The prestigious one-year artist residency in London will support the development of Henderson’s studio practice and immerse her in the vibrant academic community of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Royal Academy Schools has selected Assistant Professor of Art Ranee Henderson for the 2026–27 Starr Fellowship, a year-long artist residency awarded annually to just one U.S. artist. The fellowship offers Henderson the opportunity to advance her studio practice within the historic environment of the Royal Academy of Arts’ contemporary fine art institution in central London.
As the Artist in Residence, Henderson will occupy a unique position outside the formal faculty, engaging in collaborative exchange with the Academy’s community through first-year critiques, artist talks, and informal dialogue. The residency will culminate in a self-led solo exhibition in the Weston Studio, a public exhibition space at the heart of the Royal Academy dedicated to innovative and experimental projects.
Henderson’s multi-disciplinary work zeros in on representational, figure-based scenarios, depicting a collection of badges that point toward experience-driven decision-making to ground personal narratives and identity. This past fall, she presented four paintings at the Tomayko Foundation’s group exhibition, “Felt-Occurrence,” which investigated personal symbologies and her ongoing iconographic use of the peanut shell. In 2024, her painting Beatrice, featuring professional skateboarder Beatrice Domond, was transformed into a digitally printed wood veneer skateboard deck for the iconic streetwear and bi-coastal skateboarding brand, FA.
This marks the second time since the 2024-25 academic year that a CMU School of Art faculty member has received the fellowship. Henderson begins her residency in London this September.
For more information, visit the Fellowship website.
Image: Ranee Henderson, We’re number one (detail), 2025, Oil on canvas, 20” x 20”