The Fellowship is intended to increase diversity, equity, and access across the field of the ceramic arts. The explicit goal of the Artaxis Fellowship program is to increase the visibility of unique perspectives across the field. This year, we offered two fellowships, each one worth up to $2,691, to fund a two-week summer workshop in ceramics at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. The fellowships will cover room, board, and tuition for a two-week workshop, and a $500 stipend.
We received 75 applications that were reviewed by the Artaxis Board of Directors, and juried by our Fellowship Selection Committee – Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Eric Andre, and Iren Tete. These three prominent members of the field poured over the applications and deliberated to select just two recipients for the award.
A big THANK YOU goes out to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, the Fellowship Selection Committee, to all of the applicants and congratulations to this year’s recipients, Bianca and Jerrie!
Bianca Turner
Bianca Turner is a ceramic artist with a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Hartford. Currently, an artist in residence at the Worcester Center for Crafts Her multicultural background, influenced by Jamaican immigrant parents, fuels her passion for art, color, and transformative expression. For the past six years, she has immersed herself in the captivating world of ceramics, finding freedom in shaping and molding clay to visually convey emotions and ideas. Bianca’s sculpted pieces serve as vessels of connection, inviting viewers to embark on a sensory journey of interpretation and engagement. With a commitment to pushing artistic boundaries, she explores techniques, colors, and textures to foster unity and understanding within diverse communities. Through her vibrant and transformative creations, Bianca invites you to experience the convergence of art, color, and the expressive power of ceramics.
Jerrie Fabrigas
Jerrie Fabrigas is an artist from San Diego, California. Her work deals with the concept of “homeland” from the perspective of the diaspora and encompasses building mythologies, exploring spirituality, and dissecting the complexities of identity. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of California, Irvine, and her current research involves pre-Colonial Filipino mythology, weaponry, fashion, and body modification.
