**Wendy Red Star Named 2024 MacArthur Fellow, Honored for Challenging Colonial Narratives**

Visual artist Wendy Red Star of Portland, Oregon, has been announced as a recipient of the prestigious 2024 MacArthur Fellowship. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation revealed its newest class of fellows on Tuesday, recognizing Red Star for her compelling work that reclaims and reinterprets Native American images through various artistic mediums.

Red Star, an Apsáalooke (Crow) artist, has dedicated her career to challenging colonial historical narratives. Her work frequently incorporates archival materials, which she transforms into sculptures, paintings, and photographs by methods including beading, sewing, and building. Her efforts to center Native American perspectives and reclaim their representation in history have earned her notable recognition, including being featured on OPB's "Oregon Art Beat" in 2016.

The MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as the "genius grant," awards each of the 22 fellows with $800,000 over five years. Uniquely, recipients do not apply for this grant and are selected through a nomination process involving input from their peers and communities. The fellows are never informed of their nomination until they are chosen for the award.

Marlies Carruth, director of the MacArthur Fellows Program, emphasized that the fellowship aims to empower individuals with a proven track record and the potential to create further extraordinary work. Wendy Red Star, at 43, embodies these qualities through her innovative and impactful artistic pursuits that continue to draw attention to Native American histories and perspectives.