Sorey MA ’11 and Orr Awarded Artistic Fellowships

Assistant Professor of Music Tyshawn Sorey MA ’11, a MacArthur “Genius” Award-winner, and Distinguished Fellow in the College of the Environment Allison Orr, artistic director of Forklift Danceworks, have been chosen as 2018 fellows by United States Artists (USA), an organization that illuminates the value of artists to American society. Sorey and Orr will each receive a $50,000 unrestricted award as part of the honor.

• Read more about Tyshawn Sorey’s MacArthur “Genius” Award
• Read more about Allison Orr’s work teaching dance and movement to local children

A total of 45 recipients were announced for the annual awards, which recognize achievements and innovation across nine disciplines, including architecture and design, crafts, dance, media, music, theater and performance, traditional arts, visual art, and writing. Dancer-choreographer-performance artist Okwui Okpokwasili, recipient of the 2015 Danspace/Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance Creative Artist Residency, and jazz chanteuse Somi, who performed as part of the Center for the Arts’ Performing Arts Series in October 2017, were also recognized for their work.

Since its founding in 2006, United States Artists has awarded more than 500 accomplished and innovative artists with unrestricted awards totaling over $22 million of direct support.