Two Bard College Faculty Awarded New York State Council on the Arts Grants
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Two members of the Bard College undergraduate faculty, Tanya Marcuse, associate professor of photography, and Sarah Hennies, assistant professor of music, have been awarded 2025 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships, a highly competitive program of the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Marcuse received a fellowship in the category of Photography for Portent, Part II of her larger project Book of Miracles, and Hennies received a fellowship in the category of Music/Sound for her ongoing work as a composer and percussionist exploring the intersections of sound, perception, and social identity. Marcuse is one of 24 Fellows in Photography, selected from 951 applicants; Hennies is one of 22 Fellows in Music/Sound, selected from 1,015 applicants.In Portent, Marcuse visualizes phenomena that defy the laws of nature by staging fantastical scenes in swamps, rivers, and orchards near her home in the Hudson Valley. Conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic, her project reflects the instability of our world while expanding photography’s ability to navigate the ambiguous terrain between fact and fiction. She is currently preparing a book and several exhibitions of the project. In addition, Marcuse has been named one of five Joy of Giving Something (JGS) Fellows, which supports contributors to the photographic arts.
Throughout her fellowship, Hennies will continue to develop new pieces that challenge conventional boundaries between music, sound art, and lived experience. Her compositions often take the form of immersive, durational works that foreground subtle shifts in rhythm, resonance, and timbre. Her projects engage themes of queer and trans identity, psychoacoustics, and the politics of listening, inviting audiences into heightened awareness of time and embodiment. In a separate honor, Hennies has been named the 2025 Composer in Residence for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, taking place in Huddersfield, England in November.
Each year, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship provides a lens for contemporary artistic expression. The themes, ideas, and materials used by the 2025 Fellows reflect and respond to the larger social, political, and economic issues of today. Artists across categories are exploring topics including diasporic and immigrant identity; gender, race, and sexuality; environmental and disability justice; and civic engagement.
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About the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program
The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program, administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with leadership guidance of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, has supported artists since 1985. The program is awarding $8,000 unrestricted grants directly to individual artists living and working in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein. Fellowships rotate across fifteen different disciplines, with five disciplines recognized each year on a three-year cycle. The awards honor outstanding artistic achievement and provide critical support for continued creative development. To learn more about the program and its 2026 cycle, please visit: https: www.nyfa.org
The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program, administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with leadership guidance of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, has supported artists since 1985. The program is awarding $8,000 unrestricted grants directly to individual artists living and working in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein. Fellowships rotate across fifteen different disciplines, with five disciplines recognized each year on a three-year cycle. The awards honor outstanding artistic achievement and provide critical support for continued creative development. To learn more about the program and its 2026 cycle, please visit: https: www.nyfa.org
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About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
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This event was last updated on 08-29-2025
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