Syracuse, NY — Patrick W. Berry was announced as the inaugural winner of the $10,000 Syracuse Prize at a ceremony held Thursday evening, May 14, 2026, at the Art in the Atrium gallery in Downtown Syracuse. Berry, an associate professor of Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University, was honored as the founder and leader of Project Mend. This unique, grassroots, program centers the creative and scholarly work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities.
“I’m honored to receive the inaugural Syracuse Prize,” said Patrick W. Berry. “This recognition belongs not only to me, but to the many incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers, artists, editors, and volunteers whose creativity and commitment have shaped Project Mend.”
Project Mend, which Berry founded in 2022 in collaboration with the Center for Community Alternatives, operates as both a digital storytelling and publishing apprenticeship and an annual print and digital journal called Mend. The journal publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art by people currently incarcerated or impacted by mass incarceration. Participants receive stipends to develop the publication while gaining hands-on experience in editing, design, and publishing. Berry has said that the award will go towards supporting Project Mend programming.
The Prize ceremony was produced by CNY Arts. Tim Fox, a familiar face on NewsChannel 9 who developed the morning talk show “Bridge Street,” and now produces the feature “Tell Me Something Good,” served as the event host.
Onondaga County’s newly-appointed Poet Laureate, Ruthnie Angrand was also in attendance as a guest artist, delivering powerful selections from her body of work.
An independent panel comprised of community stakeholders convened to select the finalists and Prize winner from among over 50 applications to the program. In addition to Berry, Karen Mihalyi, Garrett Heater, Michael John Heagerty, and Vanessa Johnson were recognized for their unique cultural impact on the City of Syracuse, each of whom received a $500 award.
“We’re thrilled by the success of the inaugural Syracuse Prize,” said Alexander Korman, Executive Director of CNY Arts. “The applicant pool was highly competitive, and underscores some of the extraordinary work by our creative community. We applaud Patrick and members of the finalist cohort for their contributions, and thank the Central New York Community Foundation and the donor-advised fund for making this special program possible.”
Representing a range of disciplines, the finalists’ work spans choir, theater, entrepreneurship, visual arts, and more. Learn more about each finalist by visiting cnyarts.org/grants/past-grants/syracuse-prize
The Syracuse Prize was established to celebrate and support individuals who have made a significant contribution to the vibrancy and cultural enrichment of the City of Syracuse through their commitment to advancing creative expression, artistic access, and cultural equity.
The inaugural prize was made possible through a generous donor-advised fund managed by the Central New York Community Foundation. The award process and ceremony were administered by CNY Arts.
Headshot provided courtesy of Patrick W. Berry
CNY Arts, Inc. serves individual artists, cultural institutions, and heritage sites by promoting, supporting, and celebrating the arts in Onondaga, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, Oswego, and Cayuga counties through funding opportunities, marketing, technical assistance, and advocacy.
To learn more about CNY Arts, please visit www.cnyarts.org.
The Syracuse Prize is not affiliated with CNY Arts’ publicly-funded regrant programs.
