Gothard Family Artist Scholarship
The Gothard Family Artist Scholarship awards a $1200 stipend to a JTHAR residency recipient of African American heritage. The selection process for the Gothard Family Artist Scholarship is based on the artist successfully meeting all JTHAR eligibility criteria. This award is for visual artists only.
In 2014 Gothard attended her first of many ‘meet the resident artists’ events at Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) in Joshua Tree, California. A year later she was invited to serve on the JTHAR Advisory Committee, which has continued to 2022. She observed the dedication of the board, the growth of the organization, and the increasing numbers of artists who applied. Gothard identified the underrepresentation of African American artists who applied for the residency as an opportunity for her family to encourage greater participation.
From modest Illinois roots, Gothard is an African American female artist who aspires to tap into her creative potential with a contemporary art form known for exploring the subconscious mind. She lives, works and is influenced by the ever-changing colors and majesty of the desert in the Palm Springs/Mojave Desert area. Gothard’s artworks are include her most recent Contradictions - Bringing The Past Forward© are exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. Her non-traditional career path zigzagged from education to global corporate leader to her art. Her artwork continuum evolves from traditional art education, Bachelor’s Mount Mary University, Master’s Long Island University, Ph.D. Michigan State University. Formerly, she was an art magazine writer and contributor and whose commitment to community service is an integral part of Gothard’s life. She is an Emeritus Member of the Artists Council, having previously served as President and served on the Advisory Board of the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency,
Artist website: barbaragothard.com
In 2014 Gothard attended her first of many ‘meet the resident artists’ events at Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) in Joshua Tree, California. A year later she was invited to serve on the JTHAR Advisory Committee, which has continued to 2022. She observed the dedication of the board, the growth of the organization, and the increasing numbers of artists who applied. Gothard identified the underrepresentation of African American artists who applied for the residency as an opportunity for her family to encourage greater participation.
From modest Illinois roots, Gothard is an African American female artist who aspires to tap into her creative potential with a contemporary art form known for exploring the subconscious mind. She lives, works and is influenced by the ever-changing colors and majesty of the desert in the Palm Springs/Mojave Desert area. Gothard’s artworks are include her most recent Contradictions - Bringing The Past Forward© are exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. Her non-traditional career path zigzagged from education to global corporate leader to her art. Her artwork continuum evolves from traditional art education, Bachelor’s Mount Mary University, Master’s Long Island University, Ph.D. Michigan State University. Formerly, she was an art magazine writer and contributor and whose commitment to community service is an integral part of Gothard’s life. She is an Emeritus Member of the Artists Council, having previously served as President and served on the Advisory Board of the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency,
Artist website: barbaragothard.com
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Keith S. Wilson (Visual Poet) June 26- August 14, 2023
Keith S. Wilson is a poet, editor and game designer based in Chicago and a recipient of the 2023 Gothard Family Artist Scholarship. The topics he writes about are essential to his being—race, or family, or power, or the history of violence— as a result, the visual form of his writing is essential as well. During his residency at JTHAR, Keith will continue working on a manuscript of visual and lyric poems surrounding our legacy of American violence and insurrection. Keith remarks, "Our American history, as seen through the lens of a contemporary model like the visual-lyric poem, hasn't only happened: it is happening. It is constantly re-happening." Recently, Keith's work has been inspired by new "digital" and visual possibilities—poetry that utilizes typography, space, painting (gouache and watercolor) and digital formatting that the support of JTHAR will allow him to explore.
Keith S. Wilson is a poet, editor and game designer based in Chicago and a recipient of the 2023 Gothard Family Artist Scholarship. The topics he writes about are essential to his being—race, or family, or power, or the history of violence— as a result, the visual form of his writing is essential as well. During his residency at JTHAR, Keith will continue working on a manuscript of visual and lyric poems surrounding our legacy of American violence and insurrection. Keith remarks, "Our American history, as seen through the lens of a contemporary model like the visual-lyric poem, hasn't only happened: it is happening. It is constantly re-happening." Recently, Keith's work has been inspired by new "digital" and visual possibilities—poetry that utilizes typography, space, painting (gouache and watercolor) and digital formatting that the support of JTHAR will allow him to explore.