Printing as a PAGE Fellow with C Genevieve Hicks: Art, Fellowship, and Public Scholarship

Join us in celebrating and congratulating C. Genevieve Hicks—a forever conjure woman, emerging poet, and dedicated physical therapist with over three decades of practice—for her continued contributions to art, healing, and community.

During her first year in the MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics program, her professor Ching-In Chen encouraged her to apply for the Imagining America PAGE Fellowship. She was pleasantly surprised to be selected. The fellowship supports historically underrepresented groups in higher education, with a focus on public-facing scholarship, and provides a generous stipend along with travel support for fellows.

The application process was straightforward, and it was an honor for her to be selected by former fellows who now serve as co-directors. Being a PAGE Fellow offered a rare opportunity for her to immerse herself in a community of like-minded scholars and to deepen her trust in her own capacity to engage in sustainable, publicly facing creative work.

The year she was selected, instead of the usual Imagining America National Gathering, PAGE Fellows were invited to attend a special Engaged Arts Summit hosted by UC Davis—the current host institution for Imagining America, a role that rotates annually. While fellows typically travel to the larger national conference, this summit provided a more intimate and focused space for connection, learning, and collaboration among their cohort.

One of the highlights of the summit was visiting TANA—Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer—a community art space where she learned screen printing and created booklets. This hands-on experience reignited her interest in book arts. She also learned a great deal just by listening to her cohort share their work—most were PhD students deeply engaged in justice and equity projects within their fields. It was inspiring for her to see the many ways public-facing scholarship can take shape.

Her cohort shared stories and enjoyed fellowship over an unforgettable meal at Dubplate Kitchen and Jamaican Cuisine—a must-visit for anyone in the Sacramento area (the goat curry and sorrel come highly recommended).

In the end, the PAGE Fellowship offered her a deeply supportive space that was pivotal in building her confidence and sense of agency as a public-facing artist. It was also a rich opportunity for connection, creative exploration, and community.

For undergraduates interested in similar work, Imagining America also offers the Joy of Giving Something (JGS) Fellowship, which provides meaningful support and mentorship.

She is grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Imagining America, whose values reflect the kind of country she wants to help build. She also holds deep gratitude for the PAGE Fellows who came before her—and those yet to come—whose work continues to nurture creative vision and public scholarship in communities across the country.