Two rising seniors earned the distinction of being named the first recipients of the new Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy.
Madison Brown ’25 and Atalya Magdalena ’25 were selected through a competitive application process to be the inaugural Atkin Residents.
The yearlong Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy provides a platform for undergraduate student artists in any medium to deepen their practice, gain visibility, and foster public discourse, while supporting them to investigate the paradoxes, evolutions, histories, stories, and possibilities of U.S. democracy. For 2024-2025, the residency’s inaugural year, residents were awarded a $10,000 stipend to offset living costs and to support learning and production of work.
“Our vision at the Gephardt Institute is to introduce students to a wide range of civic engagement outlets for advancing their civic goals, and a wide range of civic ideas,” said Gephardt Institute Executive Director Stephanie Kurtzman. “The Atkin Residency will help us accomplish both, not just for our Atkin Residents, but for all who are touched by their art and invited to engage with the ideas they explore.”
Student Engagement Specialist Sophie Devincenti, who manages the Atkin Residency, explained that the program was a natural progression for Gephardt programming.
“At Gephardt, we’ve seen the success of past arts-as-civics initiatives, like Arts as Civic Engagement within the St. Louis Fellows Program, and our civically focused art exhibits, as valuable outlets for student artists and for those who engage with the work,” Devincenti said. “Building off the success of those past programs, the Atkin Residency is a new vehicle for civic expression.”
Students were invited to apply for the Atkin Residency in February; a selection committee reviewed their proposals in March and April. The residency runs from August 2024 to April 2025, and residents will work 10 to 15 hours each week on their respective projects, with regular check-ins with an Artistic Mentor and Gephardt staff.
For Brown’s residency, they plan to work with communities in St. Louis to create site-specific banners that bring the city’s history and archive of LGBTQIA+ organizing into conversation with today’s context and communities. Magdalena’s proposed work examines food and human connection as crucial to democracy—through food shares, mobile mural making, and documentary film.
“We’re excited about Madison and Atalaya’s proposals for their deep and nuanced thinking around democracy and robust plans for public engagement,” said Devincenti. “Historically, art has always been a powerful tool for social change, to spark discussion and action on civic topics.”
Kurtzman said that the residency complements other Gephardt Institute civic leadership programs, like Civic Scholars and St. Louis Fellows, and helps the artists and “all who are touched by their art” to engage with civic ideas and democracy concepts.
The Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy is made possible by a generous gift from Louis and Jodi Atkin. If you would like to learn more or discuss future artistic residencies in the art of democracy, please contact Colleen Watermon at cwatermon@wustl.edu.