United States Artists Provides $50,000 Grants to 50 Selected Fellows

United States Artists (USA), a Chicago-based nonprofit, recently announced the recipients of their annual $50,000 unrestricted financial award. The organization selected 50 artists from various disciplines after a thorough year-long process involving nominations and evaluations. These disciplines include visual art, architecture and design, craft, writing, dance, film, music, theater and performance, and traditional arts and media. Notably, this marks the 20th year of the USA Fellowship, which aims to recognize artists with unique visions who have significantly impacted their fields.

Among this year’s visual arts category winners are Edra Soto, known for exploring the complexities of diasporic identity, and Eric-Paul Riege, an interdisciplinary weaver. The recipients also include fashion designer Xenobia Bailey, writer Sarah Aziza, and tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith. The organization also honored Lori Lea Pourier with the Berresford Prize for her contributions to cultural leadership.

The USA Fellowships, unlike specific project grants from agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), provide unrestricted funding. This allows recipients the freedom to allocate their awards to different needs, such as living expenses and healthcare, fostering a sustainable working environment for artists. The unrestricted nature of the fellowship is particularly crucial as public funding landscapes become increasingly challenging. Artists have shifted their focus from merely funding their practice to addressing fundamental needs such as housing and healthcare.

With the fellowship entering its third decade, the emphasis on preserving legacy and archives has become more pronounced, reflecting concerns over the potential loss of cultural information. The initiative continues to stand as a testament to supporting artistic freedom and sustainability in difficult times. Below is the complete list of the 2026 USA Fellowship recipients across 10 categories:

**Visual Art**
– Edra Soto — Interdisciplinary Artist — Chicago, IL
– Eric-Paul Riege — Maker, Performer, and Weaver — Gallup, NM
– Macon Reed — Interdisciplinary Artist — New Orleans, LA
– Maia Chao — Artist — Philadelphia, PA
– Mercedes Dorame — Multidisciplinary Artist — Los Angeles, CA
– Raheleh Filsoofi — Itinerate and Interdisciplinary Artist — Nashville, TN

**Architecture & Design**
– Curry J. Hackett — Multimedia Artist and Educator — Brooklyn, NY
– Margaret Roach Wheeler — Weaver and Textile Designer — Sulphur, OK
– Rosten Woo — Civic Designer — Los Angeles, CA

**Craft**
– Anina Major — Artist — Los Angeles, CA
– Anthony Sonnenberg — Decoration Enthusiast — Fayetteville, AR
– Corey Pemberton — Multidisciplinary Artist — Los Angeles, CA
– Norwood Viviano — Glass and Multimedia Artist — Kalamazoo, MI
– Robell Awake — Chairmaker — Atlanta, GA
– Xenobia Bailey — Enchantress, Crochet Fiber Artist — Philadelphia, PA

**Writing**
– Johanna Hedva — Writer, Artist, and Musician — Los Angeles, CA
– LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs — Interdisciplinary Poet and Relative — New York, NY
– Lauren Rebecca Weinstein — Sequential Storyteller — Maplewood, NJ
– Mayukh Sen — Biographer and Essayist — Brooklyn, NY
– Sarah Aziza — Writer — New York, NY

**Dance**
– Jason Samuels Smith — Tap Dancer — Jersey City, NJ
– Mame Diarra Speis-Biaye — Movement Improviser, Choreographer — New York, NY
– Parul Shah — Performer, Choreographer, and Educator — New York, NY
– Shamel Pitts — Choreographer, Dancer, and Director — Brooklyn, NY
– Thaddeus Davis & Tanya Wideman-Davis — Dancers and Choreographers — Columbia, SC

**Film**
– Fawzia Mirza — Filmmaker — Los Angeles, CA
– Jules Rosskam — Nonfiction Filmmaker — Brooklyn, NY
– Monica Sorelle — Filmmaker and Artist — Miami, FL
– Raven Jackson — Filmmaker, Poet, and Photographer — Los Angeles, CA
– Set Hernandez — Filmmaker, Writer, and Community Organizer — San Fernando Valley, CA

**Media**
– Anjali Kamat — Nonfiction and Multimedia Artist — New York, NY
– Chenjerai Kumanyika — Audio Documentarian and Organizer — New York, NY
– Mendi Obadike & Keith Obadike — Artists and Composers — Ithaca, NY
– Nancy Baker Cahill — Transdisciplinary Artist — Germantown, NY
– Nat Decker — Artist — Los Angeles, CA
– Nathan Young — Artist, Curator, Scholar, and Composer — Tahlequah, OK

**Music**
– Ben LaMar Gay — Artist, Improviser, and Composer — Chicago,