Artistic disciplines as wide ranging as choreography, theatre, music composition, performance art and visual arts were all recipients of Creative Pinellasäó» Impact Returns grant awards, the organization announced today.
äóìWe are thrilled to announce our eight 2017 Artist Awardees,äó said Elizabeth Brincklow, Engagement Director for Creative Pinellas, who oversees the grant programs. äóìFifty (50) applicants applied to our two programs, one for Professional Artists and the other for Returning Artists who were coming back to their work as professional artists after a hiatus. Each applicantäó»s work was evaluated carefully by our panelists äóñ all esteemed arts professionals äóîwho were very rigorous in their process due to the competitive quality of the applications. For those of us who had the opportunity to hear the panelistsäó» comments, it was a high level conversation that was both educational and invigorating. We have so many reasons to be proud of our Pinellas County arts community which was demonstrated so clearly in the quality of the applicants and by the artists who received the awards.äó
Professional artists receiving grant awards include Andee Sun Scott, for choreography, Elizabeth A. Baker, for performance art, Steven Kenny, for visual art/painting, Roxanne Fay for theatre/musical theatre, Linda Dee Guy, for visual art, and David Manson, for music composition. Returning artists receiving grant awards include William Leavengood, for theatre/playwriting and D Yael Kelley, for visual art/painting.
The purpose of the Impact Returns Grants is twofold. For professional artists it serves to assist in the sustainability and retention of artists in our community who show outstanding talent and ability and to recognize their accomplishments and support their efforts to advance their careers. For returning artists, while it similarly recognizes artistic quality and past professional activity, it also recognizes that Pinellas County has a substantial number of professional artists who are returning to and reinvigorating their careers.
äóìWe are so appreciative of the positive response we received for the Impact Returns programs and the quality of the applicants,äó said Barbara St. Clair, Executive Director of Creative Pinellas. äóìIt is very rewarding to support working artists in our community. We are also pleased that we will be able to expand our individual artists grants this year by recognizing an additional ten emerging artists and providing mentors for each awardee. That program will be launching soon.äó
Detailed descriptions of the arts programs and biographies of the artists who received awards, as well as information about the panelists will be available at the reimagined creativepinellas.org website. Additionally, awardees will be posting blogs describing their progress and activities throughout the funding period and will participate in two public meetings titled äóìConversation with the Fellowsäó to be scheduled between now and the end of the year.
