(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- This fall, Kameelah Janan Rasheed will begin an artist’s residency at Rutgers University­–New Brunswick through a partnership between Douglass College and Mason Gross School of the Arts. Her residency will offer students from both institutions the chance to express their creativity alongside a nationally and internationally known artist.

Based in New York City, Rasheed is primarily known for working with text across physical and digital mediums. Her work often incorporates social justice themes. In addition to her artwork, Rasheed is the author of two artist’s books, An Alphabetical Accumulation of Approximate Observations (Endless Editions, 2019) and No New Theories (Printed Matter, 2019). She is a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow in Fine Arts as well as the founder of Mapping the Spirit, an artistic project that chronicles Black spirituality in the United States, and of Orange Tangent Study, a creative firm. 

“Kameelah Janan Rasheed's residency marks the start of a dynamic collaboration between Mason Gross School of the Arts and Douglass while presenting our student artists with a unique opportunity to engage deeply with a probing thinker and experimental creator in the field,” said Jason Geary, Dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts. “Students will have their creative horizons expanded by Rasheed's rich and interdisciplinary practice that involves Black storytelling, critical writing, and political expression.”

Throughout her residency, Rasheed will lead a series of workshops, lectures, and collaborative projects for students. She joins the community as a Douglass Fellow, part of the Douglass Discovery program, which fosters an intellectually invigorating environment for fellows and students to collaborate on research and experiential learning centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion with gender as the fulcrum of study.

“Alongside our partners at Mason Gross, the College is thrilled to welcome Kameelah Janan Rasheed to campus,” said Jacquelyn Litt, Dean of Douglass. “As an artist committed to social justice, Rasheed’s work features causes and experiences that speak to students’ passions. Through her leadership, our students will engage in art for activism. For many, using art as a strategy for justice is a new undertaking which we hope will ignite innovation and community engagement.”

In addition to her workshops with students, Rasheed will give a free talk open to the public on December 8, 2021, at 7:00pm. This event is part of the fall 2021 Visiting Artist Lecture Series.  

Douglass Residential College at Rutgers University cultivates the knowledge, skills, and creativity necessary to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Mason Gross School of the Arts is the flagship public arts conservatory of New Jersey and ensures that students have the opportunity to work closely with accomplished artists in their fields.