Art faculty Chris Vargas wins $50,000 Creative Capital Award
Western Washington University Assistant Professor of Art Chris E. Vargas was awarded a $50,000 prize Creative Capital, a group known for applying principles of venture capital to arts financing. The awards are for artistic projects that aim to reflect broad cultural conversations about gender, gun violence and race are among those chosen for nearly $4.4 million worth of grants awarded.
Vargas, who also serves as the executive director of the Museum of Transgender Hirstory & Art, won this year for his proposal, “Transgender Hirstory in 99 Objects,” which will take the form of an exhibition and a book.
The winning projects, 46 in all, were selected from a batch of 2,500 applications that represented both established and emerging artists. Winners also receive $45,000 worth of career development services provided by Creative Capital. Past winners have included the documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras, the choreographer Kyle Abraham and the polymath Meredith Monk.
