Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Candace Hicks, associate professor of art in the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University, has been selected to receive a Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowship for the 2024-25 competition period.
Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. For her Fulbright Scholar work, Hicks will complete a research and creative project in the Hauts-de-France region from January to July 2025.
Fulbright scholars play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations, according to Dr. Julie Taylor, director of academic relations, Fulbright Institute of International Education, Washington, D.C. Alumni include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public and nonprofit sectors. In addition to Hicks, also chosen from SFA for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award is Roslyn Fraser, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology.
“Whether they have selected to teach or conduct research, or take part in an international education administrators seminar, I am certain that the experience will serve to benefit them, their host institution and community, and Stephen F. Austin State University,” Taylor said. “Each year we hear stories about faculty and administrators who return from their Fulbright experiences and contribute to their campus community by not only sharing their own international perspectives, but also inspiring colleagues and students to seek international opportunities.”
Hicks will reside in Amiens and will work closely with the faculty and students of the École supérieure d’art et de design (ESAD). A center for textile manufacturing and innovation since the Middle Ages, the Hauts-de-France region is home to a wealth of artifacts available for study, from the Bayeux Tapestry to the small museum, Bleu de Cocagne, preserving the fabric printing tradition.
After an initial period of researching embroidered and print artifacts, Hicks will conduct a series of workshops in embroidery, with the goal of sharing her knowledge of the craft and recruiting participants for a collaborative exhibition. Collaborators will include art students and interested members of the wider community.
“As an artist, I have been working with embroidery for 20 years to create text-based books and installations on feminist themes,” Hicks said. “I look forward to learning about the rich culture of the region. I hope to establish future exchange opportunities for SFA students interested in studying in France.”
Hicks creates interactive installations and artist’s books that examine gender, voice and parallel universes through the analysis of fictional literature. Her artist’s books are in collections at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art New York, Banbridge Museum and Spencer Museum of Art, as well as in university collections at Harvard, Yale and Stanford. For more information about the artist, visit her website.