Individual Artist Project Grant

Through my proposed art projects, I intend to amplify underrepresented immigrants, especially women's, voices and project these voices through cutting-edge technology. I want to use the power of visual storytelling to engage American citizens with underrepresented immigrants. I intend to encourage all to understand immigrants better because the United States consists of a diverse society in which American citizens and immigrant need to live in harmony and honor diversity and inclusion.1) Having a solo exhibition in a qualified gallery in the United States. 2) Sowing my work in the Current New Media Festival, Santa Fe, NM. 3) Exhibiting my work in a group exhibition at Zane Bennett Contemporary Art | form and concept, Santa Fe, NM. 4) Showing the process of my work in other educational institutions/universities and having artist talks for instructors and students as a visiting artist. I am a multimedia artist and Graphic Design assistant professor in the Art and Design Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). I have worked as an assistant professor for three years and have participated in multiple national and international art and design exhibitions since 2012. I won the award of excellence in Communication Arts (Ca) competition 2022 (the USA), The award of Professional Exploration Category in The World Illustration Awards 2021 (the UK), and the silver prize of A' Design Award in the Graphic Design Category 2019 (Italy). One of my recent animations narrating my immigration story was featured in the Guardian 2021. Furthermore, I won a single semester leave from the School of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Minnesota to dedicate my time working full time on the proposed projects in the fall semester. 1) The "Newest Americans," which is the provider of the immigrants' stories, have guaranteed two solo exhibitions for me in "Paul Robeson Gallery" and "Gallery Aferro" in NJ. 2) I have shown my works at the Currents New Media Festival, one of the most significant new media festivals in the United States, in 2021 and 2022. I have already discussed my future works with them, which attracted their attention, and my proposed projects will potentially be accepted at their festival in 2023. 3) Zane Bennett Contemporary Art | form and concept has asked me to show my first proposed project in their gallery after I finish it. I will have a Zoom meeting with them next week to discuss the details. 4) I have been invited as a visiting artist to Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA, in the fall semester to show a short process of my proposed works to their students and instructors.