GCCA announces new Brandon Fellowship recipients
Representing diversity of Greenville’s visual arts scene
Provided image.
Meet the three Upstate #SCArtists who were announced as the 2024/2025 Brandon Fellows recently by Greenville Center for Creative Arts.
- Bella Bishara, mixed media painter (image, right).
- Joel Houston, painter (image, left).
- Alexander Rouse, illustrator and watercolorist (image, center).
“GCCA is thrilled to have Bella Bishara, Joel Houston, and Alexander Rouse as our newest Brandon Fellows,” said Ben Tarcson, gallery director with GCCA. “From September 2024 to August 2025, these exceptionally talented artists will introduce their distinct perspectives to our arts community, fostering new dialogues and enriching Greenville’s art scene. I am eager to see the paths Bella, Joel, and Alexander will undertake to further their art careers and the contributions they will make to our community during their fellowship year.”
Since it began in 2015, GCCA has named 30 Brandon Fellows, including this class.
The 12-month fellowship seeks to develop three emerging artists between the age of 21 and 30 who represent the diversity of Greenville’s visual arts scene.
Brandon Fellows receive:
- Free studio space at GCCA
- A $750 stipend for art supplies
- A $200 gift card for travel
- Complimentary classes and workshops at GCCA
- Mentorship
- Opportunities for networking, collaboration and participation in other local arts events
- Participation in a GCCA exhibit and artist talk event in August-September 2025
Quotable
- Bishara: “I am so excited to develop my work and personal voice during the Fellowship. There are so many incredible resources and opportunities I’ll have access to and I can’t wait to engage with the local art community here in Greenville.”
- Houston: “I am ready to learn from and connect with the artists in my area. To fully commit myself to my work and learn what comes with that. I am excited to be a part of the Greenville art community.”
- Rouse: “I’m looking forward to pushing my craft to new levels and engaging in artistic exploration in a way I haven’t before. I’m also very excited to diversify my work and my network by getting to meet new people and experience lots of different perspectives.”