2026 Utah Artist Fellowship Recipients
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is delighted to announce the Utah artists in literary, performing, and visual & design arts who have been awarded fellowships to recognize their individual artistic excellence and support their professional careers.
Fellowship Info Page
Literary Arts
Juror: Lia Purpura
Rob Carney
"Mostly our street felt lucky for once: to be picked / and visited by wonder." Those are two lines in my forthcoming book, "Strange Résumés: 80 New & Selected." And that's how I feel about being chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime fellowship: lucky and wonderful. Writing adds meaning to life. I believe that. But writers don't often know if our work is out there doing its job in the world. Is it finding readers? Do they find it meaningful? This fellowship feels like I've gotten a note saying yes, so thank you, Utah Arts & Museums. I'm honored.
Amber Caron
I am wildly grateful to the Utah Division of Arts & Museums for this fellowship. The recognition and support arrives at a critical stage of my book project. Thank you for this vote of confidence, which has brought me back to the page, and for the financial support, which allows me to conduct necessary research.
Christopher Cokinos
For a book about the fate of the Sun, the planets and life as we know it, I have research to conduct at archives and observatories and a solar telescope to purchase that will allow me to observe the Sun in its (thankfully distant) seething violence. Those observations, like those I made for my book about the Moon, will form a narrative spine and inform how lyrically I convey the science I’m encountering. I’m also working on essays about Utah and the sublime. So this fellowship is just a huge boost at just the right moment. It’s an absolute honor.
Katharine Coles
This fellowship will allow me to concentrate more fully on my actual writing, to be alone and focused. It will also allow me more freedom to be with other writers, to travel to conferences and meet with editors and collaborators. It means freedom, solitude, and community.
Cindy King
I am incredibly honored and grateful to receive a Utah Artist Fellowship, which I hope will draw attention to Southern Utah and all of the literary and cultural activity of the region. It is truly exhilarating to be included alongside many of the esteemed artists living in our state, and to be recognized by the Literary Arts Juror, Lia Purpura, whose work I very much admire. I will use the award to support work on my third book-length poetry manuscript as well as for ongoing promotion of my previous publications. Much gratitude to the Utah Division of Arts & Museums.
Performing Arts (Music)
Juror: Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj
Heather Bosshardt
Receiving this fellowship provides meaningful personal and professional validation of the efforts I have made to create, sustain, and advance my music career while raising our young family! It also brings much-needed momentum, publicity, and financial support as I seek to integrate my identity as a musician with the rest of my life and to share the gifts I've been given with wider audiences. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity from Utah Arts & Museums and look forward to using this honor and generous funding to help further my goals.
Emily Hicks
Receiving this fellowship as an independent singer-songwriter means so much to me. It gives me the chance to create and share new music rooted in hope, love, and the kind of wonder we feel in nature. I’m deeply honored to have my music recognized by the state of Utah in this way. Thank you for believing in what I do and for supporting small artists.
Scott Lippitt
My journey as an independent musician is often a solitary one, fueled solely by intrinsic drive, so being recognized as a 2026 Utah Artist Fellow is an immense and moving honor. As I reflect on my decision in 2020 to leave an engineering career and devote myself fully to music, this recognition makes every sacrifice feel even more special. Thank you, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, jurors, and staff members for this amazing fellowship program. This award will support me in my next chapter, and I can’t wait to contribute further to Utah’s thriving creative community.
Maddie Wilson
I feel incredibly honored to be a recipient of this fellowship. For the past 14 years, I've poured my heart and soul into songs that matter deeply to me. This recognition will only fuel my fire. I'm excited to put this support to good use by recording more music and creating new music videos in the future.
Amber Youngberg
Receiving this fellowship means the world to me. It gives me the time, space, and financial freedom to focus deeply on recording an album, creating new music, and sharing my songs with the world. As an artist, I am committed to growing, and this support allows me to take creative risks, refine my skills in the studio, and expand how my music reaches people. I dream of my songs traveling beyond my room into listeners' lives everywhere. This fellowship helps carry my work forward, so it can connect, move, and offer hope to more people than ever before.
Visual Arts & Design
Juror: Rachel Adams
Kellie Bornhoft
The recognition and support that comes with this fellowship is an honor. Utah has no shortage of amazing artists, and I feel lucky to be selected and humbled to be amongst the roster of current and previous fellows. I plan to take advantage of the time and space this award will give me and to create a new body of work this year.
Cara Despain
Support for artists is in short supply, and having the recognition backed by tangible, untethered resources is invaluable. It's the often unseen force that makes projects happen. I'm so grateful at this particular moment to receive this award.
Scout Invie
I'm deeply grateful and honored to be a recipient of the Visual Arts Fellowship. To me, this fellowship is a gift of sustenance and an encouragement for the longevity of my practice. With it, I can maintain my communal studio space to regularly collaborate and be in consistent exchange with local artists and designers. I am thrilled to be among a phenomenal cohort pushing the boundaries of visual art in Utah and beyond.
Laurie Larson
Receiving the Utah Artist Fellowship is a deeply meaningful milestone that arrives at a transformative moment in my artistic practice. As an artist in my early career, professional recognition like this carries real weight. This fellowship provides vital support and encouragement during a time of growth in my practice, and affirms that my current work is resonating outside studio walls. I am so honored and uplifted to stand among the body of Utah Artist Fellows.
Aimee Odum
It is an honor to receive the support and recognition this fellowship brings. It comes at a transformative moment in my career as I deepen my exploration of sculpture-based work examining our relationship with technology. This fellowship will allow me to fully realize ambitious new ideas and embrace experimentation, creating work that is immersive and timely within our community. I have long admired this fellowship, and receiving it after multiple years of applying makes this recognition especially meaningful.
Rebecca Pletsch
Artists give up so much to be able to create art, and there are years of long-term sacrifices behind reaching a skill level where you can fully create the way you want to create. This fellowship gives me the ability, materials, and time to create freely and follow my vision in a deeper way. It allows me to make work that I otherwise would not be able to make, and to push my practice further without the constant pressure of financial limitation. More than anything, it creates space to take risks, experiment, and fully invest in the work itself.
Sara Serratos
Receiving the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Visual Arts Fellowship is both an honor and a meaningful source of support for my artistic and professional development as a photographer, artist, and migrant. This fellowship allows me to expand my ongoing projects in Utah that reflect on migration, labor, cultural memory, community, and the search for belonging. It also strengthens the long-term sustainability of my artistic practice by supporting the creation of more ambitious, socially engaged, and community-centered work while representing, uplifting, and honoring my Latinx community and my Mexican heritage.
Mary Toscano
Receiving this prestigious fellowship is both affirming and energizing. As an artist committed to slow, exploratory, and collaborative work, such distinction signals that my quieter, process-driven approaches truly matter. This fellowship directly supports the growth of current projects, while giving me the capacity to continue taking risks across disciplines. Beyond the practical benefits, the recognition creates momentum — opening space for deeper research, stronger collaborations, and wider public engagements. For all these reasons, it is deeply appreciated.
