United Arts is offering Artist in the Community Grants.

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I went to a workshop offered by Mary Giraulo, the United Arts of Central Florida Manager of Grants and Arts Education at the Maitland Arts Center (231 Packwood Ave, Maitland, FL). The room was pretty full and the Power Point presentation was already started. An author had read about my Life Sketch project where I went to retirement homes to sketch people and get their life stories. I had collaborated with several authors in the past. While they conducted the interview, I sketched. This worked for me because once I start a sketch, I’m lost in the moment until the final wash and lines hit the page. Any conversation is a distraction that takes me cot of my “zone”. One author I worked with took her own life and the other decided it was too much work after a few write ups.

I decided this grant would help pay for the author’s time as well as my own. She was considering a grant for another project as well. I asked at the workshop if an author could collaborate on one project and also get their own grant and it is possible. The tricky loop hole in this grant is that United Arts would only fund half the amount needed. The rest of the funding would have to come from private sources.  The maximum grant amount is $2,500. So I would need to match that amount.

Via e-mail the author let me know that she decided against collaborating on my project. I have 3 days to decide if I will apply for the grant on my own. Perhaps I don’t need an author but instead I could use a tape recorder. When I’m sketching people, they tell me stories even when my attention is mostly on the sketch. Perhaps I could ask a few questions and keep working. I have to finish a large illustration in the next few days and then maybe I’ll fill out all the paperwork. I’ve started keeping track of all the opportunities that are available as I move ahead and this is just one of many. As an artist, you have to pick your battles as you learn to survive as an artist.

Dana Schutz

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Critically acclaimed artist Dana Schutz will be Master Artist-in-Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida from February 17 to March 9, 2014. She talked about her artistic process on February 27th during her visit to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, Fl.) 

Dana’s work suggests tradition while simultaneously presenting innovative compositions. The artist explains, “My paintings are loosely based on meta narratives. The pictures float in and out of pictorial genres. Still life’s become personified, portraits become events, and landscapes become constructions. I embrace the area between which the subject is composed and decomposing, formed and formless, inanimate and alive.” New York-based critic John Yau stated, “This is what Schutz does so well—she asks questions that challenge the answers given by others. More importantly, she asks her questions by folding them into the painting.” 
The appearance of Dana Schutz was made possible by the Atlantic Center for the Arts Master Artist in-Residence Outreach Program and United Arts of Central Florida.

Dana’s work blew me away. The classical paintings on the museum walls seemed shocked and surprised by Dana’s work on the screen. The image I sketched on the screen answered the question, “What would someone look like if they ate their own face?”  Dana works large with all her colors pre-mixed. While in school she painted portraits of the men she imagined would be right for her friends. A bright landscape sprouted body parts which people then devoured. Her imagined world is believable yet abstract with the light and color intensity dialed way up. I wish I could have seen some of her work in person. The paint looks luscious and thickly applied. There is a vibrancy and directness to her work that I admire. I left the talk inspired. What a surprise to discover another artists vision with self effacing humor and warmth.

Artist in Communities Workshop

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On February 1st I went to Casselberry Art House (127 Quail Pond Circle Casselberry, FL) to learn about the Artist in Communities Grant. Mary Giraulo outlined how to apply for a grant from United Arts. Several thousand dollars could be made available for individual artists who submitted community service projects in literature, media arts (film and digital), performing arts or visual arts in Lake, Orange, Osceola or Seminole counties. I was in the process of spending over $5,000 to frame work for a retrospective show. I hoped that a grant might help with the cost of showing my work to the community. I quickly learned that this years grants would not cover such expenses.

The Artist in Communities Grant insists that artists find a community organization like Community Centers, Social service, Main Street organizations, hospitals or schools to partner with. The grant is for a maximum of $2,500 and the grant award must be matched dollar for dollar by cash income from other sources. The artist project must be open to the public and must offer a service to the community and or involve community Collaboration..

I considered the idea of using a grant to expand the LifeSketch project I had started several years ago. That project involved going to retirement homes with an author and interviewing people to learn from their life experiences. While the interview was conducted, I would sketch. I had been working with an author but she commuted suicide.  I would have to sketch and conduct an interview myself moving forward. Perhaps I should consider that option. The deadline for the grant application came and went however. I was so wrapped up in all the plans to mount the exhibition and I couldn’t find the time to fill out all the grant forms. United Arts has $25-30 thousand dollars allocated to fund 10-12 artist proposals. Perhaps I’ll apply next year.

Friends Meeting And Spring Fling

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The Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic had an informal meeting hosted in the home of Lael and Duncan Wahl. People were standing out in the sun room and living room and the meeting was in full stride. The United Arts Campaign was the item on the agenda. The next item was a call for volunteers for the friends gift show which is set up in the Bob Carr lobby for each concert. There wasn’t a mad rush of new people wanting to volunteer.

Upcoming Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic events include…
On September 29th there will be a Philharmonic 20th Anniversary Season Opening Night Gala at the Sheraton Downtown, starting at 5:45pm. Tickets are $90 for friends and concert subscribers.
Symphony in HD will be a Concert Gala at Full Sail University on April 21 starting at 6pm. This event will be a unique marriage of music and technology. The $250 ticket includes a reception, concert, dinner, cocktails, silent and live auction s and a post-concert party.
Casino Royale will be an evening of gambling at the tables for a good cause. This event hosted by Connie and Roy Brand will be at Villa Conroy starting at 5pm. Tickets are $60 for Friends members.
This year’s Jeans and Jewels gala goes Hawaiian at the Winter Park Garden Club, Mead Gardens starting at 7pm. This is the Friends most popular party. For $65 Friends members enjoy plenty of music, cocktails, great food and fun.

After the meeting, Nicolay Blagov, the principle clarinet player for the Orlando Philharmonic performed several stunning solos. Friends gathered in the living room, lining the walls, crowding in the hallway, and sitting on the couches. Some friends even sat on the floor to soak in the music closing their eyes in a reverie.

Farewell Margot Knight

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Autumn Ames called and asked me to do a painting to celebrate the ten years of service Margot Knight gave to the Orlando arts community as the President of United Arts of Central Florida. There was a farewell dinner in Margot’s honor at the Orlando Repertory Theater. Autumn wanted me to execute the sketch and bring the five foot panel to the party so people could lay in the first colors. Autumn was the first person to step up to the painting, and she painted in the red guitar. The party was just two hours long, so I knew the painting would not be finished that night. I spent the evening thinning down acrylic paints and offering suggestions to the people who painted. I didn’t put down a single brush stroke that night. In a conversation with Mary Hill, I came up with the idea of renaming all the colors after wines. I used sharpies to add the names to the cups of color. Not everyone noticed but those that did found it fun to paint a guitar with Merlot, for example. At first it was a challenge returning to the painting after so many people had touched it. Then it became liberating as it forced me to make bold decisions.

Every aspect of this painting was pulled from my Orlando sketchbooks. Most of the people in the painting were sketched for the Mennello Museum Mural. They didn’t make it onto the mural for various reasons, so I consider this painting the blooper reel. I was blessed to find that so many people came out to pose that I couldn’t fit them all on the 48 foot long wall. It is good to have too many choices sometimes.

That evening Margot brought with her all the silent auction items she had never used. We were given raffle tickets. I won an evening in a Maitland police patrol car! I can’t wait. What a great sketch opportunity! I was rushing around so much filling cups with color that I forgot to eat. I grabbed a plate after most everyone was gone. Margot and Autumn were sitting together. I got to see pictures of the beautiful rustic home that Margot is moving to in California. She is taking a new job at Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside California. In a list of ten things to keep in mind about the Orlando arts community, she said, “We have some of the most out-of-the-box, talented artists. And we don’t appreciate or compensate them proportionate to their talent. Artists illuminate the human condition. We don’t always like what they show us. But they take more risks in a week than most of us take in our lifetime. They deserve our respect. They deserve to be paid.” She is a true artist’s advocate and I wish her well in her new adventure on the Golden Coast.

The Arts Matter

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Sea World hosted the annual A+ Awards from United Arts. The awards were created by United Arts professional grant recipient, Robin Maria Pedrero. This is the The Arts+ Awards 10th year. When I arrived, Mark Baratelli of the Daily City was being interviewed by Peter Murphy in the entry to Ports of Call where the reception was happening prior to the ceremony. I had to duck and cover to get around the TV camera crew. As patrons of the arts mingled, drank and ate, a huge seal started to bark. Mark posed with the seal who was trained to remain still as photos were shot.

Between awards presentations, there were performances by MicheLee Puppets, the Reps Power Chords, Voci Dance and the Bach Festival Society. Margot Knight will be leaving United Arts of Central Florida to move to a position in California. When she walked to the podium she got a standing ovation. Mark Baratelli was nominated for the Collaborative Partnership award, but he lost to the MicheLee Puppets.

The theme of “The Arts Matter” was reenforced throughout the evening. Patients who are offered to create art while Undergoing chemo-therapy often say they notice pain far less. There is a direct correlation from studies that students who are offered art in schools tend to get better grades. We don’t need students who want to spit back established answers, We need students who think creatively.

It was an entertaining evening which offered new leads as I search for my next sketch able arts organizations.

The Creative Center’s AIR Program funded by LIVESTRONG

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United Arts applied for a grant to LIVESTRONG to bring the creative process to patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Creative Center Artist-In-Residence Program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with LIVESTRONG. This is the inaugural year and I arranged to sketch Andrea Canny as she brought art to patients. I met Katie Dagenais in the lobby and she arranged for patients to sign releases before leaving me with Andrea. Joan Dougherty was the patient we visited with. Joan sat in the tiny room with her friend waiting to get her chemo therapy. Andrea explained all the art supplies she had on her cart and Joan quickly decided she would do a collage on a mat for Nina, her grandchild.

I thought back to when I was ten years old waiting in a hospital in NYC, a woman invited me to create a small mosaic for my mother who had breast cancer. I became so focused on those tiles intent on creating a masterpiece for Mothers Day. My mom died the day before Mothers Day so she never saw that creation. She was just 47 years old. I wonder where that mosaic is now.

A nurse entered and hooked an IV up to Joan’s left wrist. She complained briefly of a burning sensation near the IV site on her wrist, then she started cutting paper in a flurry of artistic activity. She chose a red background with organic swirls rising from the bottom of the page. She then carefully cut out butterflies which she glued in the corners. Her friend said, “I could never do something that artistic, I would rather get a beating!” We all laughed. Andrea started explaining the importance of art in schools and then she had to check in on another artist she was inspiring in the next room. The complex looking IV machine started beeping incessantly. I started to wonder if something was wrong. Joan was lost in her creative process so I relaxed. Soon a nurse cheeked in and the beeping stopped.

Andre said that research showed that patients who were creating experienced pain far less than a control group. They never pushed the red pain medication button. LIVESTRONG is a national program but funding will have to come from grants applied for yearly or private donations. Joan cut out individual letters that spelled out NINA and she glued them to the mat. Her grandchild is at a stage where everything is fresh new and unexpected. Everything is a learning experience.

When Joan was finished with her creation, I finished with my sketch. Joan has a true artistic spirit. Faint whisps of hair lay on her shoulders having fallen from under her beautiful head scarf. It was inspiring to see that art could provide strength and meaning even when life is most challenging. LIVESTRONG offers support and resources to help patients face the challenges of cancer survivorship. Andrea gave Joan a book filled with resources and information. She also gave her a blank journal where she could create anytime.

Afterwards I sketched the MD Anderson Cancer Center. It thrusts up like a towering beacon of hope to help fight cancer. A group of three people walked up beside me. I thought they were curious about the sketch but they picked up a few soda cans scattered in my vicinity and shoved them in a large black plastic bag. They then stepped through a hole in a chain link fence and disappeared.

I thought back to the playful banter Andrea shared with Joan and the way that art can always enrich our lives. I hope that LIVESTRONG continues to flourish and grow here in Orlando. Not ready to die we LIVESTRONG.

United Arts Annual Meeting

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The United Arts Annual Meeting was held at the Orlando Museum of Art. I arrived a little early and tried to enter the auditorium but it was locked. The front gallery was set up for a buffet lunch and there was a podium. I started sketching in there until someone let me know that the meeting was in the main auditorium as I first suspected. On the stage were canvases on easels and painters supplies. Ironically most of the supplies were for house painter’s rather than fine artists. I know very few artists who use a roller to paint with. No wonder it is hard for Central Floridians to pay market value for art. They just want the walls covered.

Cory Warren showed slides from a new M.D. Anderson Cancer Center artist in residence program that he helped spearhead.Funded in part by the Livestrong foundation this program brings working artists into the hospital to help cancer patients express themselves through art. Patricia Charpentier is helping patients write their life stories and Andrea Canny is helping patients create art. Art can inspire, enlighten and be a comfort when faced with so many overwhelming issues of mortality.

Elaine Hinsdales campaign report was funny, light hearted and to the point. Her first slide of Eduard Munch’s “Scream” showed the challenge of raising several million dollars. “Dogs Playing Poker” showed the committee dealing with the hand they had been dwelt. The end result was that they met their goal raising over two million dollars and raising o.8% more than last year.

Several $5000 awards were handed out. One went to the Enzian Theater. They plan to use the money to purchase a new screen for the free outdoor screenings they do on the sloped lawn beside the theater. The second award went to Dario Moore who is the choreographer for “Slave Stories”, and he teaches children the importance of expressing themselves through dance. This was the second time in two weeks that I had watched him accept awards.

LiveStrong

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Patricia Charpentier informed me that she was going to participate in MD Anderson Cancer Center’s new Artists-in-Residence program. Her goal will be to enrich cancer patients lives by showing them the importance of telling their life story. She asked me to go to a press conference at the hospital. Around the podium artists’ works were set up on easels. Dr. Clarence Brown III MD, the President and CEO of MD Anderson, introduced Margot Knight, the CEO and President of United Arts. She spoke about how art enriches our lives. Children sing, dance and create with abandon. In many ways, creativity is as important as breathing. She introduced the five or so artists who are spearheading this brand new program. I was surprised when I saw Andrea Canny, a singer and photographer I had met just the night before at a cabaret. Cory Warren of United Arts had done tireless work to make this new program possible.

The LiveStrong grants were awarded to MD Anderson last fall. The LiveStrong organization was founded by cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The objective being to serve people affected by cancer by empowering them to take action. The Artists-in-residence program will empower patients by becoming absorbed in their own creativity as they meet the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and survorship.

United Arts Grant Panel

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The Enzian Theater hosted the United Arts Grant Applications panel meeting for the 2011 Professional Development Grants. 29 Artists and 10 Arts Administrators were to be awarded a total of $33,579. Individual artists could be awarded up to $1000 towards their professional development. The meeting was open to the public.Artists applying for grants were each given a minute to give a brief update on their project and then panelists could ask questions soften adjusting their scores based on the artists response. I didn’t pay close attention to how the scoring was done. I know there was a total of 20 points available and different criteria were considered, like feasibility, assurance that the grant will encourage the artist to grow and assurance that the project will promote and strengthen the Orlando artist community. Attending the meeting was a great way to find out what artistic projects are being produced. I also had the added incentive that I applied for a grant this year.

After the morning session was over and my first sketch was done, I had lunch with performance artist Brian Feldman. He told me all about the 11 different performances he is planning for the Orlando Fringe Festival this year. I tried to figure out how to document so many performances by sketching. Sketching while walking is a new skill set I might have to develop.

The Visual Arts part of the meeting began with a slide show of all the artwork that had been submitted. I cringed when I saw some of my sketches blow up on the large move screen. I had selected sketches at random. A sketch of a haunted house made me think, ” Why did I send that sketch? Does it say anything about Orlando culture?” There was some amazing work and I hope to catch up with some of the artists during the year. Katherine Mathisen had wonderful ceramic busts of Shamans, Gregorii had bright self illuminated fractal art that was stunning. When R V. got up and started showing a stack of his Pinocchio paintings, he expressed that he always felt like he was behind, never ahead. He runs a gallery that has an international graffiti festival each year. I have to get there this year to draw. Anyway, I learned more about the Orlando Arts scene in an hour than I did over the past year.

Here are sample comments and questions about my grant application.
Quality and Integrity: One of a kind project!
Benefit: The applicant’s contribution to the community has already been outstanding. This can only increase the value of our city.
Quality and Integrity: This makes me feel or think of the artist as the “Norman Rockwell” of our time. Have you identified the venue? When may we expect to see this gallery open?
Quality and Integrity: The best!
Feasibility: No doubt is feasible since you have already been working on this project.
Benefit: Sharing your work is a benefit in itself.
Feasibility: I’m interested in knowing at which venue(s) these will be exhibited.

I thought I would be nervous when it came time for me to discuss me project. Anytime I discuss AADW however I become animated, fueled by the fact that I believe that what I am doing has valve to the Orlando community. I got to tell the panel about a new project called LifeSketch where I team up with local authors who conduct interviews while I sketch. Many Artists in the room were checking the tally sheets to be sure that they had the required score. When I sat down, Rick Jones, I an abstract painter, informed me that I had a perfect score. I had managed to navigate the daunting process and have fun the whole time. Very soon Analog Artist Digital World will be funded in part, thanks to a grant from United Arts. When the meeting was over, I was giddy. I called Terry and we went out for a fabulous Mediterranean dinner.