Ash Arder, Simon Anton, and Demario Dotson Named Knight Arts Challenge Winners

Ash Arder (left), Simon Anton (center), work by Demario Dotson (right)

Congratulations to Ash Arder (Fiber ’18) and Simon Anton (3D Design ’20) with Thing Thing, and Demario Dotson (Print Media ’21) with What Pipeline who were named winners of the 2021 Knight Arts Challenge in Detroit.

Anton and his collective Thing Thing was awarded $35,000 and will use the funding toward the project, “Transforming Trash,” a community plastic recycling lab that teaches local youth the strategies, technologies, and potential of creative reuse and upcycling through workshops that will result in installations of functional artwork.

Arder was awarded $64,200 toward her project, “Whoop House Solar Music Sculpture,” a completely solar-powered sound sculpture that records and plays back instruments and voices of community members.

What Pipeline was awarded $25,000 to create an immersive, interactive video installation by Dotson exploring the intersection of Black femme, queerness and heroism.

They were also each awarded a $10,000 tech grant to assist with their work.

Read a story about the winners in the Detroit Free Press. Or visit the Knight Arts Challenge website for more information.