Montgomery, Ala. – At its June meeting in Montgomery, the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) awarded twelve fellowship grants including one arts administration fellowship totaling $60,000, and seven Arts and Cultural Facilities grants totaling $168,500 for a grand total of $228,500. Fellowships are awarded to individual artists and recognize artistic excellence, professional commitment and maturity and contribute to the further development of the artist and the advancement of his or her professional career. Arts and cultural facilities grants are awarded for planning, design or construction of an arts space. All projects must involve top professionals with demonstrated expertise in urban and/or community planning, architecture, landscape design or historic preservation. This round of grants will support activity taking place between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018.

The arts and cultural facilities grant program provides support to organizations large and small in an effort to enhance spaces for arts creation and presentation. In all cases where a grant is awarded, evidence of community support is a key element. Al Head, Executive Director of the Council said, “Since the inception of the program for cultural facilities, the Council has provided support for important projects in communities representing a wide range of the state. This year’s support includes the communities of Alexander City, Anniston, Tuscumbia, Opelika, Elba, Selma, and Northport. All of these facility oriented projects reflect important initiatives that enhance spaces where arts programming will impact the community and surrounding area.” 

Fellowships are grants awarded to outstanding individual artists from Alabama who create important works of art and make valuable contributions to the entire state. Dora James, Chairman of the Council emphasized, “Our state is fortunate to have so many artists from every artistic discipline producing works of the highest caliber.” 

Fellowships are given to individuals working in arts administration, dance, design, media/photography, music, literature, theatre, visual arts and crafts. These awards recognize artistic excellence as well as professional commitment and maturity. Recipients may use funds to set aside time to create art, improve their skills, or to do what is most advantageous to enhance their artistic careers.

These grants are in response to applications submitted under a March 1, 2017 deadline and are awarded for the 2018 fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017 and extending through September 30, 2018.

Dora James of Opelika chairs the 15-member Council which makes final decisions on all grants awarded. The next deadline for the submission of fellowship and arts and cultural facilities applications is March 1, 2018. For more information, visit www.arts.alabama.gov.

Dora James of Opelika chairs the 15-member Council which makes final decisions on all grants awarded. The next deadline for the submission of fellowship and arts and cultural facilities applications is March 1, 2018. For more information, visit www.arts.alabama.gov.

Alexander City Theatre II in Alexander City was awarded $25,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant for the design for renovating a former movie theatre into a fine arts center. The theatre will be home to a community theater group and will also host other local performances. 

Anniston Council on the Arts & Humanities in Anniston was awarded $5,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant funding the planning of an arts facility. This organization first identified vacant downtown buildings downtown and will implement city-wide strategic planning for an arts facility to serve the community.

Envision Opelika Foundation, Inc. in Opelika was awarded $30,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant for the next phase of an adaptive reuse of a school. The building has been partially restored and is already in use by local arts groups and community organizations. This project will increase its capacity for use. 

Foundation 154 in Elba was awarded $50,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant for the first phase of construction to renovate the historic Elba Theatre, which they will eventually operate as a performing arts center. This historic landmark is the centerpiece of revitalization efforts in downtown Elba. 

Kentuck Museum Association in Northport was awarded $3,500 in an art & cultural facilities grant for a strategic facilities plan. Kentuck’s presence in downtown Northport draws visitors from a wide area and contributes to a vibrant and vital downtown area. This plan will help to expand the Kentuck campus and offer more arts options to the community. 

Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation in Selma was awarded $50,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant for the first phase of renovations to the Tremont School. This building is important to the community and having it used as a performing arts and cultural facility will enhance quality of life for citizens in the area.

Tennessee Valley Art Association in Tuscumbia was awarded $5,000 in an art & cultural facilities grant for expansion of Ritz Theatre Complex. This grant will support a design plan that outlines the restoration and use of buildings in the adjoining area.

FELLOWSHIPS   

James R. Atkinson, Jr. of Montgomery was awarded a dance fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Atkinson demonstrates an uncommon sophistication in the utilization of classical ballet in varied settings. His movements and vocabulary are both intricate and yet broad enough to best showcase the skills of the dancers in each piece.

James Braziel of Remlap was awarded a literary fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Braziel is an Associate Professor of English at University of Alabama at Birmingham.  He has published two novels, Snakeskin Road and Birmingham, 35 Miles, and is currently working on a collection of short stories set in Blount County.  He is an effective story teller whose work has been described as memorable, tightly-constructed, well-paced and engaging. 

Scott Fisk of Homewood was awarded a design fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Fisk is a well-known educator and his work indicates a high level of mastery. His proposed children’s book is a natural expansion of his previous book, which featured Birmingham. This new book will be debuted during Alabama’s Bicentennial which is being celebrated over the next 3 years. 

Elaine Farley Kinnaird of Birmingham was awarded a visual arts fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Kinnaird’s sculpture and installation work is consistently innovative and exploring of new ground. A variety of techniques and materials are employed and create a dynamic juxtaposition of surface textures. 

Andrew Kozlowski of Auburn was awarded a visual arts fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Kozlowski, a printmaker, creates with a unique voice. His work is cohesive and mature in its application of materials.  His installation-based prints use humor and pop culture to create engaging compositions. 

Cheryl Lewis of Birmingham is Director of Programs for Space One Eleven. She will use the $5,000 fellowship in Arts Administration to enhance her management skills. Her plans are to attend national workshops presented by the National Performance Network/Visual Artists Network and The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. She wants to examine ways that Space One Eleven can better serve individual artists and facilitate community engagement and inclusion, especially reaching out to people of color. 

Miriam Norris Omura of Birmingham was awarded a visual arts/craft fellowship in the amount of $5,000.  Omura demonstrates a contemporary interpretation of old weaving techniques which are engaging and thought-provoking. Her unique vision, style, and high level of craftsmanship converge to create a cohesive body of work. 

Kadisha Onalbayeva of Mobile was awarded a music fellowship in the amount of $5,000.  Onalbayeva, began her musical training at age five, when she was recruited to attend the exclusive Zhubanov School for Talented Children in Almaty. After immigrating to the United States in 2003, she earned dual M.M degrees in composition and piano performance at the University of New Orleans, followed by a DMA in piano performance from Loin 2010 from Louisiana State University. Ms. Onalbayeva, also a Steinway artist, has a keen mastery of the keyboard. Her technical ease in execution of the varied works is powerful and she paints a wide color palette in her selections, from warm tones to vibrant ringing phrases that showcase her musicianship.

Charity Ponter of Birmingham was awarded a media/photography fellowship in the amount of $5,000.  Ponter demonstrates a cohesive, well composed personal aesthetic as a photographer. Much of her work documents and promotes other Alabama visual artists, which is applauded. 

Jared Ragland of Birmingham was awarded a media/photography fellowship in the amount of $5,000.  Ragland’s subject matter is engaging and challenging, but also important and relevant to Alabama. His commitment to long-term documentary projects in Alabama is impressive and speaks to his dedication and professionalism.

Kami Watson of New Market was awarded a visual art/craft fellowship in the amount of $5,000.  Watson works with wet felting processes that compliment her design aesthetic and technical knowledge. She is self-taught and carries forth a family tradition that continues to evolve. Her works are like sculptures and they elevate felting and textiles to a higher level than normally seen. 

Dr. Patti White of Tuscaloosa was awarded a literary fellowship in the amount of $5,000. Dr. White is a Professor of English at the University of Alabama, a co-founder and editor of Slash Pine Press and an accomplished poet. In addition to having dozens of poems appear in respected journals and anthologies, she has published four chapbooks and four books of poetry. Her most recent book, Pink Motel, was published by Anhinga Press. Her ability to connect disparate things in an original way often evokes startling insights or emotions in the reader.

                The Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state arts agency of Alabama. The staff of the Council, directed by Al Head, administers the grants programs and provides financial assistance in arts planning and programming. The Council receives its support through an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information, please contact Barbara Reed at 334-242-4076, ext. 223 or visit our website: www.arts.alabama.gov.