University of Iowa Alum Awarded Prestigious New York Foundation for the Arts 2004 Fellowship

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced the 2004 winners of the prestigious NYFA Artists Fellowships. Among this years 148 fellows is University of Iowa graduate Kesha A. Bruce, who received the NYFA fellowship in Painting. Each Fellow is awarded an unrestricted cash grant of $7,000.

NEW YORK, NY. (PRWEB) June 23, 2004 -- Kesha Bruce studied Painting, Printmaking, and Photography at the University of Iowa from 1993-1997, where she received a BFA in painting. That same year she relocated to New York City to begin her studies in the Hunter College MFA studio Art program. During her time at Hunter College her work expanded and began to focus on the use of photographic and pop-culture images, specifically of African-American women, on television, in magazines, and other types of popular media. She later completed an MFA in Painting in 2001, studying with visual artist Juan Sanchez.

NYFA has a strong record of identifying exceptional artists, often before their talent is fully recognized by the general public. Among NYFA Fellow alumnae are: artist Ross Bleckner (1985), former US Poet laureate Billy Collins (1986), architects Elizabeth Diller & Ricardo Scofidio (1998), composer Elliot Goldenthal (1989), artist Barbara Kruger (1985), playwright Tony Kushner (1987), director Spike Lee (1985), writer Susan-Lori Parks (1990), and director/designer Julie Taymor (1989).

This year 148 fellowships were awarded to 151 New York State artists (with three collaborations), granting a total of over $1 million. Over 4,700 artists applied for the 2004 NYFA Fellowships in the following disciplines: architecture/environmental structures, choreography, fiction, music composition, painting, photography, playwriting/screenwriting, and video.

New York Foundation for the Arts
Since the fellowships were first established in 1985, NYFA has awarded more than $20 million to nearly 3,000 New York artists. NYFA Fellowship recipients are also given the opportunity to present their work to the public in collaboration with a community host organization as part of NYFAs Artists & Audiences Exchange program.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) provides more support to artists and arts organizations in all disciplines than any other private organization in the country: nearly $10 million annually.

For complete information about NYFA and its ongoing programs, activities, and services, please see www.nyfa.org or call 212-366-6900.

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