Jerome Foundation Announces Grants Awarded in January 2013

Source: Jerome Foundation 03/13/2013

(Mar. 13, 2013) — The Jerome Foundation Board of Directors met on January 7, 2013, to review 55 applications. Directors authorized 32 grants for a total of $794,000 as described below.

FRACTURED ATLAS, New York City, as fiscal sponsor for REID FARRINGTON, Brooklyn, New York, received $12,000 in support of the development, production, and installation of Michelangelo of Fifth A venue-an adolescent identity crisis .. .in marble. Fractured Atlas empowers artists, arts organizations, and other cultural sector stakeholders by eliminating practical barriers to artistic expression, so as to foster a more agile and resilient cultural ecosystem. Reid Farrington is a new media artist, theater director, and stage designer. The performance installation for which support was awarded will be presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and based on a much-contested Michelangelo sculpture found at the French Embassy in New York City. The work will blend live performance with projected video characters to create an interactive take on the controversy surrounding the provenance of The Cupid sculpture for visitors to the Museum. Farrington plans to exploit the youthful nature of his characters, imagining the academic controversy as an adolescent identity crisis for the statue itself.

HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT/ ABRONS ARTS CENTER, New York City, received $18,000 for a commissioning program to support the creation of new works by three emerging choreographers. The Abrons Arts Center supports the presentation of innovative, multidisciplinary work; cultivates artists in all stages of their creative development through educational programs and residencies; and serves as an intersection of cultural engagement for local, national, and international audiences and art workers. Three emerging New York City-based choreographers will receive commissions, 300 hours of free rehearsal workspace, a work-in-progress showing during development, and full production of the work upon its completion. This initiative is an extension of the artists' workspace program, which is designed to provide artists with access to free rehearsal space to develop new works.

PALISSIMO, New York City, received $12,000 in support of the development and production of Whispers and Tremors, a multidisciplinary performance work merging dance, soundscape, and visual art. · Palissimo's mission is to attain artistic liberty in pursuit of communion/dialogue with the audience through live performances, research, and teaching. Palissimo is under the direction of choreographer, dancer, and sound designer Pavel Zustiak. Whispers and Tremors responds to recent unprecedented shifts in the global landscape. It unravels as an opus of dream-like scenes, excavating the demise of a national dream and the relentless desire for meaning and solace in the face of global upheaval. It grows out of Zustiak's ongoing engagement with the sometimes gruesome, sometimes mundane images of life, reduced to elemental clarity. Whispers and Tremors will premiere in the fall of 2013.

PANGEA WORLD THEATER, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received a two-year grant of $36,000 in support of the development and production of new works by emerging artists within the Alternate Visions Festival. The mission of Pangea is to illuminate the human condition , celebrate cultural differences, and promote human rights by creating and presenting international, multidisciplinary theater. Deconstructing boundaries between artists and audiences during the artistic development process, the Alternate Visions Festival presents readings, works-in-progress , and world premieres. The program is an aesthetically diverse array of new voices whose works demonstrate the transformations of culture.

PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES/PILLSBURY HOUSE + THEATRE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received two grants: $36,500 in support of the 2013 Late Nite series and $10,000 in support of the commissioning, development and production of new works by emerging playwrights and the Three Mondays reading series. Launched in 1992 as a professional arts institution committed to the Settlement House tradition of creating art in collaboration with community, the mission of Pillsbury House +Theatre is to produce challenging theater to inspire choice, change, and connection. Non-English Speaking Spoken Here: The Late Nite Series is a transformation of culture where text, music, spoken word, sounds, and images weave together in a fearless celebration of new voices and new art. The Series features new works in development from emerging artists based in New York City and Minnesota. The Three Mondays reading series develops and showcases the works of new and emerging playwrights. The Theatre also commissions and produces new works by emerging playwrights.

RHIZOME, New York City, received $20,000 in support of its Commiss ions Program. Rhizome is dedicated to the creation , presentation, preservation, and critique of emerging artistic practices that engage technology. Through open platforms for exchange and collaboration, it encourages and expands communities around these practices. Programs, many of which happen online, include commissions, exhibitions, events, discussions, archives, and portfolios. The goal of the Commissions Program is to support emerging artists by provid ing grants for the creation of significant works of new media art. Commissioned works may take the forms of web-based pieces , works that engage mobile platforms, performance, video, installation, and sound art. Jerome support will allow Rhizome to award commissions to emerging artists based in New York City.

The ROCHESTER ART CENTER, Rochester, Minnesota, received $18 ,000 in support of the 3'd Floor Emerging Artist Series. The Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Center presents welcoming, integrated, and diverse ex periences that encourage questioning, creativity, and critical thinking. The 3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series is an exhibition program dedicated to promising young Minnesota artists. The Series reflects shifting trends in contemporary artistic practice and production, and helps to facilitate the creation of new bodies of work in a variety of media including photography, installation, sound, painting, drawing , sculpture, and film.

ROULETTE INTERMEDIUM, Brooklyn , New York, received $60,000 in support of commissioning and residency prorams for emerging composers based in New York City. Roulette lntermedium supports artists by presenting a substantial and diverse program of concerts, commissioning new work, paying artists deserving fees, and finding them audiences interested in learning about developments in ex perimental art. The Commissioning Program provides emerging composers with commissions, stipends for rehearsal and production, and concerts featuring their new works. Commissioned artists reflect diverse musical styles and traditions. Composers selected for the Residency Program receive fees , stipends for rehearsal , and production. Residencies provide space and time for emerging composers to develop new works for Roulette's innovative and adventurous music series.

THE SOAP FACTORY, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received $24,000 in support of the participation of emerging Minnesota and New York City artis ts in the 2013 Ex hib ition Program. The Soap Factory is a laboratory for artistic ex perimentation and innovation, dedicated to supporting artists and engaging audiences through the production and presentation of contemporary art in a distinctive environment. Its expansive spaces offer artists unusual areas for sculpture, installation, painting, performance, photography, film, and video. The curatorial process enables a variety of viewpoints to be engaged in selecting artists. The Soap Factory strives to serve artists at pivotal stages in their careers, those who demonstrate a serious commitment to their practice, have evidence of some professional achievement but no substantial record of accomplishment, are engaged in contemporary dialogue, and have great potential but are under-recognized in the field.

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS, St. Paul, Minnesota, received a two-year grant of $64,000 in support of Artist Development and Resource Programs. Springboard is an economic and community development organization for artists and by artists. Its work is about building stronger communities, neighborhoods, and economies. Artists are an important leverage point in that work. Springboard's mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills, information, and services they need to make a living and a life. Jerome support will underwrite the participation of emerging Minnesota artists in Artist Development and Resource Programs, encompassing professional development workshops, resources, referral services, support networks, and innovative services.

THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM, New York City, received a two-year grant of $30,000 in support of the Artist-in-Residence Program. The Studio Museum is a nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally, and for work that has been inspired and influenced by Black culture. It is a site for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society. The Artist-in-Residence Program has supported over 1 00 artists who've gone on to establish highly regarded careers. The program is an 11- month studio residency for three emerging artists working in any media. The artists are given studio spaces, stipends, and a culminating exhibition in the Museum's galleries.

THE TEAM (THEATRE OF THE EMERGING AMERICAN MOMENT), New York City, received $1 0,000 in support of the creation and production of RoosevElvis. This theater company is dedicated to dissecting and celebrating the experience of living in America today. It devises plays by examining a wealth of material, ranging from existing texts to images taken from visual art and film, and then combining that research with original writing and staging. RoosevEvis is a duet about spaces large and tiny, universes in which we trap ourselves, and the landscapes we create for other inhabitants-whether they like it or not. Two actors take on two icons of American masculinity: Teddy Roosevelt and Elvis Presley. RoosevElvis will blur the lines between femininity and masculinity, and focus on the gulf between two paradigms: that of a clear-cut, finite, and controllable universe, and that of a hybrid, chaotic, and chance-filled place.

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS, St. Paul, Minnesota, as fiscal sponsor for VANESSA VOSKUIL, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received a two-year grant of $20,000 in support of the creation, development, and production of The Student. Springboard's mission is to cultivate a vibrant arts community by connecting artists with the skills, contacts, information, and services they need to make a living and a life. Voskuil is a director, performer, designer, community organizer, teaching artist, and creator of dances, interdisciplinary performances, and films. Her work often explores physical, emotional, and psychological space, creating impressionistic textures of human experience that respond to the cultural environment and humanity's emotional spectrum. The Student is a large-scale, community-inclusive performance that will explore the topic of learning: how one learns, what one learns and internalizes, and how one chooses to act.

THE BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS, Bronx, New York, received $1 8,000 in support of the 201 2-1 3 Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) program. The Museum's mission is to connect diverse audiences to the urban experience through its permanent collection, special exhibitions, and education programs. The Artist in the Marketplace program, established in 1 980, provides networking opportunities for emerging artists residing in the New York metropolitan area and introduces their work to a larger audience. Each year, 36 artists participate in two semesters of AIM, each containing 1 3 weekly seminars. The seminars are - more - 4 led by a faculty of specialists, and address areas of practical concern to artists such as career management, gallery representation, exhibition and public art opportunities, grant writing, copyright law, and marketing. Participating artists are encouraged to build their networks through the program's collaborative structure.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE, New York City, received $1 7,000 in support of the 201 3 Youngblood Program. Ensemble Studio Theatre was founded on the belief that extraordinary support yields extraordinary work. It is a dynamic and expanding family of member artists committed to the discovery and nurturing of new voices and the continued support and growth of artists throughout their creative lives. It develops and produces original, provocative, and authentic new plays that engage and challenge audiences across the country. The Youngblood Program is a collective of emerging professional playwrights under the age of 30. As a creative home for the next generation of theater artists, Youngblood provides artistic guidance, peer support, feedback, and a fertile production environment that allows playwrights to hone their skills and explore their craft.

THE FOUNDRY THEATRE, New York City, received $24,000 in support of the creation, development, and production of new works by emerging theatre creators based in New York City. The Foundry aspires to assemble a community of artists with revolutionary ideas for the theatre and the world in which it is situated. It commissions, develops, premieres, and tours theatrical works that explore the (im)possibilities of theatre. The Foundry also hosts an ongoing dialogue series and collaborations that bring artists together with stakeholders from other communities to unpack issues and ideas of contemporary social and political resonance. The Foundry is interested in the process that comes of making works from scratch, following a project from its first idea to its premiere, and often through touring.

MOVEMENT RESEARCH, New York City, received $25,000 in support of the creation and development of new works by emerging New York City-based choreographers in the Artist-in-Residence program . Valuing individual artists, their creative processes, and their vital roles within society, Movement Research is dedicated to the creation and implementation of free and low-cost programs that nurture and instigate discourse and experimentation . Movement Research strives to reflect the cultural , political , and economic diversity of its moving community, including artists and audiences alike. The Artist-in -Residence program provides commissions, rehearsal space, performances, national and international exchanges, and related opportunities designed to support the individualized creative processes of the participating artists.

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS, St. Paul, Minnesota, as fiscal sponsor for KATHY MCTAVISH, Duluth, Minnesota, received $9,000 in support of the development and production of a new work, the origin of birds. Springboard's mission is to cultivate a vibrant arts community by connecting artists with the skills, contacts, information, and services they need to make a living and a life. A cellist, composer, and multimedia artist, McTavish blends cello, found sound, electronic effects, and abstract, layered, stillmotion film. Scheduled to premiere in 2014, the origin of birds will include new compositions and stories presented in a transmedia platform, utilizing the technique of telling a single story or story ex perience across multiple platforms using current digital technologies. The immersive installation of the origin of birds will include multiple projections, live cello performance, and portals into an interactive web environment for viewers with mobile devices.

The AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM, St. Paul, Minnesota, received $100,000 in support of the jerome Fund for New Music UFund) and the Minnesota Emerging Composers Award (MECA) program. The Forum enriches lives by nurturing the creative spirit of composers and communities. It provides new opportunities for composers and their music to flourish and engages communities in the creation, performance, and enjoyment of new music. The Forum supports composers' artistic and professional growth through a rich variety of programs and services, including commissions, performances, readings, and fellowships. The JFund supports the creation of new musical works by emerging composers, composer/performers, improvisers, and sound artists from Minnesota and New York City. It welcomes applications in all musical genres, and provides enhancement funds to help projects reach their maximum potential. The Minnesota Emerging Composers Award is given to emerging Minnesota composers of jazz/improvisation, electronic, and world music.

THE CENTER FOR FICTION, New York City, received $38,500 in support of the New York City Emerging Writers Fellowship program. The mission of the Center for Fiction is to encourage people to read and value fiction and to support and celebrate its creation and enjoyment. The Center seeks to serve the reading public, build a larger audience for fiction, and create a place where readers and writers can share their passion for literature. The New York City Emerging Writers Fellowship program will serve nine writers over a one-year period. They receive stipends, space and time to write in the Center, the option to engage in a mentorship with a freelance editor, the opportunity to meet with agents who represent new writers, a Center membership, free admission to Center events, discounts on tuition for select writing workshops, and two public readings.

COFFEE HOUSE PRESS, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received $26,000 in support of the publication of four books by emerging Minnesota writers. The mission of the Press is to publish exciting, vital, and enduring authors of this time; to delight and inspire readers; to contribute to the cultural life of its community; and to enrich literary heritage. By building on the best traditions of publishing in the book arts, it produces books that celebrate imagination, innovation in the craft of writing, and the many authentic voices of the American experience. Coffee House will bring the work of emerging Minnesota writers to the attention of reviewers, award panels, booksellers, teachers, and, most importantly, readers.

The NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, Brooklyn, New York, as fiscal sponsor for MARIA HASSABI, New York City, received $1 0,000 in support of the creation, development, and production of the new work Premiere. The mission of the New York Foundation for the Arts is to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Hassabi is a director, choreographer, and performer. Premieres are widely considered special, even more prestigious than later performances, which is a paradox given that they are often imbued with fragility, even awkwardness. Hassabi is interested in exploring this first encounter. Essentially, this public moment is what validates the existence of any creation as a work of art. Premiere will be composed of five solos occurring simultaneously. The material will feature a precise, sculpturesque approach to movement, creating images that are recognizable to the viewer, and placing them in extended duration.

CHEZ BUSHWICK, Brooklyn, New York, received $9,000 in support of the creation, development, and production of the new work OCCUPANT, by Jonah Bokaer. Chez Bushwick is an artist-run organization dedicated to the advancement of interdisciplinary art and performance, with a strong focus on new choreography. Chez Bushwick supports the work of choreographer and media artist Jonah Bokaer. OCCUPANT will be a 120-minute multidisciplinary performance work for four dancers, examining pattern recognition and perceptual faculties applied to the moving body and the human eye. OCCUPANT explores movement in relationship to built spaces, objects, lighting, and other media, creating illusions in stage space. It's scheduled to premiere in late 2013.

THE FIELD, New York City, as fiscal sponsor for choreographer LUCIANA ACHUGAR, Brooklyn, New York, received $10,000 in support of the development and production of Otro Teatro. Founded by artists for artists, The Field is dedicated to providing strategic services to performing artists and companies in New York City and beyond. It fosters creative exploration, stewards innovative management strategies, and helps artists reach their fullest potential. achugar's work exposes the viewer to the unavoidability of the body and consequently arrives at dancing as a necessary and unquestionable act, as catharsis and/or celebration. Her work pays homage to the classical forms of dance and theater that continue to be relevant, yet questions a civilized standard of beauty and order that puts the body under the tyranny of the intellect. Otro Teatro examines the role of dance as a form within the context of theater, proposing another kind of theater, a theater of the other, giving voice to the arcane spirit, instincts, and desires of bodies.

THE FIELD, New York City, as fiscal sponsor for AARON LANDSMAN, received a two-year grant of $20,000 in support of the development and production of two works, Perfect City and Running Away from the One with the Knife. Founded by artists for artists, The Field is dedicated to providing strategic services to performing artists and companies in New York City and beyond. Landsman makes performances about urban intimacy and absence, civic life, and the structures of government. Some pieces are staged in places where people perform their lives, like homes, offices, and meeting rooms. Others use established performance venues. Running Away from the One with the Knife is a three-character stage work that is a memorial, an exorcism, and an act of faith. Written in a prismatic structure that moves between past and present through the eyes of three unreliable narrators, the play asks what anyone can do to stall a loved one's morbid determination. Perfect City will engage communities, researchers, multi-player game designers, and other artists. It continues Landman's interest in the way cities function, or don't, and individual agency in the face of institutions, power structures, and the American myth of reinvention. Perfect City is a project that will take many forms.

RED EYE THEATER, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received $31,500 in support of the 2012-13 New Works 4 Weeks and the commissioning and production of a new work by an emerging playwright. Red Eye is a multidisciplinary creative laboratory that supports the development and production of pioneering performance work. It's a passionate champion of new work for the stage. The New Works 4 Weeks Festival includes Works-In-Progress and Isolated Acts . The overall purpose is to serve emerging artists who are exploring new directions in pieces that would benefit from an extensive reflective process and are best suited to an alternative venue for development. Artists present new works in group evenings in the Works-In-Progress series. Isolated Acts is a curated series, often drawn from prior years' Works-InProgress showings. Grant dollars also support Red Eye's selection of an emerging playwright based in Minnesota or New York City to create a new work for production by the Theater.

MA-YI THEATER COMPANY, New York City, received a two-year grant of $30,000 in support of the creation and development of new works by emerging playwrights in the Writers Lab. The mission of MaYi is to develop and produce new and innovative plays by Asian American writers. It is one of the country's leading incubators of new work, shaping the national discourse about what it means to be Asian American today. Founded in 2004, the Ma-Yi Writers Lab is a professional peer-based workshop of Asian American playwrights in residence at Ma-Yi. The Lab is a community resource, brain trust, and place of artistic growth for its members. It is often the place where writers share first drafts of new works and the place where they continue refining works until they are ready for production. The Lab is also Ma-Yi's primary resource for production material.

Relief grants totaling $55,500 for losses and damages from Superstorm Sandy were approved for The Kitchen, Eyebeam, Smack Mellon and its Artist Studio Program, Printed Matter, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. For further information about these grants, please contact Jerome Foundation Program Director Robert Byrd, Program Officer Eleanor Savage, or President Cynthia Gehrig at 651.224.9431 or 1.800.995.3766. Visit the Jerome Foundation on the Web at www.jeromefdn.org.