School of Art Faculty, Students and Alumni Receive Artists 360 Awards

Recipients include Ana Buitrago, top left, Danqi Cai, and Shelby Fleming. Middle from left is Vincent Frimpong, Craig Hartenberger, and Caite Mae Ramos. Bottom from left is Sara Schellenberg, Shannon P. Smith, and Carletta Williams. Not pictured are Autumn Blaylock, Ronnie Gunderman, Austin Hughes, and Jonathan Mendez. Photos provided by Artists 360.

The Mid-America Arts Alliance has announced the recipients of its 2024 Artists 360 Awards, the seventh and final cohort of the program.

Since its launch in 2018, Artists 360 has been a catalyst for artistic growth in Northwest Arkansas, awarding 169 grants across five categories to 157 artists, all made possible through the generosity of the Walton Family Foundation.

In the final cohort, two faculty, three graduate students, four undergraduate students, and four alumni from the School of Art are among the 31 Northwest Arkansas artists honored by Artists 360.

“It is remarkable to see so many artists with expertise in a broad range of art practices supported through these grants,” said Rachel Debuque, director of the School of Art. “We were especially excited to see such a large representation of faculty, students and alumni from the School of Art.”

“Arts research expands the boundaries of human understanding, illuminates our culture and communities, and propels innovation,” she added. “We look forward to seeing how each of the recipient’s projects come to life.”

School of Art faculty recipients:

• Danqi Cai is an interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor of foundations for the School of Art. Cai combines multilaminate handmade papers with projection-mapped animations to create multidimensional pieces.
• Craig Hartenberger is a visual artist working primarily in the medium of ceramics and is an instructor for the foundations program in the School of Art.

School of Art graduate student recipients:

• Caite Mae Ramos is a citizen of the Great Sioux Nation who is currently pursuing an M.F.A in the School of Art and co-runs The Botanical Sketchers of the Ozarks.
• Shannon P. Smith is a Black, photo-based artist whose work spans analog and alternative process photography. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in studio art in the School of Art.
• Carletta Williams is a current M.F.A. student who has formed strong connections to her roots and experiences while being Black. Her current collective work reflects the present society while reckoning with events of the past.

School of Art undergraduate student recipients:

• Autumn Blaylock is a multidisciplinary artist and speaker for Ozarkan folklore and emotional color from Fayetteville, Arkansas.
• Ronnie Gunderman creates collage-like works with textiles and found objects while pursuing their B.F.A. focusing on wearable art and costuming.
• Austin Hughes is a mixed-media animator and illustrator with artwork interested in embracing the nuances of everyday motion. He is pursuing his B.F.A with a concentration in drawing and a minor in art history.
• Jonathan Mendez is a first generation Mexican-Salvadoran student currently pursuing a B.F.A. with an emphasis on drawing.

School of Art Alumni recipients:

• Ana Buitrago is an artist and designer from Bogotá, Colombia and graduated with her M.F.A. in ceramics in May 2024.
• Shelby Fleming is an M.F.A. alumna and artist using sculpture and installation art to depict the fragility of the body and living with medical complications.
• Vincent Frimpong is a contemporary ceramic artist and M.F.A. alumnus born in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. His works in are shown in multiple group and solo exhibitions and have received several awards from organizations across the United States.
• Sara Schellenberg is a B.F.A. alumna from St. Louis, Missouri and a painter and tattoo artist working in a women-owned, queer-owned tattoo shop in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In addition to specific projects, the Artists 360 grants provide those recognized with learning opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills and build sustainable careers while creating a network of leading regional artists.

Shannon Smith, one of the current graduate student recipients at the School of Art said receiving the grant was “both an honor and an invaluable opportunity, providing the financial support needed to further my artistic practice, invest in my growth and pursue opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.”

Autumn Blaylock, a current undergraduate student recipient, expressed her gratitude for the award and talked about how it will support her work investigating and investing in the relationship between the histories of her own Scottish heritage and the legends and mythologies of the Ozarks that she grew up in.

“I am deeply honored to have been awarded an Artists 360 student grant for the 2024 cohort,” Blaylock said. “Receiving this grant will allow me to continue creating and sharing my passion for the Ozarks, its people and its art. Artists 360’s generous support strengthens my belief that art has the power to connect and inspire communities.”

Fellow undergraduate student recipient Austin Hughes recently returned to his roots in Northwest Arkansas after spending a year studying animation in Chicago and completing his first short film.

For Hughes, the award will support his exploration of the ways painting, illustration and animation can mix together.

“Not only is receiving the grant meaningful validation for my recent work, but it’s a reminder that there’s an audience in our community who supports and craves local art and storytelling,” Hughes said. “It can be really tricky to find an excited market or industry for animation in our field, but I believe it’s crucial for mid-American voices and perspectives to breach into primary media.”

“I’m excited to come home and work on my own short film during my senior year and contribute to the entertainment community in our region,” he added. “The Artists 360 grant will help support my travel and the next chapter of my work as a whole.”

Artists 360, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, made possible through the support of the Walton Family Foundation, provides grant funding and professional development opportunities to individual artists of all disciplines in the greater Northwest Arkansas area. Projects funded by the grant range across disciplines within the arts, including literature, film, performance, mixed media, sculpture, and more.

Those recognized include undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-education artists working within the community and improving their craft. Grants include learning opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills and build sustainable careers, creating a network of leading regional artists.

To celebrate the final cohort and the overall impact of the Artists 360 program, Mid-America Arts Alliance invites the public to its annual Artists 360 Full Circle Showcase at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 27 at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

To learn more about the impact of Artists 360, watch interviews with program alumni on YouTube.

For biographies and more information about Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artists 360 past grant recipients, visit artists360.art.