FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2021
Chatham Arts Council Proudly Awards JumpstART Grants to 15 Local Artists
Grant Designed by Artists for Artists to Put the Arts in the Public Sphere
Pittsboro, NC—During the pandemic, emergency funding for artists and arts-workers has been essential. Now, the clouds are beginning to lift and emergency funding is shifting to a new phase of artist relief. The Chatham Arts Council (CAC) is excited to announce our new JumpstART Grant awardees– fifteen local artists and arts-workers. This grant is designed to help get Chatham County artists and arts-workers back to work by paying artists to make art–and to put the arts in the public sphere as we re-connect with one another in our public spaces.
“I think we are all feeling the need to emerge from a long, painful period of anxiety and uncertainty, and no group is more valuable than the artists in our midst in helping us find a fresh perspective,” explained Elisabeth Lewis Corley, JumpstART Grant Panel Member and CAC Board Member. “I was thrilled with the idea of creating a grant program specifically to say to Chatham County artists across the county: ‘We need your work. We need your energy, and we stand ready to support you.’ Among the applications we received were many that were strikingly simple, clearly articulated, touching, and deeply appealing. These artists will help us process what we’ve experienced, and these targeted funds are meant to spur new energy and, when possible, new creations, in celebration of new possibilities. We can’t wait to share some of the results in the fall.”
Grants range from $250 to $1,000 for individual projects, and $500 to $2,500 for collaborative projects. This year’s successful applicants are: JR Butler, Tanja Cole, Steve Fagan, Britt Flood, Julia Kennedy, Kate Ladd, Brenda Linton, Sarah McCombie, Stephan Meyers, Nancy Ann Moore, Alexander Percy, Will Ridenour, Dolly Sickles, Wendy Spitzer, Buffy Taylor.
“It’s always gratifying being recognized for our artistic efforts,” explained Alexander Percy, sculptor and recipient of the JumpstART Grant. “As an artist, being able to share with others my most vulnerable ways to express emotions, concerns, and idolatries has always been a passion of mine. When we accomplish moments like this, we realize it is worth it to go through all the struggles on our path that take us here. I feel extremely honored to be celebrated in the county I live in.”
Applicants were required to be performing, visual, or literary artists OR arts-workers living in Chatham County who have been financially impacted due to COVID-19 cancellations and closures. All grant recipients will participate in a public sharing of their art on Sunday, November 7. JumpstART Grants were awarded for artwork in sculpture, quilting, bench work, painting, visual and literary art, as well as music.
JumpstART is generously funded by Manbites Dog Theater Fund and Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
ABOUT THE CHATHAM ARTS COUNCIL
The Chatham Arts Council nurtures creative thinkers in Chatham County. We do this in two ways: we invest in artists and we educate kids through the arts. In its thirty-seventh year as a nonprofit arts agency, Chatham Arts Council’s flagship programs include Meet This Artist, Go See This, artist grants, and the Chatham Artists-in-Schools Initiative – serving more than 3,500 children this year. Chatham Arts Council is proud to partner with the NC Arts Council, the Durham Arts Council, Chatham County Schools, and numerous Chatham arts organizations, human resource nonprofits, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.ChathamArtsCouncil.org.
ABOUT MANBITES DOG THEATER FUND
In March, Manbites Dog Theater Fund donated a total of $12,000 to support the efforts of five Triangle artist relief funds, recently organized in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and is urging all members and supporters of the Triangle arts community to contribute as well.
ABOUT MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts organizations, artists, and K-12 education in the Triangle region of North Carolina. The foundation focuses on projects in which modest grants can make a significant difference. In addition, MDBF supports Duke University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and three churches, all institutions important to the Mary Duke Biddle family.
CONTACT: April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader of the Chatham Arts Council, april@chathamartscouncil.org or 917.544.0608.
NOTE: Feel free to publish partially or in its entirety, with or without a byline. The article was written by April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader, Chatham Arts Council.
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