Alum Kelly O’Leary (M.F.A. ‘22) has received a 2025 Art Bae Award. Kelley will use this award to complete her Mars ventifact project: turning uncanny rover photographs into aluminum prints as well as 3D-printed sculptures, bringing the full series to exhibition scale.

Art Bae established this award as a finishing grant for Bay Area artists, helping bring ambitious projects to completion. Jurors Andrew Berardini, Lucas Foglia, and Inga Bard recognized artists whose works are already in motion: exhibitions nearly built, books on the verge of print, or performances ready to cross the threshold.

Awardees for 2025 are Catherine Wagner, Yiming Clara Li, Jonah Reenders and O’Leary.