Meet the 2024 Beckmann Emerging Artist Fellows

For 15 years, the Beckmann Emerging Artist Fellowships honored the legacy of Robert D. Beckmann, Jr., a visual and performing artist and founding board member of Indy Arts Council. The program will end with the 2024 Beckmann fellows. 

Nearly 35 central Indiana-based artists have used these $3,500 grants early in their careers to develop knowledge and skills–and many are now well-known in Indianapolis and beyond. They recorded new music, choreographed dances, rented studios, traveled to study, and more. 

In 2023, visual artist Kate Oberreich, a 2008 fellow, curated a Gallery 924 retrospective exhibit featuring works by Beckmann fellows.

Justin A. Carney is an artist and educator that uses autobiographical photography to question how death and grief affect familial connections—the bonds that keep a family together and cause them to separate, and how grief shapes an individual. Much of Carney’s artistic practice deals with confronting and exposing grief surrounding death to create an avenue for not only himself but also for others to find healing and cope with the deaths in their lives.

Carney is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, and currently teaches at the Herron School of Art + Design at Indiana University Indianapolis. He received his MFA in Photography at Indiana University Bloomington. He holds a BFA in Photography from Pennsylvania College of Art &. Design. He is the recipient of the Bloomington Arts Commission 2022 Emerging Artist Grant. He has been awarded the First Place Single Image Award from LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2023 and the Best in Show Award in the 2020 Emerging Vision, Colorado Photographic Arts Center Biennial Student Show. Carney’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

Remington Hill seamlessly blends the infectious allure of rock beats with soul-stirring charisma, serving up their unique sound with an edgy twist that demands attention. Remington Hill isn’t content with just adding to the scene—they’re rewriting the script. The tracks from their upcoming debut album “Death of the American Mall” aren’t just songs; they’re powerful conversations delving deep into the fabric of what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. The music becomes a mirror, reflecting the struggles and triumphs we all share, offering a lifeline of understanding in a world that often feels disconnected.

Remington Hill’s sound is a rally cry, a call to unite against the isolation that plagues modern society. From navigating the complexities of broken homes to finding ways to overcome social isolation—Remington Hill is here to remind us that we’re not alone.