PRESS RELEASE: 3Arts & Artspace 304 announce two $30,000 Southern Illinois residencies in inaugural program
Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/13/2025 - 12/13/2025
12:00 am
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Carbondale, IL (October 13, 2025) – 3Arts and Artspace 304 announce two recipients of the
3Arts/Artspace Southern Illinois Award: visual artist Fern Logan and musician Maxwell
Senteney. The inaugural recipients, along with over 15 others, were announced on
Thursday, October 9, 2025, and will be honored at the 2025 3Arts Awards Celebration in
Chicago on November 10, 2025. Artspace 304 will have its Celebration in Southern Illinois
on Saturday, December 13, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. The suggested admission for the
Artspace 304 event is $35.
The 3Arts/Artspace Southern Illinois Awards, a partnership between 3Arts
and Artspace 304, aim to bridge the rural-urban divide in Illinois by supporting
artistic talent across regions. This year, one visual artist and one music artist are
honored with unrestricted $30,000 awards—no strings attached. These awards
can be used however recipients choose, whether to pay off debt, invest in
equipment, fund new projects, or simply create space for future growth. Rooted
in a shared commitment to empowering artists and strengthening communities,
3Arts and Artspace 304 have come together to spark lasting connections and
creative opportunities across the state.
Chuck Benya, CEO and Executive Director of Artspace 304, said, “This partnership with
3Arts reflects our shared belief that artists are essential to the vitality of our communities.
By offering unrestricted support, we’re not just funding projects—we’re investing in the
lives, voices, and futures of Southern Illinois artists. Fern Logan and Maxwell Senteney
exemplify the depth of talent in our region, and we’re proud to celebrate their work and
amplify their impact.”
Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts, added, “At 3Arts, we believe artists deserve support
that recognizes the full scope of their work and lives. Partnering with Artspace 304 lets us
extend that support beyond Chicago, reaching communities across Illinois with the
flexibility artists need to thrive. We’re grateful to collaborate with Artspace 304 in this
shared commitment to creativity, equity, and building meaningful connections that
strengthen the arts statewide.”
About the 3Arts/Artspace Southern Illinois Award awardees:
2 | Pa geMusic
Maxwell Senteney, aka Sad Max, (he him) is a
songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from
Carbondale, IL. Raised by record collectors, he was
drawn to the local DIY scene, performing in punk and
experimental bands. In his twenties, he joined Rev
Peyton’s Big Damn Band as a guitar tech and later
became their full-time drummer. Over 11 years, he
toured globally, recording three albums, two of which
received Blues Foundation award nominations. His
experience with the band deepened his love for roots music and inspired him to study and
perform traditional banjo styles. In 2021, he founded River to River Community Records to
support Southern Illinois artists. Currently, he drums for The Woodbox Gang, Lucas Wayne
and the Cottonmouths, and Creeper Bud, continuing to write and record across genres from
folk to punk.
Visual Arts
Fern Logan (she/her) has shown her work since the early 1970s, emerging as a promising
photographer from the Apeiron Photographic Workshops. Her work was featured in the
groundbreaking exhibition, Reflections in Black: Contemporary African American
Photographers at the Brooklyn Museum. Her artworks are part of collections at The
Smithsonian Institution, The Harlem State Office Building, the Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture, Michigan Technological University, and Depaw University. Logan
is Professor Emerita of Cinema & Photography at Southern Illinois University and has
taught Photography and Graphic Design at Elmhurst University and Michigan Technological
University. Her 2021 book, The Artist Portrait Series, features portraits of prominent Black
artists like Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence, published by Southern
Illinois University Press. She was awarded grants from the New York State Council on the
Arts and The Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation for this work. Her digital imagery has
also earned her two Illinois Arts Council Fellowship awards and a finalist award.
About 3Arts
Founded in 1912, 3Arts is a nonprofit organization with a history centered on women
artists. It supports artists working in the performing,
teaching, and visual arts in the Chicago metropolitan
area, including women artists, artists of color, and Deaf or
disabled artists. The 3Arts Awards were launched in
2007 to provide unrestricted awards, project funding,
residencies, professional development, and promotion to
help artists take risks, experiment, and build momentum in
their careers over time.
About Artspace 304
3 | Pa geArtspace 304 is a dynamic arts hub in Carbondale, Illinois, championing creativity,
community, and cultural access across Southern Illinois. Since its founding in 1987, the
organization has grown into a regional leader in arts programming, offering free
exhibitions, artist-led workshops, youth engagement initiatives, and public events that
celebrate diverse artistic voices.
Located in a repurposed mid-century modern building, Artspace 304 houses multiple
galleries and a retail space showcasing local talent. Its mission is to empower artists,
connect communities, and make the arts accessible to all—regardless of background or
income. Through strategic partnerships, grantmaking, and inclusive programming, Artspace
304 continues to enrich the cultural fabric of the region and inspires the next generation of
creators.
Artspace 304 receives support from the Illinois Arts Council, National Endowment for the
Arts, Illinois Humanities, Giving Good Chaos, City of Carbondale, and generous donors
throughout the region.
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For more information:
Chuck Benya, CEO + Executive Director
info@artspace304.org, 618-457-510