Three Musicians Among 2014 USA Fellows
The 2014 USA Music Fellows: Daoud A. Haroon, Alison Brown (photo © Jody Spence), and Meshell Ndegeocello (photo © Mark Seliger). From the United States Artists Fellows Website.
United States Artists (USA) has announced 34 new USA Fellows for 2014 including three musicians: Nashville-based bluegrass/newgrass banjoist Alison Brown; Durham-based trombonist, ethnomusicologist, and jazz educator Daoud A. Haroon; and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, bassist, and rapper Meshell Ndegeocello. Each artist will receive an award of $50,000 to support his or her practice and professional development, opening up creative possibilities through financial support.
As one of the largest grant-making organizations in the country providing direct support to artists, USA honors innovative, accomplished artists at all stages of their careers. Artists are nominated by their peers and field experts for the quality, imagination, and enduring potential of their work in the following disciplines: architecture and design, crafts and traditional arts, dance, literature, media, music, theater arts, and visual arts. Awards are entirely unrestricted and may be used by fellows in any way they choose.
Founded in 2006 by the Ford, Rockefeller, Rasmuson, and Prudential Foundations with $22 million to support artists in America, USA is currently funded by a broad range of philanthropic foundations and individuals. Since inception, through its signature USA Fellows program, USA has distributed $19.1 million in support to 405 artists. Past recipients of USA Fellowships include visual artists Glenn Ligon, Kara Walker, Theaster Gates and Catherine Opie; cartoonist Chris Ware; designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy (of Rodarte); composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Meredith Monk and Jason Moran; ballet dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied; choreographer Bill T. Jones; and writer Sapphire.
The 34 recipients of this year’s awards were selected from 116 nominated artists living in the United States and Puerto Rico and were chosen by a panel of expert peers in each artistic discipline. For a complete list of the 2014 fellows and additional information, visit the United States Artists website.
(from the press release)