TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCES 2026-2028 AWARDEES
Building on more than a decade of place-based impact, ten artists working across disciplines have been selected through a national open call to receive more than $2.3 million in resources to live and work in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Amy Hoagland, Blurred Horizon, 2021. Courtesy of the artist
January 27, 2025 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Artist Fellowship is pleased to announce the 2026–2028 Tulsa Artist Fellowship Awardees, a cohort of ten accomplished artists and arts workers selected through a highly competitive national open call.
Working across visual art, film, writing, sound, and performance, the awardees bring rigorous, publicly engaged practices that position Tulsa as a hub for ambitious, cross-disciplinary work and national creative exchange.
Building on more than a decade of place-based impact, the 2026–2028 awardees were selected from a robust applicant pool representing 47 U.S. states and territories, as well as U.S. citizens living in 15 countries across five continents. Together, the cohort reflects a wide range of artistic approaches, cultural perspectives, and commitments to long-term, community-engaged practice.
Founded in 2015 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a place-based, durational award designed to support visionary arts practitioners who choose to live and work in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each year, ten artists commit to a three-year residency emphasizing sustained inquiry, public connection, and deep engagement with local context.
Over the three-year award term, the 2026–2028 cohort will collectively receive more than $2.3 million in financial support and resources—representing an estimated $230,000+ investment per fellow. With three overlapping cohorts, Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports 30 artists concurrently, translating to an average annual investment of approximately $2.3 million in artists living and working in Tulsa.
“As communities navigate rapid change and competing pressures, sustained investment in artists is one of the most practical ways to build cultural resilience. Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports long-form work that cannot be made on deadlines or in isolation—projects that require research, experimentation, and genuine relationships over time. This new cohort will join a thriving network of fellows and Tulsa partners to create ambitious work that deepens understanding”
2026–2028 Tulsa Artist Fellowship Awardees
Myiesha Gordon Beales — Sculpture, Social Practice — Detroit, MI
Derrick Estrada / Baseck — Sound & Instrument Design — Los Angeles, CA
Amy Hoagland — Sculpture, Installation — Denver, CO
Rebecca Nagle (Cherokee Nation) — Nonfiction, Journalism — Tahlequah, OK
Aaron Robertson — Literary Nonfiction, Translation — Brooklyn, NY
Amir Saadiq — Photography, Experimental Film — Santa Monica, CA
Sabrina Saleha (Navajo/Bengali) — Screenwriting, Film — Santa Fe, NM
Leonard Suryajaya — Photography, Installation, Performance — Chicago, IL
Dustin Tahmahkera (Comanche) — Playwriting, Indigenous Studies — Norman, OK
Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) — Screenwriting, Film — Tulsa, OK
Amir Saadiq, Untitled, 2025. Courtesy of the artist
Together, the awardees engage Tulsa as both a living archive and a site for future-making—bringing forward overlooked stories, strengthening cultural continuity, and contributing new perspectives grounded in local context. By pairing nationally recognized artists with Tulsa- and Oklahoma-rooted practitioners, the cohort reinforces the city’s cultural ecosystem through mentorship, collaboration, and community partnership, creating artistic, educational, and civic value that extends beyond the fellowship term.
The panel included: Joël Díaz (Director, The Clifton House), Ayokunle Falomo (Writer and Educator), Rachel Hayes (Textile Artist; TAF Alum), Karl Jones (Interdisciplinary Artist; Co-Founder, Center of Queer Prairie Studies; TAF Alum), Jenny Keller (Cherokee Nation; Associate Curator, Gilcrease Museum), Josh Levi (Interdisciplinary Artist; Public Programs, COUNTERPUBLIC), Natani Notah (Navajo Nation; Visual Artist; TAF Alum), and Brian Sea (Creative Performance Producer).
The 2026–2028 award term begins in January 2026 and concludes in December 2028.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship invites applicants from all arts disciplines to apply for its 2027–2029 award term. Applications will open in Spring 2026. For more information, visit tulsaartistfellowship.org.
ABOUT TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Established in 2015, Tulsa Artist Fellowship was created as a place-based arts initiative by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), that addresses pressing challenges for contemporary artists and arts workers living in and joining the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A central part of the Fellowship’s initiative is to bring, enliven, and participate in Tulsa’s growing and thriving arts community. TAF supports contemporary artists across all mediums and is committed to celebrating diversity in all its forms and freedom of expression.
ABOUT GEORGE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization dedicated to providing equal opportunity for young children through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services, and civic enhancement. GKFF believes that Tulsa is a land of opportunity. A generous and welcoming community, this city is not bound by traditional conventions. GKFF is dedicated to making Tulsa the best city for children to be born, grow, and succeed.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Georgina Zhao | FITZ & CO | gzhao@fitzandco.com | +1 212 444 4046
Grace MacDonald | FITZ & CO | gmacdonald@fitzandco.com | +1 650 823 7333