Baltimore Artist Awarded $625K Grant For Her Influential Work

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore artist is being recognized for her influential work. Joyce J. Scott has been named one of 22 MacArthur Fellows, which comes with more than $500,000.

Scott has dedicated her life to pushing boundaries, creating beautiful pieces of art that also embody our country's injustices.

It's her influential art--spanning over 40 years--that earned her a spot on the prestigious list of MacArthur Fellows, with a $625,000 stipend to further her journey.

"I have a light, a really bright light that was given to me by my parents who could not shine, they had to hide under bushels because of their ethnicity, their skin tone, their lack of education, and they told me not do that. My parents ate crap so I could have sugar," Scott said.

Born and raised in Sandtown-Winchester, Scott tells WJZ it's a neighborhood that continues to influence her thought-provoking process.

The Baltimore native--proud of her community, and at 67--is the oldest recipient of the McArthur Fellows Program for 2016.

She hopes to inspire the next generation to never give up--living proof that anything is possible.

"I'm a great example of a round away girl who has made it through the love and the pursuit of education, staying right on that market, understanding I am worth and pursuit and dreams are worth running after. I have been supported by my community, and I in turn wish to be of support," said Scott.

Scott's work can be seen at the Baltimore Museum of Art and at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, which opens this Saturday.

The $625,000 stipend will be spread out over a five-year period.