Marking the tenth anniversary of Tulsa Artist Fellowship, 10 awardees working across various arts disciplines were selected to receive $2.35 million in resources by a panel of esteemed arts leaders to live and work in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ten visionary artists and arts workers whose practices span painting, sculpture, film, sound, science, performance, public art, curatorial, photography, writing, and social engagement were awarded from an impressive national pool of 1,117 open call submissions. The submission process drew applicants from 39 U.S. states and 11 international U.S. citizens residing in nine countries. Their work reflects a thoughtful commitment to innovation and community impact, aligning with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s mission to strengthen Tulsa’s arts identity through meaningful and forward-thinking projects. The 2025–2027 award term begins in January 2025 and concludes in December 2027.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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“Oklahoma is the center stage for cultivating a profound national understanding and advancement. Long-form commitment and care are at the heart of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s distinct place-based framework. The incoming awardees will join an established second-year cohort, alumni, dedicated staff team, and vibrant creative community that proudly and passionately calls Tulsa home. Together, our presence, stewardship, and collaborative contributions powerfully shape Tulsa’s arts ecosystem and cultural identity.”
— Executive Director Carolyn Sickles
 

AWARDEES

 
 

LINDSAY AVEILHÉ
CURATOR, ARTS WRITER AND EDITOR
BROOKLYN, NY

FRANKY CRUZ
INTERDISCIPLINARY, SCIENCE
HIALEAH, FL

REHAB EL SADEK
INSTALLATION, ARCHITECTURE, LANGUAGE
AUSTIN, TX


TATYANA FAZLALIZADEH
MULTIMEDIA, INTERDISCIPLINARY,
SOCIAL PRACTICE
BROOKLYN, NY


ADRIENNE KEENE
(CHEROKEE NATION)
NONFICTION WRITER
PROVIDENCE, RI

GAVIN KROEBER
SOCIAL PRACTICE, WRITER, CURATOR
ST. LOUIS, MO


MELISSA LUKENBAUGH
PHOTOJOURNALIST, FILM, ECOLOGY
TULSA, OK


ALICIA SMITH
(NAHUAS/TECUEXES/PUREPECHAS)
PERFORMANCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK


COLLEEN THURSTON
(CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA)
FILMMAKER, FILM CURATOR
TULSA, OK


MICAELA TOBIN
SOUND, COMPOSER
LOS ANGELES, CA

 

LINDSAY AVEILHÉ

CURATOR, ARTS WRITER AND EDITOR
BROOKLYN, NY

FRANKY CRUZ

INTERDISCIPLINARY, SCIENCE
HIALEAH, FL

 

REHAB EL SADEK

INSTALLATION, ARCHITECTURE, LANGUAGE
AUSTIN, TX

 

TATYANA FAZLALIZADEH

MULTIMEDIA, INTERDISCIPLINARY, SOCIAL PRACTICE
BROOKLYN, NY

 

ADRIENNE KEENE

(CHEROKEE NATION)
NONFICTION WRITER
PROVIDENCE, RI

 

GAVIN KROEBER

SOCIAL PRACTICE, WRITER, CURATOR
ST. LOUIS, MO

 

MELISSA LUKENBAUGH

PHOTOJOURNALIST, FILM, ECOLOGY
TULSA, OK

 

ALICIA SMITH

(NAHUAS/TECUEXES/PUREPECHAS)
PERFORMANCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

 

COLLEEN THURSTON

(CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA)
FILMMAKER, FILM CURATOR
TULSA, OK

 

MICAELA TOBIN

SOUND, COMPOSER
LOS ANGELES, CA

 
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CURATOR, ARTS WRITER AND EDITOR

LINDSAY AVEILHÉ

With over a decade of experience in the arts, Lindsay Aveilhé has served as a curator, lecturer, writer, and gallery director in the US and internationally.

 
 
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INTERDISCIPLINARY, SCIENCE

FRANKY CRUZ

Born in 1984 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Franky Cruz is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice seamlessly blends painting, sculpture, installation, and scientific inquiry.

 
 
 

INSTALLATION, ARCHITECTURE, LANGUAGE

REHAB EL SADEK

Rehab El Sadek is a US-based Egyptian interdisciplinary artist of Sudanese ancestry working at the intersection of installation art, architecture, and language.

 
 
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MULTIMEDIA, INTERDISCIPLINARY, SOCIAL PRACTICE

TATYANA FAZLALIZADEH

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, public art, and multimedia installation.

 
 
 

NONFICTION WRITER

ADRIENNE KEENE

Adrienne Keene is a writer and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, originally from southern California. She writes essays and books that explore how Native people are represented in popular culture, as well as utilizing themes of reclamation, reconnection, and Indigenous futurisms to examine the impacts of settler colonialism on her family.

 
 
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SOCIAL PRACTICE, WRITER, CURATOR

GAVIN KROEBER

Gavin Kroeber is an artist who creates events, gatherings, and excursions that interrogate the cultural dynamics of power and their expression in the poetics of place. His projects are collaborative, bringing interdisciplinary ensembles together within a constellation of sites to generate artworks and exhibitions.

 
 
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PHOTOJOURNALIST, FILM, ECOLOGY

MELISSA LUKENBAUGH

Melissa is a photojournalist and documentarian trained in qualitative research methods positioned to bridge the gap between science, policy and public impact. Her work centers on the tension and hopeful innovation between extractivism, adaptation, conservation, and economy in the ultimate service of human health and well-being.

 
 
 

PERFORMANCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY

ALICIA SMITH

Alicia Smith is a Xicana Multidisciplinary Artist and Activist current fellow at the Tulsa Artist Fellowship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 
 
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FILMMAKER, FILM CURATOR

COLLEEN THURSTON

Colleen Thurston is a filmmaker and film curator from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Colleen has produced for the Smithsonian Channel, Vox, PBS, and federal, tribal, and nonprofit organizations.

 
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SOUND, COMPOSER

MICAELA TOBIN

Composer and sound artist Micaela Tobin wields her soprano voice against the confines of convention, specializing in experimental and contemporary realms of opera and noise. Micaela focuses on building connections between the physical voice and one’s "inner" voice as a means of empowerment, challenging colonial stories and systems.

 
 
 
 

Tulsa Artist Fellowship welcomes artistic practitioners of all kinds. Beginning as a program for visual artists, we have purposefully expanded our mission to support contemporary artists of all mediums, as well as arts workers. Inclusivity is our driving force.

 
 
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