Fulbrighter Champ Turner reflects on his time in the Azores, living, working on his artistic project and making lasting connections:
«My Fulbright experience in the Azores was an extraordinary opportunity to deepen my artistic practice through interdisciplinary research, community engagement, and cultural exchange. Supported by a Fulbright Open Study/Research Grant in partnership with the Azores Regional Government, I developed an interpretive installation at the Carlos Machado Museum in Ponta Delgada titled Das Cinzas (“Out of the Ashes”). The project explored natural disasters and their transformative power across Azorean history as a way of understanding how human-environment relationships evolve over time.
The Carlos Machado Museum, which houses premier collections of Azorean natural history, ethnography, archaeology, religious art, and more, provided an ideal setting for this work. My goal was to create a cohesive narrative that united artifacts from across these diverse collections to tell an interdisciplinary story of adaptation and resilience. Alongside historical objects, the exhibition incorporated original drawings, sculpture, and video inspired by the collection and by concepts from evolutionary biology and ecology.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the project was the collaborative process behind it. I received incredible support from the director, collection curators, and museum staff, whose expertise and generosity shaped the exhibition at every stage. Each conversation opened new directions in both my research and artistic practice, allowing the project to evolve organically through dialogue and exchange. The exhibition also became an opportunity for public engagement: I offered tours to local and visiting students, welcomed members of the public into conversations about the work, and gave a public talk on the project and its themes.
The project remains ongoing, with plans to extend the exhibition for several additional months, develop a printed exhibition catalog, and continue expanding conversations around resilience and cultural memory—including ways to engage with the diaspora in the US. I was also grateful to receive additional support from the Luso-American Foundation (FLAD), whose grant helped cover exhibition costs and made the full realization of the project possible.
Beyond the exhibition itself, Fulbright offered invaluable opportunities for connection and exchange. I attended Fulbright events in Lisbon, including orientation, Thanksgiving programming, and (virtually) the March forum, and was especially honored to be nominated for the Fulbright EU-NATO Seminar in Luxembourg and Brussels. Participating in the seminar introduced me to professionals from across Europe and the United States and deepened my appreciation for the transatlantic alliance.
Living in the Azores also allowed me to continue a connection I first established in 2022 during a summer abroad architecture course on São Miguel offered by the Rhode Island School of Design, in partnership with FLAD. Over the course of my Fulbright grant, I explored São Miguel and several other islands, studied Portuguese, attended arts and cultural events, and built lasting friendships and professional relationships. The Azores occupy a unique place within U.S.-Portugal relations through their history of emigration to the United States, their military significance, and their identity shaped by their geography. These themes of resilience and transformation ultimately became central not only to my project, but also to my understanding of the region itself.
As I prepare my next to move (to Maine), I hope to continue building a career that explores the intersections of cultural heritage, environmental sustainability, and interdisciplinary artistic practice.»
– Thank you, dear Champ, we look forward to to seeing where your work takes you!