Colleen Thurston, assistant professor in creative media production at Gaylord College has been named a 2024 recipient of the Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) Environmental Art Grants for her feature-length documentary "Drowned Land."
The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants program, in collaboration with the New York Foundation for the Arts, awards one-time grants of up to $20,000 to women-identifying artists whose work addresses critical environmental issues. This year, $308,000 was awarded to 19 projects selected from a pool of 907 applicants, with the goal of inspiring thought, action, and ethical engagement with the environment.
Thurston’s “Drowned Land” delves into the complex legacy of displacement and environmental exploitation in her community, focusing on the Kiamichi River—a vital waterway for the Choctaw Nation—that now faces the threat of damming and diversion. The film intertwines Thurston’s personal journey with the collective struggle to protect this irreplaceable ecosystem and preserve the cultural heritage of the Choctaw people.
For more details, view the NYFA full announcement.
