07/08/2026
❝Detroit is rich in artistry in every sense, and that richness was well represented in the pool of applicants. What I love about this opportunity is that it….makes space for a heartbeat to be present, unafraid to surface the raw and diverse stories that we as artists carry into the world. Detroit doesn't ask what art should look like. It trusts what it already knows.❞
- Karilú Alarcón Forshee
Meet the panelists who selected the 2026 Kresge Artists Fellows and Gilda Award recipients:
⭐ 2026 LIVE ARTS PANELISTS⭐
• Darryl Kent Clark, Choreographer; Director; Performing artist; Associate professor, musical theatre dance, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Karilú Alarcón Forshee, Interdisciplinary Performing Artist; Youth Arts advocate; Program Manager, CultureSource; 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow
• William Hector, Playwright; Novelist; Founder and artistic director of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival
• Liz Joynt Sandberg, Director; Writer; Improviser; Sketch Comedian, The Second City, Baby Wine Comedy, The Annoyance Theater, iO Chicago, Comedy Theater
• Alex Trajano, Sound Designer, Audible Studios; Musician; Audio engineer; Host of The Moth StorySlam, Detroit
⭐ 2026 FILM & MUSIC PANELISTS⭐
• Katy Dresner, Filmmaker; Interdisciplinary Artist; 2024 Kresge Artist Fellow
• Todd Johnson, TV Lounge; Sun & Sound Detroit; Charivari Detroit
• Angelo Madsen, Artist; Filmmaker, University of Vermont
• Dr. Jasmine Pigott, Performer; Composer; Educator; Storyteller; Meinl Weston Performing Artist; Adjunct Professor of Tuba, Rowan University
• Janis Shen, Artist Manager & Entertainment Attorney; Co-Founder and CEO, Wax Management; Of Counsel at Covey Law, Arts & Entertainment practice; Director, CAPENY
Each year, award recipients are selected by panels of local and national arts experts and practitioners. New panelists are assembled each award cycle. Learn more: https://kresgeartsindetroit.org/announcement/2026-kresge-artist-fellows-and-gilda-awards/