Oakland, CA – The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of The Rainin Arts Fellowship, an annual program honoring Bay Area artists working in dance, film, public space and theater. The Fellowship awards four artists with unrestricted grants of $100,000 along with access to tailored resources, such as financial planning, marketing support and legal services that address each Fellow’s specific needs and goals.
Launched in 2021 and administered by United States Artists, The Rainin Arts Fellowship recognizes artists who push creative boundaries, anchor local communities and advance the arts field. Each year the Fellowship supports artists who have grounded their practices in the Bay Area, building on and investing in their legacy and leadership to create a vibrant and supportive arts community—one that honors the region’s history as a cultural hub.
The 2026 Fellowship class is made up of four artists whose intergenerational practices across disciplines have flourished across the region. Though unique in their individual practices, each artist shares a dedication to strengthening the Bay Area’s creative and cultural infrastructure, embedding their work in collaboration and care. Whether through mentorship, choreography and movement, public murals or film, these artists are recognized through this award for their legacies in storytelling and roots within the region’s diverse communities.
Now in its sixth year, the Rainin Arts Fellowship represents our commitment to investing in Bay Area artists. These Fellows stand out as visionaries in their craft and communities, honoring the histories that shape their work while creating pathways for emerging voices.
Liz O’Malley, Rainin Foundation, Director, Arts Strategy & Ventures
The 2026 Rainin Arts Fellows
Cece Carpio (Public Space) is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and community organizer whose practice is rooted in social justice and cultural empowerment. Working across muralism and public space activations, she develops a vibrant visual language that explores identity, resilience and collective liberation. As an Indigenous immigrant artist, Carpio is committed to amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Indigenous and immigrant diasporas. Through public art, workshops and collaborative community projects, she fosters spaces for dialogue, healing and celebration. Her work operates as both storytelling and resistance—challenging dominant narratives while envisioning more inclusive and equitable futures grounded in ancestral knowledge and collective strength.
Sarah Crowell (Dance) is a Black/biracial, queer dancer, choreographer, arts educator and nonprofit leader. Her work explores identity, justice and the power of bridging across differences. Crowell’s collaborative performances feature movement, spoken word, storytelling and political commentary. As Artistic Director Emeritus of Destiny Arts Center and now Artistic Director of Dance Mission Theater, she has dedicated over 35 years to inspiring communities through arts-based social change. Her practice centers partnership, authentic collaboration, powerful storytelling and youth leadership as tools for personal and collective transformation. She has also been the recipient of multiple arts and community awards, and has been recognized as a four-time finalist for a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater Education.
Danny Duncan (Theater) is a director, choreographer, playwright, composer and educator from San Francisco’s Fillmore District. His multidisciplinary practice spans musical theater, dance and community-based performance, often drawing from Black history and cultural traditions. At age 17 Duncan founded the Duncan Company of Performing Artists, with whom he choreographed and danced in two ballets entitled Ballet Afro Haiti and Ballet Black that toured the West Coast for seven years. Throughout his six-decade career, he has written, composed and directed numerous productions, including the acclaimed musicals Uhuruh, Billie’s Song and Go Down Garvey. As a teaching artist and youth theater director, Duncan has dedicated the last 30 years of his career to ensuring the next generation of artists has a place to grow in the Bay Area.
Cheryl Dunye (Film) is a Liberian-American filmmaker, director and producer based in Oakland whose work explores Black queer identity, history and cultural memory. Her narratives are peppered with deconstructive elements such as characters addressing the camera and making ironic references to the production itself. These devices, along with her appearing in her films “as herself,” blur the lines between fiction and real life, a film genre she defines as “Dunyementary.” Emerging as part of the 1990s “queer new wave,” she is well known for her groundbreaking feature The Watermelon Woman (1996), which received the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Dunye has created numerous independent films and directed episodes for major television series including Queen Sugar, Dear White People, Bridgerton, Lovecraft Country, and most recently, The Hunting Wives. Through her production company, Jingletown Films, she develops projects that center underrepresented voices and stories. She is currently developing the feature-length version of her 2014 award-winning short, Black is Blue.
“At the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, we are working to build a Bay Area where artists have the resources to not only live and create, but also thrive in their practice and community. As these Fellows demonstrate, artists are essential to healthy societies. Their work reflects the world, imagines new possibilities and connects us to each other and our communities. As arts funding continues to shrink, this unrestricted support is a powerful way to recognize their vast contributions and generate lasting impact,” said Liz O’Malley, Rainin Foundation, Director, Arts Strategy & Ventures.
This year’s Fellows were nominated by Bay Area artists and cultural leaders and selected through a two-part review process with the help of national reviewers and a panel of four local jurors.
- The national reviewers were: Janice Bond (Chicago Public Art Group), Kentaro Kumanomido (The Luminary), sheridan tucker anderson (University of Chicago), Francis Cullado (Visual Communications Media), Jeff Barehand (Sky Bear Media), Naeema Jamilah Torres (Mezcla Media Collective), Flordelino Lagundino (Theater Alaska), Giselle Byrd (The Theater Offensive), Madeline Sayet (Arizona State University), Makeda Crayton (Deeply Rooted Productions), Rachel Repinz (Texas Woman’s University) and Tria Blu Wakpa (University of California, Los Angeles).
- The Bay Area jurors were: Isabel Fondevila (Roxie Theater), Keith Hennessy (Circo Zero), Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen (Artist/Curator) and Sean San José (Campo Santo, Magic Theatre).
