Samantha Appleton Discusses Guggenheim Fellowship and 'Bones of our God' Project
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has revealed its 101st class of Fellows for 2026, choosing 223 individuals from nearly 5,000 applicants spanning 55 disciplines. Among the selected is photojournalist Samantha Appleton, a former Nieman Fellow and co-founder of Noor Images, recognized for her work in conflict zones and the Obama White House. Her Guggenheim project, titled 'Bones of our God,' delves into American mythology through road trips, addressing themes such as capitalism and patriotism at significant locations like the Clotilda slave ship and Wounded Knee. Appleton intends to create a handmade book for historical documentation. Established in 1925, the fellowship offers stipends for independent projects. Edward Hirsch commended the new class as 'the world's best thinkers, innovators, and creators.'
Key facts
- The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced its 101st class of Fellows for 2026, including 223 individuals across 55 disciplines.
- Samantha Appleton is an award-winning photojournalist, former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, and co-founder of Noor Images.
- Appleton's Guggenheim project is titled 'Bones of our God' and explores American mythology through road trips.
- The project includes visits to the Clotilda slave ship site in Alabama, Wounded Knee in South Dakota, and the Dozier School for Boys in Florida.
- Appleton applied for the Guggenheim multiple times before being selected, and she believes the fellowship recognizes consistency and commitment.
- She plans to create a handmade book of the project and hopes it will be acquired by institutions as a historical document.
- Edward Hirsch, President of the Guggenheim Foundation, stated the new class represents 'the world's best thinkers, innovators, and creators.'
- The Guggenheim Fellowship was established in 1925 by Senator Simon Guggenheim and provides a stipend for independent work.
Entities
Artists
- Samantha Appleton
- Barack Obama
- Michelle Obama
- Malia Obama
- Sasha Obama
- Nelson Mandela
- Zora Neale Hurston
- Cudjo
- Edward Hirsch
- Mike Huckabee
- Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
- John McCain
- Renee Good
- Alex Pretti
- Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero
- Benjamin Franklin
- Simon Guggenheim
Institutions
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
- Noor Images
- Harvard University
- White House
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Dozier School for Boys
- Lenscratch
- Al Qaeda in Iraq
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Department of the Interior
Locations
- Rye
- New Hampshire
- United States
- Tal Afar
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Lebanon
- Africa
- Bethesda
- Maryland
- New York City
- Sadr City
- Baghdad
- Maine
- Alabama
- Africatown
- South Africa
- Karbala
- Philadelphia
- Fort Sumter
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Wounded Knee
- Pine Ridge Reservation
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Everglades
- Biddeford
- Jackson
- Mississippi
- North Liberty
- Indiana
- France
- Vietnam
- England