The Brandon Fellowship is a 12-month program that aims to develop three emerging artists between the ages of 21 – 30 who represent the diversity of the Greenville community. Successful candidates are artists who are eager to advance their careers as working artists, and who demonstrate promising talent, self-motivation, and goal-orientation. The Fellowship provides a supportive environment, mentorship, professional development, and art education.
Applications will open in May 2024 And review will commence in July 2024 for the 2024-2025 Program Year
Program Goals
to help young artists launch their careers
to foster a sense of community
to reflect the diversity of Greenville artists
The Brandon Fellowship program is supported by the Jolley Foundation, Earle Furman in memory of Linda Furman, and Doug & Melissa Sturgis.
Benefits
- A free university-style studio at GCCA, where a minimum of 20 hours per week must be spent working. Fellows often interact with guests during GCCA’s public hours.
- A $500 stipend for art supplies.
- Complimentary classes and workshops at GCCA.
- Mentorship from local artists including monthly critiques and advice about applying for a juried show while in the fellowship.
- Participation in an exhibition in August-September including presentation of an ARTalk.
- Opportunities for networking, collaboration, and participation in other local arts events.
- Broad exposure as an artist in Greenville and beyond including managing a social media takeover of GCCA’s social platforms.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be between 21 and 30 years of age by the end of the application period.
- Prior professional art training or post-secondary education is not required.
- Applicants should be eager to advance their careers as working artists, and they must demonstrate promising talent, self-motivation, and goal-orientation.
- At the time of application, the applicant must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years.
- Selection will be made without regard to marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.
- You are committed to working around 20 hours per week in your GCCA studio.
Applications will open in May 2024 And review will commence in July 2024 for the 2024-2025 Program Year
The Brandon Fellowship Story
Creating Opportunities for Underrepresented Artists
2015 was the Brandon Fellowship program’s inaugural year; the launch coincided with the opening of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts in Greenville, SC. The program, named for the Brandon textile mill village and the Brandon Mill that is home to GCCA, supports the Center’s mission to be inclusive and serve the whole community with exhibits from local and regional artists, high caliber art classes and workshops and onsite artists’ studios.
Class of 2024 Brandon Fellows
Kephira Davis
kephiradavisstudio@gmail.com
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Kephira Davis graduated from Lander University with a BFA in 2D Studio. She also attended The Fine Arts Center throughout high school. Kephira’s artwork explores ideas of memory and the passage of time. She plans to expand upon her work by investigating her family history and finding the intersection of where her ancestry and ideas of memory meet. Kephira is excited to make meaningful connections with other artists in our community.
Christine
Moore-Bonbright
christinembdesign@gmail.com
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Christine received a BFA in Graphic Design from Colorado State University and works as a graphic designer when not creating her own artwork. Christine’s artistic practice explores themes of mental health, belonging, and identity as they pertain to her life experience through digital art and drawings. She is excited to explore new mediums and create challenging and thought-provoking pieces.
Elizabeth Wallace
eph0002@gmail.com
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Elizabeth Wallace graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Then went on to receive an Associate degree in AA, Web Design and a certificate in photography from Greenville Technical College. Elizabeth has recently discovered a passion for photography. Elizabeth plans on creating a multi-media, community driven series of members from the Greenville LGBTQ+ community.
Brandon Fellowship Alumni
Faith Hudgens
faithhudgens@gmail.com
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A self-taught painter and mixed-media artist, Faith grew up in Greenville and has worked professionally as a highly regarded tattoo artist since establishing her practice in 2017. Her paintings are vibrant, emotional, and layered with spirituality. She has participated in exhibitions at Greenville Technical College and the Commerce Club. Faith is an uplifter in her community and volunteers regularly with Miracle Hill Ministries hosting art classes for young girls in foster care. Faith has also hosted PRIDE events with Upstate Pride SC and donates art to organizations that support women and the LGBTQ+ community. Faith’s overarching goal is to cultivate positive change through her art and specifically, to use art as a platform to propel Greenville forward in unity, cultural diversity, and minority inclusion.
Orlando Corona
koronaprints@gmail.com
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Orlando Corona is a Greenville-based oil painter and printmaker, born in Mexico. His artwork is based on his Mexican culture and as a first-generation immigrant in the U.S. While only having 3 years of experience, he has been in several galleries since the age of 17 and has studied under several local artists. His favorite artists include Diego Rivera, a Mexican muralist; Posada, a printmaker; and Pablo Picasso. Orlando strives to create impactful art that can be shared with others. Art is his creative way of communicating his thoughts and speaking to the world.
RaAmen Stallings
raamenstallings@gmail.com
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RaAmen (Rah-Mēn) Stallings Is an aspiring creative who is passionate about all forms of art. He is a graduate of both Greenville Senior High Academy and Greenville Technical College where he received an associate’s in Business Administration. Although he has worked professionally as a photographer since launching his business in 2020, RaAmen is now focused on developing his skills as a painter. He is committed to expanding his artistic practice and believes strongly in the power of art as a way to inspire and facilitate community and conversation.
Kim Le
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Kim Le is an alumna of the Fine Arts Center at Wade Hampton High School and was recently awarded her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Winthrop University where she was a magna cum laude graduate. While at Winthrop, Kim won the distinction of being the only student ever to have received first place in three consecutive undergraduate juried exhibitions at Winthrop University Galleries. She is a mixed media artist who uses her art to explore the abject adolescent feminine psyche. Working in a variety of mediums, her goal is to decontextualize objects of feminine consumerism to explore the “true” and “false” self as it relates to repressed violence, aggression, and abjection in the female mind.
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Terrell Washington makes intimate paintings inspired by his dreams as well as what he sees in the world around him. His high-energy, colorful pieces are layered with meaning and reflect the personal, spiritual, and societal challenges he has experienced in his young life. Primarily self-taught, Terrell is a prolific painter with a natural eye for design, composition, and color. During his senior year at Eastside High School, Terrell became a member of the National Arts Honor Society. He has also participated in Artisphere several times where he received an Honorable Mention and two First Place awards in the student exhibition. In addition to painting, Terrell is a partner in a t-shirt business where he produces unique and custom-designed t-shirt products.
Sienna Patterson
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Sienna Patterson creates unique and expressive metal and enamel jewelry and is also a proficient watercolor and ink artist. She previously studied at the Fine Art Center at Wade Hampton High School where she excelled in metals classes and also robotics. Also while in high school, Sienna was selected to exhibit at Art Fields in the junior division and won several Scholastic Art and Writing awards. Her use of color is vibrant and rich, and is expressed seamlessly across all of the mediums in which she works. Sienna continues to explore mediums and ways to expand her creative expression and is driven by a desire to make art accessible and present for all populations.
Charis Jackson Barrios
Megan Hueble
Olivia Perreault
Brandon Seabrook Nelson
Dorothy Shain
Ashley Waller Rabanal
Glory Day Loflin
Antonio Modesto Milian
Naomi Nakazato
2023/24 Brandon Fellowship Selection Panel
Rhonda Rawlings
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Rhonda Rawlings, a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. is an award winning journalist, Radio Host and Public Speaker. She currently serves as the Community Director for Mill Village Ministries. Prior to accepting that position she served as the South Carolina Communications Director for Presidential Candidate Senator Cory Booker. Previously, Rawlings served for 11 years as the News and Community Affairs Director for SummitMedia Greenville. The native New Yorker has an extensive background in television and film production and has worked previously on films such as Deep Cover and television shows, The Chris Rock Show and the Fox sitcom ROC. In September of 2020 Rhonda launched Uplift Upstate, a social media video segment focused on sharing local good news features, interviews and uplifting and inspiring information and events. Rhonda also serves as a contributing writer for Community Journals. Rhonda is also a member of GCCA’s Board of Directors.
Danielle Fontaine
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Danielle Fontaine was an inaugural artist at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts, where she and her husband Bill McLendon founded the Brandon Fellowship. She recently moved her studio to Abney House, just outside the gate to GCCA. Danielle’s pictorial memoir Still Time on Pye Pond was published last year by Clemson University Press.
Kevin Kao
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Kevin Kao is a sculptor that incorporates themes of self, humor, and narrative through a figurative context. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; Crocker Museum of Art, Sacramento, CA; Kranzberg Art Foundation, St. Louis, MO; and more. Kao currently lives and works in Greenville, SC where he is also Assistant Professor of Art at Furman University.
Glory Day Loflin
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Glory Day Loflin graduated from The Cooper Union in 2014 and is received her masters at Clemson University in 2023. Her work can be seen in New American Paintings, Design Sponge, and Magnolia Network. She has shown work nationally and is represented by galleries in the Southeast.
Working out of her studio at Oyé Studios, an artists’ cooperative in Downtown Greenville, South Carolina, she creates work for both private homes and corporate spaces.
Her work pushes the boundaries of painting and drawing and includes explorations in clay and wooden sculpture.
Glory is an alumni of the Brandon Fellowship program at GCCA and was part of the inaugural class in 2016.
Alumni Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can write the letter of recommendation?
Anyone who can speak to your art practice, as long as they are not related to you.
How does the mentorship work?
The fellowship includes guidance and collaboration with a group of professional local artists who act as mentors for the fellows. They provide monthly critiques as well as ongoing support and guidance regarding best practices. This can include advice about how to get your work shown, how to develop and master new techniques and mediums, how to present yourself digitally, and general advice to help you excel in your art career.
What kind of classes do the fellows have access to and how many can they take?
Fellows can take any class offered by GCCA for free and there is no limit on the number of classes they can take. Although classes are complimentary, fellows may be required to buy their own supplies, depending on the class.
Are there limitations as to what mediums fellows can use in their studios?
Currently, the fellowship studios are not ventilated to allow for work in metals, encaustics, wood, or ceramics. This type of work would need to be done elsewhere. The use of mediums that do not require ventilation is acceptable as long as the fellow can provide their own equipment and ensure their own safety within the space in which they are working.
Do you have to have previous training or education in art to apply as a fellow? Am I less likely to be selected?
No. Anyone between the ages of 21 and 30 who is passionate about developing their art career and has a portfolio of work is welcome to apply.
Can I start the application and save it so I can return to complete it later?
The online application must be completed at one time, it cannot be saved, and it will time out if it remains open for too long. We suggest applicants type their answers into a Word or Google doc and then copy and paste them into the application.