica Mota, and Rob Young; and visual artists Gabby Cooksey, Hyunjeong Lim, Cynthia Masterson, Yaminee Patel, and Lila Alexis Thomas.
This year, we are proud to award $160,000 to sixteen powerful voices doing critical work across our state, including literary artists Kathya Alexander, Luther “Lue” Hughes, and Ruby Hansen Murray; media artists Tobi Iverson-Halliday and Cris Romento; performing artists Miguel del Aguila, Vania C. Bynum, Dan Hurwitz, Gloria Majule, Monica Mota, and Rob Young; and visual artists Gabby Cooksey, Hyunjeong Lim, Cynthia Masterson, Yaminee Patel, and Lila Alexis Thomas.
Growing Our Impact
As the need for artist support grows, so does our commitment to meeting it. We are thrilled to expand the Fellowship program this year thanks to a generous legacy gift from Marjorie Levy. The newly established Marjorie Levy Fellowship Award allows us to increase our impact from 15 to 16 total grants in 2026, ensuring even more artists have the resources to thrive.
As the need for artist support grows, so does our commitment to meeting it. We are thrilled to expand the Fellowship program this year thanks to a generous legacy gift from Marjorie Levy. The newly established Marjorie Levy Fellowship Award allows us to increase our impact from 15 to 16 total grants in 2026, ensuring even more artists have the resources to thrive.
“This award means, to me, that I am not alone and that someone notices. Someone sees those hours, the classes, the late-night rehearsals, and the wondering how this is going to come together. Someone telling you they see you and your art makes all the effort worth it.”
–Monica Mota (Performing, Spokane County)
–Monica Mota (Performing, Spokane County)
Hyunjeong Lim (Visual, King County), Bryce Point, oil and acrylic on canvas, 40” x 90”, 2024, photo: Joe Freeman“I am overjoyed to be welcomed into a community of artists I admire by an organization I respect. The Artist Trust Fellowship Award is deeply meaningful to me, both personally and for the beading tradition I love. Beading is seldom recognized as a fine art form, and the technique I practice is not widely understood. Knowing that this style will gain greater visibility through this award inspires me to share its significance and hopefully will spark others to explore and carry it forward”
–Cynthia Masterson (Visual, King County)
–Cynthia Masterson (Visual, King County)
More information about the 2026 Fellowship recipients and selection panelists is listed below. Click the links below to view biographies and work for each award recipients.
2026 Artist Trust Fellowship Recipients
Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists 2026
Luther "Lue" Hughes
King County
Vadon Foundation Fellowship for Native Artists 2026
Ruby Hansen Murray
Wahkiakum County
2026 Fellowship Award Panelists
Alicia Mullikin (King County)
Jamie Howell (Chelan County)
Lisbeth White (Jefferson County)
Mehrdad Gholami (Whatcom County)
Stefan Gonzales (King County)
Thank you to our donors & partners!
Artist Trust’s support of artists, including the Fellowship program, is made possible through generous donations and community partnerships.
Of the sixteen Artist Trust Fellowships, five were created through specific partnerships with The Lillian Miller Educational Foundation, The Estate of Marjorie Levy, The Vadon Foundation, and long-time donors Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom, whose endowment gift funds the Artist Trust Fellowship Award for Black Artists and The Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom Fellowship Award in perpetuity.
Thank you to our 2026 community supporters: 4Culture, Anonymous, Estate of Nancy Alvord, Eve and Chap Alvord, Joan Alworth and Peter Ackroyd, Amazon, ArtsFund, Shari Behnke, Bradburd Family Foundation, the Butler Family Foundation, Chester Chapin Trust, Christopher Lee Campbell, Stephanie Ellis-Smith and Doug Smith, Christopher Flick, Helen Gamble, Katharyn Alvord Gerlich, Lillian Miller Educational Foundation, Phyllis Hatfield, Mattie Iverson, Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation, Klorfine Foundation, Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom, Alida and Christopher Latham, The Estate of Marjorie Levy, Lorna Jordan Foundation, Noisy Creek, Norcliffe Foundation, Mary Pigott, Jennifer and Christopher Roberts, Roy H. and Natalie C. Roberts Family Foundation, Cathy Sarkowsky, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, TEW Foundation, Andrea Wagner, Susan Wagner, Vadon Foundation, and Merrill Wright.
Each of these extraordinary partners made an unrestricted gift of $10,000 or more to Artist Trust or gave specifically to create a dedicated Fellowship Award. To join them, contact info@artistrust.org
Monica Mota (Performing, Spokane County), Quiero Flamenco Tablao company, Amelia Moore, Jed Miley, Jose Moreno, Daniel Azcarate, Marlena Mizzoni, 2024, photo: Jenn Marquis Photography
Dan Hurwitz (Performing, King County), The Disabled List, Bumbershoot Comedy Dome Performance, 2024, photo: Murphy Gilson
Kathya Alexander (Literary, King County), KEEP A’LIVIN’, Novel, 2024, Illustrator Sarah Lopez
Cynthia Masterson (Visual, King County), Start With Women, Bic lighter, Czech glass seed beads, 2021
Yaminee Patel (Visual, King County), Together We Rice, Rice, lentils and beans, 24”x36”, 20252026 FellowshipAnnouncementFellowship AwardsGrants For Artists
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Image: Peggy Piacenza, 2024 Fellowship Recipient