Rhiannon Giddens Named A MacArthur Foundation Fellow

Rhiannon Giddens

TODAY (10-11) the JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION announced that singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist RHIANNON GIDDENS has been named a MACARTHUR FELLOW.

The MACARTHUR FELLOWSHIP offers an unrestricted $625,000 grant, distributed over five years, to, in the Foundation’s words, “individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future.”

GIDDENS said, “I am just thrilled! So many things I want to do -- but the first thing is to thank whoever nominated and supported me for this grant.  It means the world to me, and to the projects I have been longing to do.”

Among this year’s recipients, in addition to Giddens, are a painter, a psychologist, an immunologist, a computer scientist, a historian, a fiction writer, a designer and urban planner, a composer and musician, and a community leader.  All Fellows were selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.

"From transforming conditions for low-wage workers to identifying internet security vulnerabilities, from celebrating the African American string band tradition to designing resilient urban habitats, these new MACARTHUR FELLOWS bring their exceptional creativity to diverse people, places, and social challenges,” said CECILIA CONRAD, Managing Director of the MACARTHUR FELLOWS PROGRAM. “Their work gives us reason for optimism and inspires us all."

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