Jamie Zimchek and Shannon Cleere met during graduate school, where their respective studio practices evolved around a shared appreciation for research coupled with a consideration of cultural and socio-political contexts. Given the current political climate, artists who challenge dominant narratives can face scrutiny, funding difficulties, or censorship. Zimchek and Cleere created the I I I Artist Fund to assist artists navigating their post-graduate practice in these uncertain times while reinforcing broader art community connections.
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Shannon Cleere is an interdisciplinary visual artist interested in how cultural inheritance and societal norms shape identity. A first-generation American, Cleere considers her role within a larger intergenerational legacy. Employing strategies that expand on feminist discourses, her work exposes how social constructs, often under the veil of tradition, can dictate how people live their lives. Cleere earned her MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2024 and was awarded the VCFA Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellowship Grant. She is co-founder of l l l Artist Fund and a Teaching Artist for Path with Art. She has exhibited in cities across the US and her work has been featured in publications including Entre Rios Books’ 2023 City of Dreadful Night by James Thomson, Suboart Magazine, and Collective Arts Network Journal. Cleere lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
Jamie Zimchek is a multi-disciplinary artist with a background in painting and photography. Zimchek’s work revolves around an exploration of popular narratives promulgated by power systems in private and public domains. She is particularly interested in the ways these systems use calculated storylines and absurd social constructs to shore up deeply entrenched self-interests. She has an MA in Mediterranean Studies from King’s College London and an MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Zimchek is co-founder of the III Artist Fund and an instructor in the art department at Gulf Coast State College.
FOUNDING SPONSORS
Sarah E. Johnson-Brown is a multi-disciplinary artist with a background in sculpture and photography. Johnson-Brown is the co-founder of Juniper Sculpture Park, a 40 acre woodland preserve in upstate New York that showcases a range of changing exhibits as well as holding
work by emerging and established artists in its permanent collection.. Sarahednabrown.com. and JuniperSculpturePark..com
Susan Snipes is an interdisciplinary artist based in Cleveland, Ohio, whose work explores connection, embodiment, and the impact of digital culture on
contemporary life. Ms Snipes founded Understory Projects, an organization dedicated to supporting emerging and experimental artists through exhibition opportunities, accessible contemporary art programming, and professional development resources. https://www.understory.art + https://susansnipes.com/
Naomi Even-Aberle is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and curator specializing in athletic and creative movement. As Executive Director of Full Circle Martial Arts Academy, they create inclusive spaces that foster healing, creativity, and embodied learning. Through art, mentorship, and community-based programming, Even-Aberle champions equitable access to resources—expanding beyond artist-to-artist connections to cultivate networks of care, opportunity, and resilience across disciplines and communities. www.evenaberle.com
Marian Lyndgaard is a multidisciplinary artist whose work examines interspecies relationships and the breaking down of boundaries between humans, animals, and the land. Marian holds an MFA in Visual Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an BA in Art from the College of St. Benedict focused on Studio Art and Art Education. https://mlyndgaard.com/