|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2012
Contact: Gregory Liakos,
Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343
State Fellowships Honor Exceptional Artists
MCC Announces Grants in Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry
(Boston, MA) - The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) has recognized 37 Massachusetts artists for creating work of exceptional quality in the disciplines of choreography, fiction/creative nonfiction, and poetry. The MCC’s Artist Fellowship Program has awarded $7,500 unrestricted grants to 20 artists, and distinguished 17 others as finalists with $500 grants.
Since 1974, MCC’s Artist Fellowships have recognized the unique contribution made by artists to the cultural vitality of the Commonwealth. The fellowships provide direct assistance to Massachusetts artists to recognize excellence and creative ability, and to support further development of their talents. MCC chronicles the impact of these awards in the Fellows Notes section of its ArtSake blog. Over the years, many artists of national
and international prominence have won state fellowships.
“Our creative sector cannot thrive without artists, and our artists cannot thrive without support,” said MCC Executive Director Anita Walker. “MCC’s Artist Fellowships demonstrate that the citizens of Massachusetts appreciate the central role of the working artist to the health and vitality of the Commonwealth.”
- In Choreography, all four fellows, Alissa
Cardone, Kelley Donovan, Wendy
Jehlen, and Dawn Kramer, whether merging
the boundaries between dance, film, sound, and visual art, or
creating elegantly crafted choreographed works for the proscenium
stage, are highly regarded and experienced contributors to the
Massachusetts dance community.
- In Poetry, the award arrives just as two
of the fellows prepare to publish poetry collections: Amy
Dryansky’s Grass Whistle will be published
by Salmon Poetry and Rodney Wittwer’s Gone
and Gone by Red Hen Press, both scheduled for later in
2012.
- In Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, three of
the fellows (Kathleen Crowley, Lisa Gruenberg, and Julie
Wu) are also physicians. Other awardees hail from throughout
the Commonwealth, including Brendan Matthews
of Lenox, a Best American Short Stories author, and
Perry Glasser of Harverhill, a seasoned writer
with many literary honors.
This is the second series of individual artists receiving direct
funding from the MCC in 2012. In February, MCC announced
awards to 31 artists in the disciplines of drawing, painting,
and traditional arts. Read a full
list of artists funded in 2012, and learn more about all artists
selected since 2003 on our Gallery@MCC.
The MCC Artist Fellowship Program awards grants in specific artistic disciplines on a biennial cycle. Applications are accepted from any artist who lives and works in Massachusetts. Next year, fellowships will be awarded in crafts, film & video, music composition, photography, playwriting, and sculpture/installation. Artist awards are based on recommendations by independent panels of experts who practice in the disciplines they review.
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The Massachusetts Cultural Council promotes excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.
MCC is a state agency committed to building a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. It pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, communities and artists. MCC receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| © Massachusetts Cultural Council 2013 |
| |
|
|
