Exploratorium Artist Named MacArthur Fellow
Walter Kitundu: Sound Artist and Instrument Inventor

Today the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation named Exploratorium multimedia artist Walter Kitundu as one of 25 MacArthur Fellows for 2008. The only Northern Californian to receive the “genius award” this year, Kitundu learned in a single phone call that he will receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years. A composer and inventor of original musical instruments, he is inspired by experimental and traditional musical forms to produce electro-acoustic works that blur the boundary between live and recorded performance.

“The MacArthur Fellows Program celebrates extradordinarily creative individuals who inspire new heights in human achievement,” according to MacArthur President Jonathon Fanton.

The work of the 2008 Fellows includes a wide range of endeavors—from astrophysics, architectural preservation, astronomy, experimental neurobiology, and sculpture, to urban farming. According to the Foundation, the MacArthur Fellowships will give the recipients the freedom to accelerate their work or take it in a new direction.

Exploratorium Executive Director, Dr. Dennis Bartels said, “Walter’s a rare combination of original thinker and gentle soul, making for an inspiring teacher—not just for the public, but also for our staff.”

Background
Kitundu has been at the Exploratorium since 2003. In September of 2004, he was granted a five-week residency at Skiduklaustur, Iceland developing a Geologic Sound Casting project for volcanically active regions.

His work has been exhibited and performed at such national and international venues as the Singapore Arts Centre, the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, and the Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute in Iceland. He has also created instruments for and performed with the Kronos Quartet at several venues across the U.S., including Carnegie Hall.