Ashland Artist Honored as 'Changemaker' Award Finalist

Micah BlackLight receives $10,000 from Oregon Community Foundation program

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Micah BlackLight, an artist from Ashland, Oregon, has been named one of eight finalists to receive a $10,000 award from the Fred W. Fields Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. BlackLight and the other finalists are considered 'amazing changemakers' by the foundation for their creative work that sparks hope, inspiration, and community connection.

Why it matters

The Fields Fellowship program was established in 2019 to increase access, community impact, and visibility for Oregon-based artists and culture bearers. BlackLight's selection highlights the foundation's efforts to support creative leaders who are using their work to raise underrepresented voices and drive positive change in their communities.

The details

BlackLight is being recognized for his ongoing work on a permanent public art installation called 'Ancestor's Future: Crystallizing our Call,' which is set to be installed in Ashland Creek Park. He has also designed and created a plaque honoring playwright Lorraine Hansberry. BlackLight's work with the Say Their Names Collective and the Say Their Names Memorial, which honors victims of racially-motivated violence, was a key factor in his selection as a finalist.

  • BlackLight was named a finalist in the Oregon Community Foundation's Fields Fellowship program in February 2026.
  • The 'Ancestor's Future: Crystallizing our Call' public art installation is expected to be completed and installed in Ashland Creek Park within the next year.

The players

Micah BlackLight

An artist from Ashland, Oregon, who works in a variety of mediums including public art installations, sculpting, writing, and fashion design. He is being recognized as a 'changemaker' for his creative work that sparks hope, inspiration, and community connection.

Jerry Tischleder

The senior program officer for Arts and Culture at the Oregon Community Foundation, who described the finalists as 'amazing changemakers' who are 'using creativity in vastly different and incredible ways to spark hope, inspiration and connection, and to raise voices that aren't always heard.'

Oregon Community Foundation

A nonprofit organization that established the Fields Fellowship program in 2019 to bring increased access, community impact, and visibility to Oregon-based artists and culture bearers.

Say Their Names Collective

A group that has worked with BlackLight on the 'Ancestor's Future: Crystallizing our Call' public art installation, which honors victims of racially-motivated violence.

Say Their Names Memorial

A memorial that BlackLight has worked on, which honors victims of racially-motivated violence.

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What they’re saying

“They have deep connections in their communities and are using creativity in vastly different and incredible ways to spark hope, inspiration and connection, and to raise voices that aren't always heard.”

— Jerry Tischleder, Senior Program Officer for Arts and Culture, Oregon Community Foundation (Ashland.news)

“The Fields Fellowship was on my radar. What I've been given to understand is it is a grant that focuses on individual artists who are at a point in their careers where they have hit sort of a milestone or a turning point or a nexus wherein they could, if they were given the resources, they could take a different direction; they could try something new and/or they could further ventures that they've already begun.”

— Micah BlackLight (Ashland.news)

What’s next

The 'Ancestor's Future: Crystallizing our Call' public art installation is expected to be completed and installed in Ashland Creek Park within the next year.

The takeaway

The selection of Micah BlackLight as a finalist for the Oregon Community Foundation's Fields Fellowship program highlights the foundation's efforts to support creative leaders who are using their work to raise underrepresented voices and drive positive change in their communities. BlackLight's ongoing public art projects and community-focused initiatives demonstrate the power of art to spark hope, inspiration, and connection.