“I’m very conscious that the body is a temporary vessel and that we all are the same. And it just comes out in the work, and I’m glad that it does.”

Celebrating a true creative force in Southern Illinois with national acclaim — photographer, visual artist, fabric artist, and educator who has mentored and helped grow the arts in the region, including as Professor Emerita of Cinema & Photography at Southern Illinois University. We’re honored to recognize a passionate, thoughtful, and beautifully creative artistic voice.

This award is a $30,000 Residency Grant, an unrestricted award for performers, artists, and creatives, designed to offer support and flexibility, giving recipients the freedom to continue creating, exploring, and developing their work on their terms.

Watch her video to learn more about her art and perspectives.

Local Impact and National Acclaim

Fern Logan’s work explores various themes and cultural perspectives and has been shown widely since the early 1970s, when she emerged as a promising photographer from Paul Caponigro’s Apeiron Workshop. Her work has been included in exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Kenkeleba Gallery, New York, and the groundbreaking exhibition Reflections in Black: Contemporary African American Photographers at the Brooklyn Museum.

A Vibrant Artistic Voice

As Professor Emerita of Cinema & Photography at Southern Illinois University, Logan has spent decades mentoring local artists and helping expand the arts in our region. Additionally, her book The Artist Portrait Series, which includes portraits of prominent Black artists such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence, was published by Southern Illinois University Press. Her artwork is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Harlem State Office Building, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and Michigan Technological University.

A Recognized & Awarded Talent

A photographer and mixed media artist, she has earned consistent recognition through multiple grants and fellowships, including those from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council.

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Thanks for reading and for supporting the artists and creatives who help shape and expand the cultural arts in our region. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on donations from people like you to help us continue to support regional artists. If you’d like to help us do even more of this work, your donation of any size truly makes a difference.

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Meet Our Residency Award Recipient

Artspace Southern Illinois & 3Arts Residency Award Recipient

Fern Logan