Courtesy of Argent Financial Group
Argent Financial Group announced that Ruston artist Nicole Duet has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Argent Fellowship for the Hambidge Center’s Creative Residency Program. Duet will embark on her two-week residency at the Hambidge Center this summer.
Additionally, in remembrance and honor of their longtime friend and local Ruston artist Annie Richardson, who tragically passed away in November 2023, Argent has renamed the award The Annie Richardson Distinguished Fellowship at Hambidge.
“Annie Richardson was a very well-regarded artist who brought significant recognition to our local arts community. While the circumstances are heart-breaking, having the opportunity to memorialize her contributions to our whole community remains important to us,” said Kyle McDonald, CEO of Argent Financial Group.
The inaugural recipient of The Annie Richardson Distinguished Fellowship at Hambidge, Nicole Duet serves as Associate Professor of Drawing and Painting and as Chair of Studio Art at Louisiana Tech University School of Design. Duet specializes in observation-based painting and illustration, utilizing diverse media such as oil painting, watercolor, and silverpoint. Her artistic exploration is rooted in her fascination with the trustworthiness of perception, guided by her enduring conviction that the most profound discoveries arise from our ability to observe the subtle details of our surroundings.
“The chance to fully engage in one’s creative process is a rare and precious opportunity for any artist. My art is a reflection of my ongoing dialogue with life, a response to my daily experiences. I am excited to see how my time at Hambidge will ignite new ideas and inspire my artistic expression,” said Duet. “I am deeply grateful to Argent for this honor. I believe that making work is a way of finding one’s way through and communicating the indefiniteness of experience.”
Duet’s art has been showcased in museums and galleries nationwide, including CSU Los Angeles, the Long Beach Museum of Art, the Masur Museum, and the Dishman Museum at Lamar University. Her work is also featured in the public collections of CSU Long Beach and Los Angeles City College. She received her BA in Theater from California State University Northridge and her MFA in Drawing and Painting from CSU Long Beach.
“It continues to bring us great joy to engage with Hambidge in offering this fellowship, fostering the arts in our very own community,” said McDonald. “We are proud to support Nicole’s journey through this residency and, again, to honor Annie with the naming of this award in her honor this year and going forward.”
Residents of Ruston who work in writing, visual arts, dance, ceramics, culinary arts or music are eligible to apply for The Annie Richardson Distinguished Fellowship at Hambidge annually. The program, funded by Argent, offers a stipend along with a two-week residency at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia. All applicants were evaluated by the Hambidge Center’s panel review process.
About Hambidge Center
Established in 1934, The Hambidge Center nurtures creativity in all walks of life through a multidisciplinary residency program, innovative workshops, environmental initiatives, community programs, and exhibitions on its pristine wooded 600-acre creative sanctuary in the North Georgia Mountains. The Hambidge Cross-Pollination Art Lab provides studio space and dynamic arts programming in Atlanta. Through all its programming, Hambidge supports the creative process and presentation of bold ideas while building supportive and inclusive bonds of community.
About Argent Financial Group
Argent Financial Group (Argent) is a leading, independent client asset services firm offering individuals, families, businesses, and institutions wealth management, asset management, and asset servicing. The firm is responsible for more than $85 billion in client assets. Formed in 1990 in Ruston, Louisiana, Argent can trace its roots back to 1930. For more information, visit www.ArgentFinancial.com.
