Janelle VanderKelen (MA 2014, MFA 2016) recently received a Creative Capital Award in the 2025 Film/Moving Image category. VanderKelen received the award for her project “The Golden Thread,” a 16mm feature that highlights how unseen fungi help mitigate climate change, according to ArtsKnoxville.
The Creative Capital Award gives VanderKelen a grant to help her continue working on this experimental documentary. The Creative Capital announcement noted that this piece, which will be filmed in Germany, will discuss plant collaboration and human agriculture, among other environmental topics.
The Creative Capital Awards recognized 49 projects from 55 artists nationwide focused on a wide variety of art disciplines.
To read more about VanderKelen’s work, visit ArtsKnoxville.