Sermin Ciddi, an Alexandria-based artist who operates out of the Torpedo Factory, will receive a visual artist relief grant from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, according to a news release.

Ciddi is one of 40 Virginia artists, hailing from Virginia Beach to Roanoke, who will receive a $5,000 pandemic relief grant from the Virginia Artist Relief Fellowship Program. The VMFA received more than 350 applications for the program, and that was eventually whittled down to the final 40 recipients by a jury of VFMA staff members.

Ciddi, whose Turkish miniature paintings have struck a chord with residents, was recently featured in the Alexandria Times’ ongoing series of artist profiles, “City creatives.” Read the full story here.