Student, faculty serve on artist jury

Mikayla Makle, an English major and president of the WSU Black Student Union—and a College of Arts and Sciences student ambassador—served alongside three CAS faculty to help select recipients of the recent Black Lives Matter Artist Grant program offered by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation.

“This artist’s grant has not only provided me with the opportunity to work with an amazing panel of jurors, but it has also allowed me to be witness to impactful and nuanced artistry,” said Makle.

“I appreciated gaining knowledge throughout this process about the conceptualization of art, as well as developing appreciation for the stories surrounding it.”

“The museum is considerably impressed with the grant winners’ collective artwork, and looks forward to exhibiting their talents in the Fall of 2021,” said Ryan Hardesty, interim director of the museum and a member of the selection jury. “We’re confident the exhibition of these artists’ works will raise awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement, and feel grateful to have been part of this process.”

The panel selected to review the artist submissions included Makle, Hardesty, Io Palmer, Department of Fine Arts; Lisa Guerrero, School of Languages, Cultures, and Race; and Trymaine Gaither, Honors College.

The 20 winning artists will each receive $2,500 to fund the creation of art that communicates the voices, experiences, and artistic expression of social justice efforts in response to systemic racism. Works from each of the artists are scheduled to be exhibited at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU beginning in the fall semester of 2021.

Top image: “I am human” by Troy Riley Miles (c).

By Debbie Stinson, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, for WSU Insider