Spudnik Press Cooperative Welcomes the 2018/2019 Studio Fellows

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Spudnik Press Cooperative is excited to announce and welcome our 11th cohort of studio fellows: Vidisha Aggarwal, Atlan Arceo-Witzl, Lisa Armstrong, and Lya Finston! Our Studio Fellowship program provides emerging Chicago-based artists with comprehensive professional opportunities and the technical and artistic support needed to build a successful career in the arts.Joining us for the Nov. 2018 – May 2019 term, Atlan, Lisa, Lya, and Vidisha will take over for our outgoing fellows, Emma Bilyeu, Dan Manion, Emily Shopp, and Junli Song. The fellows play an integral role in the Spudnik Press community, as they monitor the studio during weekly Open Studio session, assist with classes, youth field trips, and special projects, and activate the space with programming towards the end of their fellowship. Additionally, during the 7-month program, the cohort receives full studio access to develop self-directed projects and partakes in a comprehensive professional development seminar.As expressed by the 2018/2019 cohort of fellows, they very much look forward to the opportunity to meet the many members of our community and be part of a supportive network of artists.

2018/2019 Studio Fellows

Vidisha Aggarwal is an interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Chicago. She received a Bachelors of Fine Art degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago(SAIC) in 2018. She has exhibited work at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Sullivan Galleries, and SITE Galleries. She has organized exhibitions at SAIC, SITE Galleries, the Design Museum of Chicago, Gallery no one, and Hairpin Art Center, while gaining exhibition making experience at the Graham Foundation, EXPO Chicago, Chicago Manual Style, and the Design Museum of Chicago.

Atlan Arceo-Witzl is a Mexican-American visual artist and creator whose work is concerned with everyday rituals, icons, symbols, objects, and language. He is a recent graduate of Skidmore College with a BS in Studio Art, concentrating in relief printmaking, sculpture and drawing. He lives outside of Chicago in Oak Park, IL pursuing a career in the arts and enjoying the fascinating human game of communication.

Lisa Armstrong is a multidisciplinary designer and educator currently based in Chicago. She received her MFA in Motion Graphic Design from California Institute of the Arts in 2018 and her BFA in Graphic Design from DePaul University in 2012. She currently teaches DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Lya Finston is an artist and printmaker raised in Cranford, NJ and based in Chicago, IL, where she works as a circulation assistant at Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago. Finston is also involved with Hoofprint, where she helps print lithographic editions for the shop’s various published artists along with creating her own work. In May 2018, Finston graduated from Oberlin College with a double major in Studio Art and German Studies.