Professors Kimberly Johnson and Patrick Madden have both been awarded the 2025 Utah Artist Fellowship for their exceptional literary work.
Making great art takes time, effort, and money—things that, at times, artists may find themselves in short supply. That’s where fellowships and awards can step in to help as bright, shining resources in the pursuit of artistic achievement. Every year, the Utah Division of Arts & Museums awards fellowships to exceptional Utah creatives, and this year, English professors Kimberly Johnson (Poetry) and Patrick Madden (Creative Nonfiction) have each been awarded the 2025 Utah Artist Fellowship for their exceptional contributions in the Literary Arts category.
The Utah Artist Fellowships gift grants of $5,000 to Utah creatives with a body of at least five years of professional creative work behind them. Five fellowships are awarded to applicants in each of four categories: Design Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. These fellowships give awardees resources to help them continue developing their exceptional creativity through pivotal moments in their careers.
Johnson’s fellowship recognizes her for her exceptional poetry that juxtaposes the personal and the spiritual, inviting readers to pause in the stillness between the surreal and the ever-churning present world. Madden’s fellowship recognizes his skill in writing essays that stay rooted in the classical essay tradition while incorporating more modern twists and turns that provoke curiosity and interest. Both express their gratitude for the recognition of their work and look forward to the opportunities for creative development that the fellowship offers them.
Learn more by checking out the fellowship page.