The Douglas Crimp Graduate Fellowship
We are proud to announce Bridget Fleming, PhD Candidate in the Visual and Cultural Studies (VCS) Program, as the first recipient of the Douglas Crimp Fellowship. This prestigious award was established to honor the legacy of the late Douglas Crimp, a foundational figure in the fields of art history, queer theory, and HIV/AIDS activism. This fellowship recognizes outstanding scholarly work at the intersection of art, culture, and social critique.
In addition to the primary fellowship, the selection committee is pleased to award an Honorable Mention to Claire Becker. Both scholars were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants within the VCS graduate program, representing the vanguard of contemporary critical thought.
Bridget’s work and Claire’s contributions embody the intellectual curiosity and commitment to social justice that Douglas championed. We are thrilled to recognize their achievements through this inaugural award.
2026 Honorees
- Bridget Fleming's research explores confessional speech in feminist and queer art, examining time-based media arts relative to social justice movements in the United States. The fellowship provides essential support for Fleming as she completes her dissertation and continues her engagement with the University of Rochester intellectual community.
- Claire Becker is a doctoral candidate we are recognizing for her exceptional work on issues of gender and queerness in Medieval nunneries. Becker’s contributions have been noted for their depth and alignment with the rigorous standards of the Crimp legacy.
More About the Fellowship
Douglas Crimp, who served as the Fanny Knapp Allen Professor of Art History at the University of Rochester until his passing in 2019, was world-renowned for his work on the "Pictures Generation" and his influential role in the ACT UP movement. The fellowship was created through generous donations from colleagues, former students, and friends to ensure his transformative approach to visual culture continues to thrive and to honor his legacy of radical thought.
About the Visual and Cultural Studies Program
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities which houses the Graduate Program in Visual and Cultural Studies. One of the first of its kind in the United States, this program maintains a global reputation for excellence in the critical and social-historical analysis of visual objects.