Goddard MFA alum Cheryl Heller received a fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center.
Cheryl, Chair of MFA Design for Social Innovation program at the School of Visual Arts, will complete a month-long residency in Bellagio, Italy, to advance her work on a book to be published in 2018. The Intergalactic Design Guide, a journey thorough the new practice of social design, is inspired by David Orr’s contention that “If our industrial society was entered into an intergalactic design competition we’d be tossed out in the qualifying round.”
Fellowships at Bellagio are awarded to writers and artists “to advance their individual work while connecting with a stimulating mix of individuals from across disciplines and across the globe. The resident fellows are selected for their compelling individual work and significant accomplishments within their field.  Aimed at addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, the residents’ projects focus on issues ranging from improving equitable access to health care, to building the resilience of commercial marine fisheries, to the impact of globalization on local culture and tradition.
“At The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, we gather the world’s leading minds in a tranquil environment that deliberately holds the world at bay, allowing residents to focus on their work, think freely, and share their diverse perspectives with one another, creating a stimulating intellectual experience,” says Claudia Juech, associate vice president and managing director at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We are excited to announce the selection of these residents who are visionaries in their professions and change-makers whose work—like the work of the Foundation itself—aims to improve the lives of humanity around the world.”