Wauson Fellowships

FOR-SITE Foundation Executive Director Cheryl Haines and Kim Wauson

The Wauson Fellowship Fund was created in 2008 in memory of Kim Wauson (1954–2008), a highly creative and remarkably committed artist advocate. Kim devoted most of his life to the discovery and encouragement of artists of exceptional talent who were underrecognized for their vision and the rigor of their practice. His advice, support, and friendship were deeply valued by friends and colleagues.

Advisors to the FOR-SITE Foundation nominate candidates for the Wauson Fellowships. By design, eligibility guidelines are broad. There is no restriction with respect to medium or style, nor is there an age, nationality, or educational requirement. Artists at any point in their professional career are eligible; however, underrecognized, emerging, and midcareer artists are understood to derive greater benefit from the award. Awards are granted with no special conditions.

2009 Fellowships

The FOR-SITE Foundation selected Lori Ellison, Terence Haggerty, Dan Schmidt, and Barbara Takenaga as recipients of 2009 Wauson Fellowships. The artists were awarded $5,000 to use in any way they saw fit.

The five advisors for 2009 were Agnes Gund, art collector and president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art; Wynn Kramarsky, art collector and founder of the Fifth Floor Foundation; Lawrence Rinder, director of the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; and a prominent abstract artist and a leading writer and art critic, both of whom wish to remain anonymous. Special thanks to FOR-SITE board member Jane Scott, Scott McDonald, the family of Kim Wauson, and funders of the Wauson Fellowship.