The Grace Project

Photographer Charise Isis of Kingston, New York is a 2022 recipient of a NYSCA/NYFA artist fellowship grant. The award is in recognition of Isis’ 10 year-plus project The Grace Projectwhich features photographs of women and men who have had mastectomies as a result of breast cancer, set in heroic and goddess-like settings.

“It was with great honor and surprise that I recently received the call from NYFA informing me that I was one of the grantees for this year’s NYSCA/NYFA fellowship. After many years of applying, I am finally one of those names on the list of fellows. To say that I am grateful for the monetary award at a time when my project has reached critical mass is an understatement. But even greater than this is the knowledge that I am receiving this accolade from a jury of my peers after many years of dedicated hard work and commitment.” – Charise Isis.

The award arrives for Charise on the heels of the announcement of her upcoming October exhibition at the National Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and is a welcome accolade as she closes in on her lofty goal of capturing 800 transformative and empowering portraits of those who have had mastectomy surgery as a result of breast cancer. (800 is the approximate number of new breast cancer diagnosis every day in the United States.)

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice at all levels of their artistic development. Every three years photographers throughout New York State have the opportunity apply for this prestigious award which carries with it a an unrestricted cash award of $7000.00.