Press Release: Public Reception March 20 for Artspace Southern Illinois/3Arts Inaugural Residency Program Recipients; Two $30,000 Awards
Carbondale, Illinois
The inaugural recipients will be honored at Artspace Southern Illinois — 304 Cultural Arts Center on March 20, 2026
The 3Arts/Artspace Southern Illinois Awards are a partnership between 3Arts and Artspace Southern Illinois, aiming to bridge the rural-urban divide in Illinois by supporting artistic talent across regions. Recipients were announced on Thursday, October 9, 2025. This year, one visual artist and one music artist were honored with unrestricted $30,000 awards. Rooted in a shared commitment to empowering artists and strengthening communities, 3Arts and Artspace Southern Illinois have come together to spark lasting connections and creative opportunities across the state.
Chuck Benya, PhD, CEO of Artspace Southern Illinois, said, “This partnership with 3Arts reflects our shared belief that artists are essential to the vitality of our communities. By offering unrestricted support, we’re not just funding projects — we’re investing in the lives, voices, and futures of Southern Illinois artists. Fern Logan and Maxwell Senteney exemplify the depth of talent in our region, and we’re proud to celebrate their work and amplify their impact.”
Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts, added, “At 3Arts, we believe artists deserve support that recognizes the full scope of their work and lives. Partnering with Artspace Southern Illinois lets us extend that support beyond Chicago, reaching communities across Illinois with the flexibility artists need to thrive. We’re grateful to collaborate with Artspace Southern Illinois in this shared commitment to creativity, equity, and building meaningful connections that strengthen the arts statewide.”
About the 3Arts/Artspace Southern Illinois Award awardees:
Music
Maxwell Senteney, aka Sad Max, (he/him) is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Carbondale, IL. Raised by record collectors, he was drawn to the local DIY scene, performing in punk and experimental bands. In his twenties, he joined Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band as a guitar tech and later became their full-time drummer. Over 11 years, he toured globally, recording three albums, two of which received Blues Foundation award nominations. His experience with the band deepened his love for roots music and inspired him to study and perform traditional banjo styles. In 2021, he founded River to River Community Records to support Southern Illinois artists. Currently, he drums for The Woodbox Gang, Lucas Wayne and the Cottonmouths, and Creeper Bud, continuing to write and record across genres from folk to punk.
Visual Arts
Fern Logan (she/her) has shown her work since the early 1970s, emerging as a promising photographer from the Apeiron Photographic Workshops. Her work was featured in the groundbreaking exhibition, Reflections in Black: Contemporary African American Photographers at the Brooklyn Museum. Her artworks are part of collections at The Smithsonian Institution, The Harlem State Office Building, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Michigan Technological University, and Depauw University. Logan is Professor Emerita of Cinema & Photography at Southern Illinois University and has taught Photography and Graphic Design at Elmhurst University and Michigan Technological University. Her 2021 book, The Artist Portrait Series, features portraits of prominent Black artists like Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence, published by Southern Illinois University Press. She was awarded grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation for this work. Her digital imagery has also earned her two Illinois Arts Council Fellowship awards and a finalist award.
About Artspace Southern Illinois
Artspace Southern Illinois is a nonprofit cultural arts organization serving the southern Illinois region with offices in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1987 as a grassroots effort, Artspace Southern Illinois has grown to serve people from communities across the region, showcasing the arts through three dedicated venues and a network of partnerships. The organization offers services and resources to independent artists, provides grant funding for the cultural arts, and offers opportunities for people to experience and participate in the cultural arts, including in underserved communities and areas where it can have a significant impact. Artspace Southern Illinois receives support from the Illinois Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Humanities, Giving Good Chaos, City of Carbondale, and generous donors throughout the region.
About 3Arts
Founded in 1912, 3Arts is a nonprofit organization with a history centered on women artists. It supports artistsworking in the performing, teaching, and visual arts in the Chicago metropolitan area, including women artists, artists of color, and Deaf or disabled artists. The 3Arts Awards were launched in 2007 to provide unrestricted awards, project funding, residencies, professional development, and promotion to help artists take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers over time.
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For more information:
Chuck Benya, EdD
CEO, Artspace Southern Illinois