The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas has announced Erica Felicella as the 2025 Moss/Chumley North Texas Artist Awardee. Along with the recognition of her support for the arts community, Ms. Felicella receives a $3,000 cash prize.
Each year since 1995 the museum has honored a North Texas artist who has exhibited professionally for at least a decade and has a proven commitment to community advocacy for visual arts. Recent awardees include Du Chau (2024), Vicki Meek (2023), and Tamara Johnson (2022).
Works by Erica Felicella
Ms. Felicella is a multidisciplinary artist and arts professional from New England who has lived in Dallas for over two decades. Though her artistic practice began in photography, over the last 10 years it has grown to include performance, endurance art, site-specific installations, and new media. Beyond her art, Ms. Felicella works as a curator, producer, organizer, and program developer supporting other artists. She has advocated for initiatives such as the Dallas Public Library Culture Pass, which promotes access to the arts.
In a press release, Patricia Manzano Rodríguez, the Meadows Museum’s curator and a jury member for this year’s award, said, “[Felicella’s] fearless exploration of performance, new media, and installation art, combined with her deep dedication to the Dallas arts community, makes her an inspiring force. Erica’s work doesn’t just invite engagement, it demands reflection and connection.”
Ms. Felicella remarked, “Over two decades ago, I arrived in North Texas as a young, starry-eyed artist. I have always believed in dedicating oneself to expanding one’s horizons and giving back whenever possible, and have sought to balance personal expression with community-focused work. To be recognized for both these aspects of my artistic practice in a single award is truly remarkable. North Texas offers vibrant opportunities for growth, and it fills me with great joy to spread my wings here while contributing to this community.”
The jury for the 2025 Moss/Chumley Award included Ms. Manzano Rodríguez, as well as Mr. Chau; Martha Peters, an artist and the former director of Fort Worth Public Art; Anna Smith, the Curator of Education at the Nasher Sculpture Center; Nishiki Sugawara-Beda, a visual artist and Associate Professor of Art and Director of Graduate Studies at the Meadows School of the Arts, SMU; and Olivia Turner, the Meadows Museum’s Curatorial Assistant.
