How do the arts and artists have the power to inspire social change and address important societal issues?
Art helps us see, allowing us to reflect on our own experiences and better understand what’s going on with others around us. Let’s say an artist’s work is exploring a human struggle like the immigrant experience, or being Black in America, or how climate and big industry is affecting the well-being in their home communities … the viewer is for a moment considering a perspective that might be different than their own. This challenges us to really see others and consider what someone else might be going through. I believe that reflection can be a catalyst for dialogue and for change. Sometimes visual art can express emotions and experiences we can’t put into language and can spark conversations that we as a society need to have. And ultimately, art also provides a communal experience, beauty, and awe – three things we can all use more of.
Wagner Arts Fellows receive support that goes beyond financial. What was your thinking behind including tailored artist support services as part of the Fellowship? And what are some specific services and supports that a Fellow might receive?
These are general operating grants, meaning artists can use the $75,000 grant for whatever they need – be it studio space, materials, monthly bills or whatever they decide. We were excited to partner with United States Artists to facilitate this grant because their model sets these artists up for long term success by providing additional funds in artist services adapted to their specific needs for things like financial planning, career consulting, or legal counsel. These are things you don’t always see, but that we all need to advance our careers.
Was it a competitive process?
Yes. We asked a large group of artists, curators, and organizational leaders in Boston to nominate artists to apply. The nominated artists were then juried by local and national arts leaders, including ICA Boston’s Chief Curator Ruth Erickson, the Director of Transformative Art and Monuments for the City of Boston Karin Goodfellow, and nationally recognized artists Chloë Bass and Faheem Majeed. Our nominators and juries change every year so that different artists will have opportunities to be considered. We were faced with an incredible pool of talent, and it was a very tough decision. But our partner, United States Artists, is an incredible organization that runs a number of fellowship programs, and they build a very intentional process with us. There are so many artists here that will be competitive for this award, and we are excited to support them in the coming years.
Why does the Fellowship focus specifically on supporting mid-career artists?
Mid-career is often the sweet spot when artists are doing their most ambitious work, and ready for a boost such as this to propel them toward greater institutional recognition and opportunities. We also know that mid-career artists are often embedded in their communities, serving as mentors and inspiring younger generations of artists to follow in their footsteps. We want to recognize that deep work of uplifting their fellow artists and making an art career more accessible for all.
What are your hopes for the Wagner Arts Fellows?
We hope that offering artists this level of support at a pivotal moment in their careers provides them with the space and time to think about what’s next. We hope that when people from outside of Boston want to know what’s happening here, these artists are at the top of their list. We hope that more emerging artists consider staying in Boston, knowing that this opportunity awaits them, and that through this fellowship we celebrate Boston’s cultural life and the artists who decide to stay here.
What are some unique initiatives, movements, and artwork coming out of the Boston arts community that excite you?
This spring and summer will see many instances of Boston in the national spotlight, including the Boston Public Art Triennial, the Arrival Art Fair, the ICA Boston’s Foster Prize, and the UnMonuments Initiative through the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. And we’re really excited about several initiatives coming out of Boston Art Review, including publications on UnMonuments, the Triennial and Art Radar, their new map of Boston’s cultural spaces.
What can we look forward to from the inaugural cohort of Wagner Arts Fellows?
I hope everyone will come and see our exhibition of their work at the MassArt Art Museum, GENERATIONS, which will be on view from May 22 through the fall semester. Other things on the horizon include Chinatown Worker Statues Project, Wen Ti Tsen’s public art project with the city of Boston, as well as L’Merchie Frazier’s Call and Response, Radiating Safety at Firestation 42 in Roxbury, and Daniela Rivera’s upcoming solo exhibition at Mass MoCA.
March, 2025