ABOUT THE UTAH ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS:

The Utah Artist Fellowships are $5,000 awards that recognize the careers of Utah artists demonstrating exceptional creativity in their fields. Fellows are chosen by out-of-state, nationally renowned arts professionals. Selections are based on evaluation of application narratives as well as work samples from the past five years.

Through these fellowships, Utah Arts & Museums seeks to support professional and committed individual artists reaching pivotal moments in their artistic practices, and encourage their career advancement and growth. Applicants are expected to demonstrate why now is the appropriate time in their careers for this one-time award.

Candidates for the Utah Artist Fellowships are selected through an open application process. All eligible applications receive equal consideration through a two-round review process: a prescreen staff review, and a juror review.

The Utah Artist Fellowship is not an award to support a specific art project, recognition of lifetime achievement, or for artists just beginning their careers.

“It was a privilege to serve as a juror for the 2026 Utah Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts & Design. I was thrilled to learn more about the wonderful community in Utah, and the breadth and depth of submissions really spoke to a vibrant and deeply engaged artistic community. The artists recognized here demonstrate a rigorous commitment to their practices, pairing formal innovation with strong conceptual grounding, often rooted in specific histories while addressing broader cultural and contemporary concerns. Each stands at a pivotal moment in their artistic practice, with a trajectory that suggests continued growth and meaningful impact. I am pleased to help foster them through this process.”

AIMEE ODUM’s bizarre and materially rich sculptural and digital installations blur the boundaries between technology, ecology, and human perception, constructing uncanny environments that feel simultaneously seductive, humorous, and unsettling.

Combining ceramic forms with glitch-based digital processes, interactive media, and AI-generated interventions, her work explores the increasingly inseparable relationship between the tactile world and contemporary systems of technological engagement.”

- Juror, Rachel Adams

“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.”

- Aimee Odum

Read More about the Utah Artist Fellowship:

Announcement: Utah Division of Arts & Museums

Press: Southwest Contemporary

Press: Salt Lake Tribune