Today, Kresge Arts in Detroit announced the 2026 Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Award recipients. Twenty artists received the no strings attached prizes from the program, administered by the College for Creative Studies (CCS) on behalf of The Kresge Foundation.

“Each year, the Kresge Artist Fellowships shine a light on the signature creativity, vision, and determination of metro Detroit’s artistic community,” said Rip Rapson, president & CEO of The Kresge Foundation. “This year’s recipients embody extraordinary individual talent and a collective force that shapes how we understand ourselves, our neighborhoods and our future.

“At a moment when communities are navigating both challenge and possibility, their work calls us to see more deeply, imagine more boldly and connect more fully with one another” Rapson said. “Through dance, music, film, sound and performance, these artists carry us forward and expand what is possible, reminding us that the arts are essential to building communities that are not only vibrant and equitable, but alive with meaning and humanity.”

The 18th cohort of artists consists of 3 Kresge Artist Fellows in Live Arts and 7 Kresge Artist Fellows in Film & Music, in addition to 3 Gilda Award recipients in Live Arts and 7 in Film & Music. Awards are proportional to the relative number of applications received in each category.

LIVE ARTS FELLOWS

Left to right:
Karen Prall, Dance and Choreography
Ed Miller, Dance and Choreography
Galaxy*, Performance Art

FILM & MUSIC FELLOWS

Top row (l to r):
Maurice “Pirahnahead” Herd, Music Composition
Jeremy Brockman*, Film Directing and Screenwriting
Mitch McCabe, Interdisciplinary Work
Salar Ansari, Music Composition and Performance

Bottom row (l tor):
Shahida Nurullah, Music Performance
Ackeem Salmon*, Interdisciplinary Work
Frisly Soberanis*, Film Directing
*past Gilda Award recipient

Elevating artists’ careers

Since its founding, Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded $10.6 million in unrestricted dollars directly to Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county artists through 18 Kresge Eminent Artist Awards, 327 Kresge Artist Fellowships ($50,000 each), and 82 Gilda Awards ($5,000 each).

“Detroit has shaped American creative culture for decades; this cohort knows it and owns it. Across disciplines and generations, their work is rigorous, communal, and reflective of what this city means in the American story,” said Katie McGowan, director of Kresge Arts in Detroit. “We believe in the transformational power of unrestricted investment in artists, and I am so excited to see what comes next for this group.”

In addition to the monetary prize, Kresge Arts in Detroit connects fellows and Gilda Award recipients to legal and accounting support, professional coaching, promotional opportunities, and more. Fellows are also invited to participate in a film series highlighting Detroit artists. The films featuring the 2025 Kresge Artist Fellows premiered to an audience of 9,300 viewers on Detroit PBS with the 2026 Kresge Artist Spotlight in April.

“Congratulations to the 2026 Kresge Fellows and Gilda Award recipients,” said Don Tuski, president of the College for Creative Studies. “This is a wonderfully talented and inspiring group of artists who call Detroit home, and the College for Creative Studies is proud to honor their outstanding 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 LIVE ARTS

Left to to right: 
Levon Kafafian, Interdisciplinary Work
Chris Woolfolk, Dance and Choreography
Ayman “Mino” Aboutaleb, Dance and Choreography

GILDA AWARDS IN FILM & MUSIC

Top row (l to r):
Nico Swan, Interdisciplinary Work
Ashley Sorrell, Music Performance
Kashira Dowridge, Film Directing
Vaughn Taormina, Animation

Bottom row (l to r):
RAEDY LEX, Music Composition and Performance
Kasan Belgrave, Music Composition and Performance
Ifayomi Christine, Film Directing

A competitive selection process

Artists were selected through a months-long, multi-round review process by independent panels of local and national artists and arts professionals. Panels are composed of different reviewers each year, ensuring fresh perspectives across cohorts. 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
• The potential to reflect, enhance, or impact communities within metro Detroit

“The scope of talent in the applicant pool was truly awe-inspiring. Reviewing such a wide range of incredible art was a moving and profound experience. Being a panelist was extremely difficult because artists from Detroit are extremely talented,” said Katy Dresner, 2026 Film & Music panelist. “The task of narrowing the pool to a small selection award recipients felt like an enormous yet rewarding and exciting feat.”

2026 FILM & MUSIC PANELISTS

• Katy Dresner, Filmmaker; Interdisciplinary Artist; 2024 Kresge Artist Fellow
• Todd Johnson, TV Lounge; Sun & Sound Detroit; Charivari Detroit
• Angelo Madsen, Artist; Filmmaker, University of Vermont
• Dr. Jasmine Pigott, Performer; Composer; Educator; Storyteller; Meinl Weston Performing Artist; Adjunct Professor of Tuba, Rowan University
• Janis Shen, Artist Manager & Entertainment Attorney; Co-Founder and CEO, Wax Management; Of Counsel at Covey Law, Arts & Entertainment practice; Director, CAPENY

“This group of artists are innovators and visionaries, both veteran creators and emerging artists, with a shared passion for history and preservation,” said William Hector, 2026 Live Arts panelist. “This and their profound technical skill and deep consideration of their art forms distinguish each Fellow and Gilda award recipient. The specificity of their voices…makes for truly dynamic and captivating work.”

2026 LIVE ARTS PANELISTS

• Darryl Kent Clark, Choreographer; Director; Performing artist; Associate professor, musical theatre dance, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Karilú Alarcón Forshee, Interdisciplinary Performing Artist; Youth Arts advocate; Program Manager, CultureSource; 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow
• William Hector, Playwright; Novelist; Founder and artistic director of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival
• Liz Joynt Sandberg, Director; Writer; Improviser; Sketch Comedian, The Second City, Baby Wine Comedy, The Annoyance Theater, iO Chicago, Comedy Theater
• Alex Trajano, Sound Designer, Audible Studios; Musician; Audio engineer; Host of The Moth StorySlam, Detroit