The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Board of Directors is made up of dedicated individuals who work closely with Alliance staff to support our work with teens through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and other programs.  

Our most recent Board Member, artist Derek Fordjour, is no stranger to the Scholastic Awards. Derek received an Award in 1992 along with a scholarship sponsored by Strathmore and accepted the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award at Carnegie Hall last June.  

During his first Board Meeting in October 2022, Derek expressed that joining the Alliance’s Board has been an affirming experience. He shared, “I really believe in the message and the mission of the organization. It’s an honor to be here.”  

Since receiving an Award as a high school student in Memphis, Tennessee, Derek’s art career has flourished. His work has been exhibited in numerous venues including the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the Nasher Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art. He has received commissions for public projects including a permanent installation for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York City at 145th Street Subway Station and The Whitney Museum Billboard Project. He was awarded the 2016 Sugarhill Museum Artist-in-Residence, the 2017 Sharpe Walentas Studio Program in New York City, and named the 2018 Deutsche Bank NYFA Fellowship Award.  

Derek is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, earned a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Harvard University, and an MFA in painting at Hunter College. His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Hyperallergic. He has also been featured in several publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair , and Forbes Magazine. He was recently appointed The Alex Katz Chair at Cooper Union and serves as a Core Critic at Yale University School of Art. His work appears in several collections including The Studio Museum of Harlem, the Brooklyn Museum, the Perez Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum, and LACMA. Derek is also the founder of the Contemporary Arts Memphis Summer Fellowship program. 

Look out for more introductions to the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Board of Directors on our blog!