Artists Corey Pemberton and Norwood Viviano were both named as 2026 United States Artist Fellows. The award provides an unrestricted grant of $50,000, as well as a range of services such as financial planning and legal advice. Each year, an anonymous nomination process is conducted, polling a selected group of "arts professionals"in a process that produces a list, which is then reviewed by 30 panelists in a process that develops a list of finalists. The final step is approval by the Board of Trustees.
This year, Pemberton and Viviano joined a list of 51 artists from a wide variety of disciplines as recipients of this generous award.
Reached by the Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet, Viviano shared by email his shock at winning the award:
I was utterly stunned when I received the email from the United States Artists about the USA Fellowship award. So far, it is the highlight of my career as an artist. In so many ways, it connects me and the artwork I create to an incredible community and network of makers across disciplines. It also supports my practice by giving me resources to make infrastructure and health and safety improvements to my studio. I’m genuinely grateful to be a part of the USA Fellowship community and look forward to the professional practice aspect of the award as well.
Corey Pemberton was also surprised, and shared his thoughts with the Hot Sheet on the special importance of the award against the backdrop of lost government funding for Crafting the Future, his nonprofit initiative to expand access to craft media, and the slower sales in the wider art market, where he is a practicing painter and sculptor.
It feels like a powerful way to begin the year. 2025 was a difficult one for many reasons. For Crafting the Future, it brought the loss of government funding and the necessity of adopting carefully coded language in order to continue our mission of serving underrepresented artists. We saw staff and volunteers shift their focus toward personal lives and individual practices, navigated the challenges of onboarding new employees, and adapted to constant change.
In my own studio practice, sales continued at an alarmingly slow pace. I was working harder than ever—creating opportunities for other artists, traveling to speak about my journey, and connecting with creatives across the country—yet seeing diminished returns. I’ve been at this long enough to understand that everything ebbs and flows, that a slow year does not define what comes next. Still, during those periods, it can be difficult to hold onto the deeper reasons we do this work.
The U.S. Artist Fellowship is a much-needed reminder of the value of the often unsung labor of artists. While the financial support is significant, the award represents far more than that. It is recognition that my work matters, and an affirmation to keep going. Just as importantly, it is an honor to join such a prestigious cohort of creatives—to be part of something expansive, hopeful, and larger than any one of us.
See the full list of 2026 United States Artist Fellows, as well as past winners.