Six Artists Awarded 2026 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowships
The 2026 McKnight Fellowships for Visual Artists have been awarded to six recipients: Torey Erin, Isa Gagarin, Jay Heikes, Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai, Jovan C. Speller, and Erinn Springer. Each artist will receive a $25,000 stipend, public recognition, and an ACA residency, alongside professional encouragement. The selection was made from 164 applicants by a national panel of jurors, including Laura Mott from Cranbrook Art Museum and Michael Rooks from High Museum of Art. Funded by the McKnight Foundation, the fellowships, administered by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, support mid-career Minnesota artists.
Key facts
- Six recipients of the 2026 McKnight Fellowships for Visual Artists announced.
- Recipients: Torey Erin, Isa Gagarin, Jay Heikes, Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai, Jovan C. Speller, Erinn Springer.
- Each receives a $25,000 stipend, public recognition, professional encouragement, and an ACA residency.
- Selected from 164 applicants by a national panel of arts professionals.
- Jurors: Laura Mott (Cranbrook Art Museum), Michael Rooks (High Museum of Art), Edra Soto (artist, co-director of The Franklin).
- McKnight Foundation's arts program began in 1982 and supports mid-career Minnesota artists.
- Fellowships administered by MCAD with Program Director Keisha Williams and Associate Coordinator Melanie Pankau.
- Funded by a grant from the McKnight Foundation.
Entities
Artists
- Torey Erin
- Isa Gagarin
- Jay Heikes
- Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai
- Jovan C. Speller
- Erinn Springer
- Edra Soto
Institutions
- McKnight Foundation
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Artist Communities Alliance
- Cranbrook Art Museum
- High Museum of Art
- The Franklin
Locations
- Minneapolis
- Minnesota
- Bloomfield Hills
- Michigan
- Atlanta
- Georgia
- Chicago
- Illinois