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New York, NY – June 17, 2026 – Trellis Art Fund is pleased to announce the twelve recipients of its 2026 Milestone Grants, who will each receive an unrestricted award of $100,000 distributed in two installments over a two-year period. The grant is intended to impact artists holistically, to sustain and advance their creative practices while fostering connection through a supportive cohort. Trellis Art Fund envisions a world in which artists and their work are valued for their essential role in helping us better understand ourselves and one another.
Trellis Art Fund Program Director Emily Davidson shared, “We are once again humbled and impressed by the incredible pool of artists who were nominated to apply for our grants. The jury deliberated to assemble a cohort who vary in vision and experience. We celebrate each of these extraordinary artists for the indelible impact they continue to make on their area of focus, and are thrilled to see how these funds carry them forward.”
For the third annual Milestone Grant cycle, Trellis Art Fund invited a diverse group of artists, curators, and arts professionals from across the United States to nominate artists living in or eligible to work in the United States. Applications were submitted beginning in January after which an anonymous jury of five arts leaders reviewed the seventy-five submissions and selected twelve artists from the pool. Trellis places a special emphasis on artists who are caregivers to children, seniors, and other family members. This year Trellis recognizes Ei Arakawa-Nash, Lisa Alvarado, Candice Lin, and Rodrigo Valenzuela as artist-caregivers.
“The Trellis Milestone Grant has given me the possibility of making long-term plans and a new sense of confidence in my ability to sustain a full-time artistic practice for the foreseeable future — which is nothing short of a miracle,” shared Sofia Gallisa-Muriente, 2025 Milestone Grantee. “After years of short-term thinking, living grant-to-grant, and working intensely to seize every opportunity, trusting in the future and being able to slow down has been transformative. I’ve been able to prioritize my health and well-being, invest in my studio, equipment and support, as well as refuse exploitative work opportunities. Most importantly, the grant has allowed me to remain in Puerto Rico, where my work and community are rooted, and where displacement abounds due to lack of economic opportunity.”
The interdisciplinary group of applicants ranged in age from 30 to over 80 and represented nearly every region of the continental United States, as well as Puerto Rico. 78% self-identified as artists of color and over 40% identified as LGBTQIA+. The selected 2026 Milestone cohort also spans generations, ranging in age from 42 to 82. Their practices encompass sculpture, painting, installation, filmmaking, photography, and performance, with the commonality that they were all chosen for their sustained commitment to their practices, the distinct contributions they have made to their fields, and the consistently high caliber of their work.
In 2025, Trellis broadened its definition of “caregiver” to include artists supporting relatives, partners, and loved ones in addition to parents of young children. The designation recognizes the particular challenges faced by artists at these demanding stages of life. In addition to the Milestone Grant, Trellis also provides a biannual Stepping Stone Grant to help advance promising artistic practices. The Stepping Stone Grant awards $40,000 to twenty artists, distributed over a two-year period.
Through its unrestricted funding model, Trellis encourages artists to direct resources wherever they are most needed within their lives and practices. Over the course of the two-year grant period, Trellis also offers professional development opportunities, workshops, and an annual retreat for grantees.
2026 Grant Recipients:
Kelly Akashi (b. 1983) Los Angeles, CA
Ei Arakawa-Nash* (b. 1977) Los Angeles, CA
Charles Atlas (b. 1949) New York, NY
Lisa Alvarado* (b. 1982) Chicago, IL
A.K. Burns (b. 1975) Stone Ridge, NY
Alex Da Corte (b. 1980) Philadelphia, PA
Michiko Itatani (b. 1948) Chicago, IL
Candice Lin* (b. 1979) Altadena, CA
Miguel Luciano (b. 1972) New York, NY
Senga Nengudi (b. 1943) Colorado Springs, CO
TT Takemoto (b. 1967) Daly City, CA
Rodrigo Valenzuela* (b. 1982) Los Angeles, CA
*denotes an artist identifying as a caregiver to a child, relative, or partner.
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About Trellis Art Fund
Trellis Art Fund is a private organization based in New York City, dedicated to providing support to individual artists so they may pursue their creative endeavors. The foundation envisions a world where the work of individual artists is recognized for its intrinsic value. Trellis believes that visual art offers essential benefits to humanity, both as the quintessential expression of our times and as an unparalleled means to understand ourselves and connect with other human beings, and that its practitioners deserve recognition and sustained support to cultivate their work. To achieve this, Trellis creates a community wherein artists are supported as they deepen and expand their practices.
Media Contacts:
For interviews, background and images, please contact:
Katrina Stewart
Blue Medium, Inc.
katrina@bluemedium.com |
