Blanchett named USA fellow

Qacung Stephen Blanchett of Bethel is an indigenous musician who was named as a United States Artist fellow for 2022. (Photo by Konrad Frank)

On January 26, United States Artists (USA), a Chicago-based arts funding organization that has awarded more than $36 million to artists across the country since 2006, will announce its 2022 class of Fellows.

This year, sixty-three artists across ten creative disciplines will receive unrestricted $50,000 cash awards, representing the Fellowship’s largest cohort in its history and further articulating USA’s commitment to lifting up artists and celebrating their essential role in communities. Among these esteemed Fellows is Bethel, AK-based Indigenous Musician, Qacung.

Hailing from twenty-three states and Puerto Rico, the 2022 USA Fellows span many geographies and career stages, yet all of the artists offer a boldness of vision. Social practice, education, and pedagogy are particularly important to this year’s group, appearing across almost every discipline — Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing.

The announcement of the 2022 USA Fellows exemplifies United States Artists’ dedication to strengthening the cultural landscape in the United States. With this new Fellowship class, USA will continue to expand its footprint in 2022 and enrich the arts ecosystem from Somerville, Massachusetts to Sitka, Alaska to Hollywood, Florida and beyond.