CalArtians Win 2021 Creative Capital Awards

School of Theater faculty Lars Jan (Theater MFA 08) and CalArts alum Sandy Rodriguez (Art BFA 97) have been named recipients of the 2021 Creative Capital Awards

The 2021 awards cycle drew nearly 4,000 submissions and have been awarded to 42 individual artists representing 35 projects. The winning projects, which represent the “risk-taking, adventurous artmaking Creative Capital seeks to sustain,” will receive up to $50,000 in funding, as well as additional career development services.

Jan was awarded for his performance set Roam, which was recognized in the disciplines of augmented reality (AR) and multimedia performance. The work is virtually set in a sports complex that speculatively traces the lineage of the Afghan side of Jan’s family 70,000 years into the past. Through emerging technologies and theater, Roam weaves themes of human migration, personal history, and ecological collapse on an epic scale.

Rodriguez was awarded for her immersive installation Book 13: After the Conquest – Codex Rodriguez Mondragon, which was recognized in the disciplines of installation and painting. Continuing her research on human rights abuses at the US-Mexico border, Book 13 is a “recuperation of Indigenous knowledge systems, including plant use and pigment recipes.” Similar themes were central to her previous exhibition Codex Rodriguez-Mondragón, which was presented by the Los Angeles Art Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) and Riverside Art Museum from 2018 to 2019. 

“We are thrilled to honor these brilliant artists and the powerful, boundary-pushing work that they are creating,” said Creative Capital Interim Executive Director Leslie Singer. “We look forward to seeing these projects grow to make their mark on the world, in spite of the tremendous challenges this year has posed for so many artists.”

Check out the full list of winning artists and projects on Creative Capital’s official site.

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