Welcome to our new Philadelphia Black Artist Fellows!

The room was a buzz of excitement on Thursday, April 18 in the 3rd floor gallery of Paradigm Arts as Mural Arts welcomed its 5th cohort of the Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists, a program made possible by TD Bank.

The evening announced the new cohort of 15 artists and featured past work by alumni artists from previous cohorts giving attendees a deeper understanding of the Fellowship.   Mural Arts Executive Director, Jane Golden, and Geoff Brandon, Market President, TD Bank welcomed the artists to the Mural Arts family.  The new cohort includes:

Brittany Anne Baum 
Elijah Crawford  
Terrell Halsey
Duwenavue Johnson
Keshawna Logan 
Lusmerlin Lantigua
Kyle Mello Dixon
Alexsi Morales
Kara Mshinda 
Michele Pierson 
Susan Ragland
Qiaira Riley 
Ronald Washington 
Shahv Williams
Nasir Young

The Fellowship for Black Artists stands as a cornerstone initiative at Mural Arts, directly reflecting our core mission. This pivotal program commits to empowering Black artists across all mediums in Philadelphia, offering them financial support, mentorship, and a platform to amplify their vital voices. The Fellowship has supported 85 artists, including this new cohort. Over the course of seven months, our Fellows immerse themselves in an enriching public art curriculum. This includes workshops on project planning, community engagement, design, and installation, equipping them with the tools to leave a lasting impact. Moreover, the Fellowship fosters collaboration among community members and fellow artists, creating a vibrant ecosystem of creative exchange. Supporting emerging artists is not just important—it is essential to the lifeblood of art itself.

The Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists was designed in 2020 to fund, foster, and elevate the important work of emerging Black artists residing within the City of Philadelphia.  The goal of the Fellowship is to build a long term community and creative connections among Fellows by fostering a spirit of practical, complimentary teamwork.  Mural Arts will facilitate the development of skill building by providing equitable exposure to public and private art projects.  Furthermore, the Fellowship looks to strengthen their connections not only to each other, but to the greater community, culminating in the presentation of their work/practice to the larger community through a curated group show. This year, the 2024 Fellowship will support 15 artists of any medium with $2,000 in unrestricted funding to support their art practice.