Arts Commission invests $3M to strengthen communities through art and creativity  

By in Native

Arts Commission invests $3M to strengthen communities through art and creativity  

INDIANA – Thursday, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $3,431,351 to 414 nonprofits to fund arts projects and organizations around the state through the Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant programs.     

During its June 9 Quarterly Business Meeting, the Commission approved the funding recommendations for the two grant programs. Applications were reviewed by 146 panelists from around the state and country with expertise in the arts, community development, and nonprofit management. 

Arts Organization Support grants provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations. Arts Project Support grants provide funding to Indiana 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and public entities for a specific arts project or arts activity(ies). Between both programs, 75 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive funding.   

Anne Penny

“The projects and organizations selected to receive funding are strengthening our state,” said Anne Penny Valentine, Chair of the Indiana Arts Commission. “The Commission is excited and honored to invest in Hoosier communities, supporting organizations that are doing exceptional creative work to make Indiana a great place to live, work, play, study, and stay.” 

This year, changes to the AOS program were made to decrease barriers in the application process, increase support to smaller, emerging, and first-time applicants, and provide more meaningful award sizes to grant recipients through a field-driven input process. Learn more about this programmatic review.   

Changes to the program resulted in increased support and access to small organizations and increased average overall award size statewide. The Arts Organization Support program received applications from 36 organizations not previously funded by the program, and funding to smaller organizations and rural communities increased. 

Following are examples of arts organizations receiving Arts Organization Support awards:  

  • The Carnegie Heritage and Arts Center of Greene County (CHAC) dedicates itself to providing engaging artistic experiences for the communities in Greene County. Its arts programming includes an art studio space for local artists, art classes and camps for children, and a range of adult activities such as painting, knitting, and pottery. The CHAC also organizes the Linton Fall Arts Festival, which brings the community together through a celebration of regional artisans, food, and music. 
  • In Marshall County, Heartland Art Gallery is committed to furthering the arts in Plymouth and its surrounding areas. They provide a wide array of engaging programs and events for the community including two annual art exhibits, an art award for a deserving Marshall County high school senior, art classes for people of all ages, and a gallery that supports local artists.    

View all Arts Organization Support recipients. 

The Commission also voted to distribute funds from the Arts Trust, which is supported by the sale of the Celebrate the Arts license plate. One Arts Project Support grant recipient from every county with a funded application has been designated as an Arts Trust Project. Funding for these projects is supported in part through the Arts Trust Plate funding. Beneficiaries were selected based on exemplary commitment to community, education, economy, and health. 

Following are examples of Arts Project Support recipients selected as Arts Trust License Plate beneficiaries: 

  • In Scottsburg, Bree’s Blessings utilizes the power of music and art for children who are undergoing cancer treatment. With the support of the Celebrate the Arts license plate, Bree’s Blessings will be presenting their third annual “Night to Remember.” This event will feature live music performed by children and families and a collaborative art display featuring children’s work. The “Night to Remember” brings the community together and raises awareness of childhood cancer. 
  • Central Indiana Powwow Inc. produces a two-day powwow and market, presents Native American art to fourth-grade students through a cultural diversity and awareness program, and offers an artist-in-residence program for secondary school art students to foster cultural awareness of Native American art, culture, dance, language, and music.  

See the full list of Arts Trust License Plate beneficiaries.  

View all Arts Project Support grant recipients.  

Miah Michaelsen

“Art and creativity strengthen the fabric of Indiana’s communities.  They promote connection and cohesion, foster the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive and create the kinds of communities where people want to live,” said Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission. “In every corner of our state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that improves the quality of life of Hoosiers and drives economic development within our state.” 

Tokyo-based Hum Jewelry Glows With Mixed Metals, Diamonds And Innovative Artistry

By in Art World News

Tokyo-based Hum Jewelry Glows With Mixed Metals, Diamonds And Innovative Artistry

Hum jewelry is designed by Tomohiro Sadakiyo and Yuka Inanuma, artisans and designers who appreciate Japanese artisanal techniques, material culture and the powers of adornments in equal measure. Comprised of 18-karat white and yellow gold and set with champagne or colorless diamonds, Hum jewels often combine 18-karat white and yellow gold in the same piece. These contrasting precious metals imbue Hum designs with an understated aura of luxury that whispers chic confidence. As Sadakiyo and Inanuma explained, “We design our jewelry for individuals who, like us, wish to master their own paths and implement their desires creatively.” A quick survey of their designs suggests that Hum is indeed a leader in gender-fluid luxury jewels with great design and emotional depth. For those who want to experience their jewels in their native environment, HUM’s Tokyo atelier and boutique is located at 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 2 Chome−31−7 ビラ・グロリア 1F.

Sadakiyo and Inanuma started Hum by developing tools they could use to create jewels that embody their shared visions of substance, style and master artisanship. By creating and using tools and processes that support experimental metalworking techniques, Sadakiyo and Inanuma explained, “We imprint metal with uniquely artistic surface textures and apply special finishes.” In the eyes of Hum collectors and retailers like objetdemotion.com, “Hum is valued for its design rarity, artisanal integrity, technical excellence and of course, material and visual beauty,” said Valery Demure, founder and curator of objetdemotion.com. “For those who understand style, jewelry design and fabrication, it’s immediately apparent that Hum jewels are born through creative exploration and artisanal innovation, as opposed to luxury marketing strategies.”

According to Sadakiyo and Inanuma, “What truly captivates us is the desire to manipulate metal freely to express our vision. Our initial fascination was with craft processes, as opposed to design, owing to our background as artisans.” The duo’s initial research involved the making of Hum jewelry, along with wide-ranging discussions about how to express universal myths, symbols and concepts in elegant designs.

As you’ve probably gathered by now, Sadakiyo and Inanuma are rather more philosophical than most luxury jewelers. What’s more, anthropologists like Claude Lévi-Strauss and notions of Eternity are driving forces behind their creations. (Lévi-Strauss theorized that universal laws must govern mythical thought, and thus this explains why similar myths animate so many of the world’s disparate cultures. While each myth may seem unique to the people who invent it, Lévi-Strauss asserted that any one myth merely represents one particular instance of the universal law of human thought.) “We have a keen interest in the structures and patterns postulated by Claude Lévi-Strauss,” Sadakiyo and Inanuma said. While they are creating collections, however, “We also delve into fine art, performing arts, music and fashion. Micro meets macro, theory meets body.”

Toward that end, Sadakiyo and Inanuma created a collection they named “Humete”. As they explained, “Humete is a word we created and this collection embodies ‘Eternity’ as conceived by Hum.” While they admit that, “The concept of ‘Eternity’ may not exist or be provable, but we thought that we could design motifs that symbolically capture this abstract idea.” The Humete collection, they continued, involves hand-wrought chains, as links in a chain can symbolize Eternity. “Chains have existed since ancient times, used for decorative and functional purposes,” they observed. “We set several conditions when designing a new chain that would immediately be recognizable as Hum jewelry, made entirely by hand, without advanced technology,” they said. “We designed the clasps to secure the connection without breaking the visual continuity.” The overall visual effect is one of restrained luxury that looks simultaneously timeless and ancient, gender-fluid, classic and quietly chic. Voilà: jewelry to wear and hand down through Eternity.

Another example of Hum’s luxurious conceptual jewelry comes in the form of their “Art Deco Lace” collection, which began with the duo’s interest in Art Deco design, which became fashionable about a century ago as the world became more highly industrialized. “We were curious about how the shift from Art Nouveau to Art Deco reflected societal changes, including the economic and cultural shift from Europe to the United States; the transition from small-scale and bespoke production to mass production.”

Noting that 2023’s economic and cultural conditions are geared towards making and consuming global, standardized and evermore digitized products, Sadakiyo and Inanuma explained, “Visually, we were inspired by Art Deco, but instead of embracing the anonymity of standardized production we took a more sensitive approach.” Focused on creating maximum material and visual beauty, “We treat each jewel individually, producing them by hand, using conflict-free diamonds and fusing recycled precious metals. Each design element celebrates the craftsman’s touch.” While they admitted they don’t know which path our society is taking, they ventured, “We imagine in 100 years, that our collection might capture this pivotal moment in time.”

Sadakiyo and Inanuma and their artisans work in a traditional atelier that’s located in central Tokyo, surrounded by independent shops and family-run restaurants. They noted that, “Our studio houses eight artisans who craft Hum jewelry. Everything is produced in house.” As soon as the duo creates a new concept for a collection and elementary design parameters are determined, Hum artisans begin to create samples in silver or copper. “Our designers work closely with the artisans, examining each sample in detail for ease of wear, balance, look and feel,” they said. “We and our artisans work until we are satisfied.”

Although Hum is a relatively young luxury jewelry company, its creations suit the present yet also look like they belong to the future. Hum’s time-traveling style sensibility, philosophical depth and intrinsic classicism differentiates it from all other brands. As Sadakiyo and Inanuma noted, “Whether it’s years or days later, we would be pleased if our pieces could serve as catalysts, sparking beautiful memories for those who wear them.” Although designed for the here and now, Hum designs, especially the Humete and Art Deco Lace collections, literally embody nostalgia while preparing to be worn by humans for Eternity.

UNM gains a photography professor

By in Photography

UNM gains a photography professor

Sara Abbaspour – the new assistant professor of photography –  completed her bachelor’s in urban planning and design at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran; she picked it because it was the closest STEM major related to art. The research that the major required introduced her to photography – a passion that she ultimately followed.

“We had to study different neighborhoods to be able to design for the people, and photography was a major part of it — to study the environment, to know the environment better or to study the behavioral patterns of people who are using that urban space … my love for photography started there,” Abbaspour said.

She will be teaching two courses at the University of New Mexico this fall: Intro to Photography and Advanced Photography. Abbaspour said she is interested to learn about the practices of UNM students and how she can influence and improve the department.

After getting her bachelor’s, Abbaspour changed her career path to study photography at the University of Tehran. Although she did not continue her career in urban planning and design, it impacted the ways she thinks about space in her art, Abbaspour said.

“It has influenced my work a lot. My work is about space – public space and private space – (the) different dynamics they have and how people live, inhabit but also (how) beings exist next to each other,” Abbaspour said.

Meggan Gould – UNM professor of studio art – met her in 2017 when Abbaspour was accepted into the UNM MFA program. Abbaspour said she decided to go to the Yale MFA program instead, but has always had her eye on UNM – admiring the work of the students and faculty.

Abbaspour uses photography differently than the rest of the department – influencing how the professors as a whole think about photography, Gould said. Her work is based on close observation of the mundane world, its histories and surfaces.

“I find her aesthetic to be simultaneously straight-forward and poetic, and I am intrigued by her sustained interest in transitional spaces – of travel, of human interactions, of urban change and upheaval. I find her photographs to be quiet, piercing and meditative,” Gould said.

Abbaspour has had experience teaching at NYU and Cal Arts, and she said she is excited to continue her career in academia. She enjoys the critical growth that the environment of teaching and research allows, as well as being able to grow and be influenced by artists around her.

“There’s a lot of back and forth and talking to people – receiving feedback and criticisms and moving that critical engine. … Each moment, you find out one more element that you can add to your collection of understanding … I’ve been lost as well. I know it’s a process for almost all of the artists – that they get lost and they find themselves again,” Abbaspour said.

Abbaspour has moved many times in the past few years – studying and working in Tehran, Connecticut, New York and California. After moving to Albuquerque this summer, she said she is taking time to think about how it has affected her work.

“The whole idea of moving. It definitely has affected my practice … I’m still trying to figure it out. I’m still trying to (put) it into words how it has affected me, but I am sure that it has in a good way,” Abbaspour said.

Enjoy what you’re reading?
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox

Subscribe

After a class visit, the students were unanimously excited about Abbaspour’s critique conversations and work, Gould said. Faculty and students alike are looking forward to seeing how she will influence the photography department.

“I think she is going to be an extraordinary fit into our department,” Gould said. “Her voice and approach to her practice will benefit both the undergraduate and graduate communities.”

Addison Key is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @addisonkey11

Mastering the art of entrepreneurship: A detailed guide to launching and scaling your enterprise

By in Art World News

Mastering the art of entrepreneurship: A detailed guide to launching and scaling your enterprise

Embarking on the journey of starting and growing an enterprise is both thrilling and demanding. This comprehensive guide offers aspiring entrepreneurs a detailed roadmap to navigate the complexities of building a successful business.

By following these step-by-step instructions, you’ll establish a strong foundation and position yourself for sustained growth and prosperity. From defining your vision and conducting market research to securing funding and building a capable team, each crucial aspect is covered. With this guide as your compass, you can confidently embark on your entrepreneurial endeavor and chart a course towards long-term success.

Step1: The Idea

The notion of an idea refers to conception that arises from comprehending something subconsciously. It is truly remarkable how our minds have the capacity to generate thoughts and solutions on gaining awareness of certain concepts. Therefore, when various ideas begin to circulate in your mind, it is crucial not to disregard them. Instead, embrace them and strive to bring them to fruition. It is impossible to determine which idea may hold immense value, while we unknowingly overlook them. Giving life to an idea carries significant responsibility and necessitates careful planning and comprehension.

Step 2: Reason to start?

Before diving into the execution of your idea, it is important to understand why you want to pursue it. Questions like why you want to start this business or create this product are important to be answered. Understanding your motivation and goals will provide clarity and direction. Knowing where you are heading and why will guide your decision-making process.

Step 3: Ignite the fire: – Research and planning

When you are clear with what and why to start, it’s time to ignite the fire by conducting research followed by planning. In today’s technology-driven world, information is readily available, making it easier to gain knowledge about your idea. Try to grab as much information as possible by taking help of entrepreneurial magazines, participation in events, competition and market etc. Take enough time to research your market niche, understand its potential, and develop strategy considering factors such as expected costs, initial investment, ongoing expenses, team requirements, workspace, and sales platforms. Thorough research and planning are crucial steps in setting a strong foundation for your business.

Step 4: Incorporate and expand in Numbers

Incorporate the idea to protect its interest followed by building a team of you. Networking plays an important role here, if you have a good network and connections, you’ll be able to build a team easily and faster. Networking has its own importance in business so in growth. You may find it difficult to build a team initially because of obvious reasons like experience, capital and other factors. So, try to build a team of people with multitasking capabilities, some with experience and knowledge, some new minds with no experiences, in short a diversified team.

Step 5: Scaling without Rushing

Once your business is fully prepared, it’s time to launch and generate awareness. Craft a captivating brand identity that aligns with your vision and resonates with your target audience. Construct a professional website that effectively showcases your products or services and offers a seamless user experience. Establish a robust online presence by leveraging social media platforms, content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and online advertising. Depending on your target market, consider utilizing traditional marketing channels like print media, radio, or local events. Continuously monitor and analyze your marketing efforts, making necessary adjustments to maximize your reach and customer engagement. Utilize data analytics tools to measure campaign effectiveness and refine marketing strategies.Avoid equating success solely with profit, as impatience for immediate results can unduly influence your overall vision and potentially divert you in a different direction. While advancing in business, maintain your long-term vision and objectives that were established during incorporation. It is crucial to resist being swayed by immediate circumstances and making short-term decisions that could pose risks in the future. Remember, the key is to stay in the game, particularly during the initial stages, so avoid rushing, maintain a steady pace, and refrain from quitting.

The author is Founder, Jeans Unofficial

Prix Pictet shortlist 2023: Human

By in Photography

Prix Pictet shortlist 2023: Human
image

Ragnar Axelsson: Kötlujökull glacier, Iceland

For more than 40 years, Axelsson, also known as Rax, has been photographing the people, animals and landscape of the most remote regions of the Arctic, including Iceland, Siberia and Greenland. He documents how the relationships of people with their extreme environments are being profoundly altered by climate change

Photograph: Ragnar Axelsso/Qerndu, Reykjavik

Coastal Photographers Guild hold annual Big Photo Show

By in Photography

Coastal Photographers Guild hold annual Big Photo Show
image

These days, everyone takes “pictures.” But Chris Slack, president of the Coastal Photographers Guild, says the goal is to get more people taking “photographs.”

“People take a lot of pictures,” Slack says. “There’s billions of pictures taken every day. We try and help our guild members take fewer pictures and more photographs.”

Opinion: Diversity in San Diego’s art scene is progressing, but there is more work to be done

By in Native

Opinion: Diversity in San Diego’s art scene is progressing, but there is more work to be done
image

Goodwin is the owner of Leah Goodwin Creations, an art consultant, a cultural practitioner, a published poet and a newly appointed member of the California Arts Council. She lives in Imperial Beach.

Does diversity, equity and inclusion really exist in the San Diego arts landscape? I often ask myself this question. The easy answer is that diversity in the arts in San Diego has progressed over the last two decades, thanks to the efforts of many, but there is still a long way to go. The real question is, what else can we do to create a truly vibrant, diverse and inclusive arts environment in a future San Diego?

I share this message as a lifelong cultural practitioner, one of the few African American women in this field, and as a current member of the California Arts Council, though all opinions expressed here are mine alone.

For starters, arts funding policies need to change to be inclusive and level the socioeconomic disparities in the arts. The good news is that these days there are more programs and funds geared towards inclusion. Examples include the Cultural Pathways program at the California Arts Council and SDCARES at the city of San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture. The sad news is that innovative programs earmarking funds for Black, Indigenous, people of color or African American, Latino American, Asian American and Native American artists have had their funding shut down due to pressure around Proposition 209.

Proposition 209, approved in November 1996 and ironically also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, amended the state Constitution to prohibit governmental institutions from considering race, sex or ethnicity, specifically in the areas of public employment, public contracting and public education. So the argument goes, funds designated for the arts that are from public sources cannot be earmarked for Black, Indigenous, people of color or African American, Latino American, Asian American and Native American artists.

To their credit, many arts organizations have looked inward, created racial equity statements and examined policies and practices that by their nature excluded smaller or newer organizations from participating. They have adopted new policies that don’t require small organizations to have auditors, require matching funds and allow them to use a fiscal sponsor if they do not yet have a 501(c)(3) status.

Allowing fiscal sponsors and partnerships is one solution. Finding new ways to look at the disparity in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic is another, using a tool called the Healthy Places Index. A project of the Public Health Alliance of Southern California, the Healthy Places Index is a powerful and easy-to-use data and policy platform created to advance health equity through open and accessible data. Community leaders, policymakers, academics and other stakeholders use the Healthy Places Index to compare the health and well-being of communities, identify health inequities and propose policy or program remedies. Such a data-driven disparity analysis is also useful in the arts funding arena.

Another approach comes from my experience serving as the public art consultant in the creation of the Public Art Collection at the county’s nearly completed Southeastern Live Well Center. This is the first public art collection in the county comprised predominantly of artists who are Black, Indigenous and people of color. Using the criteria of roots in the community in the call for art, we were able to identify and engage community artists whose works reflect the art statement: “Art at the Southeastern Live Well Center represents and celebrates the history, diversity and cross-cultural experiences of the community while educating, creating beauty, inspiration and healing.”

Right now, the city of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture has embarked upon a true Arts Culture Master Plan. To engage in the cultural planning process, people are encouraged to go to sdcreativecity.com and click GET INVOLVED.

In partnership with the San Diego Regional Arts Coalition, Catalyst San Diego, Conrad Prebys Foundation and the California Arts Council, the San Diego Commission has launched the Far South Border West project with more than 65 multidisciplinary and culturally inclusive artists who are working to create projects focused on social justice, climate change, health and civic engagement. These projects will tie into and hopefully engage with the World Design Capital celebrations in fall of 2024. There is also a new Arts and Culture Commission at the county of San Diego.

Things are looking very promising for our region. But we have to keep moving forward.

We are all artists. Human beings by nature are creative, and I have often said that learning together about each other through the arts is how we will learn to find commonalities and celebrate our differences. This is the beauty of the arts. Art breaks down walls and lets us experience our humanity. Art offers a place where we do not have to agree in order to engage. It brings joy, wonder and, I believe, peace. San Diego is becoming a leader in this area. Let’s keep things going.

‘Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass’ needs to be seen… multiple times

By in Native

‘Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass’ needs to be seen… multiple times
image

A friend asked me to describe the exhibition, “Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass,” currently on view at the Wichita Art Museum. I used one word: “Overwhelming.” This exhibition cannot be adequately taken in with one visit. The show features 115 works by 29 Native American artists and four Pacific Rim Artists. Artifacts which may be presented in other Native American shows, made of clay, wood, stone, woven grass, or leather are here, all rendered in colorful, glorious glass. Various techniques such as sand blasting have been utilized.

Among my favorite pieces were three vessels resembling human heads, one by Preston Singletary of the Tlinget People, and 2 by Marcus Amerman of the Choctaw Tribe. The three vessels were inspired by clay jars found in archeological digs of ancient villages of the Mississippian Culture. One’s mouth open as if in shock, one bearing a toothy grin, and the last staring as if in a deep and soulful trance. Literally every piece in this show left me in wonder. And the work delves much, much deeper than the obvious and incredible beauty. The spiritualism and meaning behind every work in this show simply cannot be described by the likes of someone like me. I think to truly know the real depth of this work one would have to be a blood American, like the very the people who made these pieces–the people who were here for thousands of years before immigrants, like me, hit these shores.

I will go back because I must see it again. The show runs through September 10th.

«< 149 150 151 152 153 >»