Dedeaux-Norris wins prestigious Rome Prize
T.J. Dedeaux-Norris came to the University of Iowa from Yale University as a Grant Wood Art Fellow in 2016 and expected to be here for nine months.
Fast forward nine years, and they are preparing to spend several months in Rome working on their project titled “Martyrs, Vessels, and Perpetual Becoming: An Emergence in Rome” as the recipient of one of the world’s most prestigious fellowship programs.
Dedeaux-Norris, associate professor in the UI School of Art, Art History, and Design and African American Studies, and area head of painting and drawing, says receiving the Rome Prize is both a personal and professional milestone.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a community of esteemed artists and scholars from around the world that comes at a critical juncture. It’s a chance to step outside the sociopolitical climate of the United States — and the Midwest in particular — and reflect more deeply on my role as an artistic citizen,” Dedeaux-Norris says.
Dedeaux-Norris is one of 35 recipients of the 2025–26 prize, a rigorous competition supporting innovative fellows in the arts, humanities, and sciences. They will reside at the American Academy in Rome for five to 10 months, starting in September.
