Molly Lieber was driving through New York City when she learned that she was selected as a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow. Her longtime collaborator Eleanor Smith called with news that they were chosen, together, from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants.
“I actually pulled over the car,” she said. “I was so excited. I really wasn’t expecting it.”
Lieber, who earned her Master of Fine Arts in Dance in 2024, is among this year’s recipients of the prestigious fellowship awarded by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The honor recognizes and supports scholars and artists as they engage in research across any field of knowledge or creative discipline.
For Lieber, the recognition is also a celebration of collaboration. She and artistic partner Eleanor Smith have created performance work together for nearly 20 years.
Read more about Lieber’s work and the Guggenheim honor, and how UWM played a key role in her art, in this story by Oliver J. Johnson on the Peck School of the Arts website.
