8 projects receive $100,000 for 2005-06 premieres
A public art installation of organic birds’ nests along the Woonasquatucket River, a play exploring the responsibility of artists during wartime, and a collaborative dance/music performance based on visual art…
Stating that the constant creation of new artistic work is essential to maintaining and expanding the cultural richness of the state, The Rhode Island Foundation announced today $100,000 in grants to eight collaborations between artists and nonprofit organizations.
“Whatever the medium, artists need to test the boundaries of their disciplines. We’re pleased to encourage that creative process right here in Rhode Island,” said Ronald V. Gallo, Ed.D., the Foundation’s president and CEO.
“The benefits are multiple. Artists discover what a fertile environment Rhode Island offers. Local nonprofits have the inspiring experience of working with fresh perspectives. And Rhode Island audiences are introduced to new material right in our communities.
“The Foundation understands that new work can be challenging and, at first, represent a risk at the box office. We are committed to absorbing some of that risk so that the work can continue.”
Gallo said the Foundation’s New Works grants program is now in its fifth year, and has spent more than a half million dollars. Artists partner with Rhode Island arts organizations which in turn commit to present the work to the general public and attract underserved communities.
The winning eight projects were chosen from 57 entries, according to Foundation Program Officer Claude Elliott.
“The finalists were recommended by a panel of artists, arts administrators, and arts advocates with a broad range of experience including environmental art, dance, music, performance, theatre, video installment, and visual arts,” Elliott said.
“The selection was guided by quality of work, inclusion of a variety of art disciplines, participation from diverse artists, and strength of the partnership with arts organizations.
“The panel members were Kimberly Bigelow, National Dance Project; Michael Bradford, Faculty, Theatre Department, University of Connecticut; Ricardo Morris, Director, Green Street Arts Center, Wesleyan University; Benjamin Ortiz, Latino art curator; and Bob Rizzo, Rhode Island artist and founder, Convergence International Arts Festival.
The winning artist and nonprofit presenter collaborations are:
Brown University, Rites and Reason Theatre, The Door of No Return, $10,625
Nehassiau deGannes, poet, playwright, and actor, will research how Rhode Island descendants of native people, slaves, and immigrants, encounter, construct, and deconstruct their personal transformation. deGannes will conduct a series of interviews and focus groups and draw from historical research and literature to write and perform a one-person celebration reflecting collective voices. The Door of No Return will be performed during the Fall 2005 season of Rites and Reason Theatre. A series of cross-cultural conversations are planned to acknowledge shared histories and experiences.
Island Moving Company, Consent to Gravity, $16,500
Island Moving Company will collaborate with choreographers, dancers, and musicians to develop a multi-discipline response to the visual interpretation of music scores created by the artist, Frederick Sommer. The project will premiere at Rhode Island School of Design in March 2005 during Sommer’s centennial exhibition, and also at Rhode Island College in November. Sommer's paintings and drawings cannot be read as scores and the challenge for composers and choreographers is to interpret abstract concepts such as sound and movement.
New Urban Arts, Rhode Island Photographic Survey: Providence Project, $8,400
In collaboration with several artist-students from New Urban Arts, Erik Gould, photographer, will create a body of work that reflects his interest in capturing visual information about communities in flux, changing neighborhood landscapes, construction of affordable housing, artist live-work spaces, and documentation of Providence’s rapid transformation. Utilizing a large-format camera on a tripod and 8x10 size stock film will enable Gould to capture entire streets in long stretches. Rhode Island Photographic Survey: Providence Project will be exhibited at the New Urban Arts Gallery in February 2006 with a companion web-based component.
Perishable Theatre, Amazons and Their Men, $10,400
Jordan Harrison, playwright, will write and develop a play that investigates the responsibility of artists during wartime. The play will be informed by Leni Riefenstahl’s abandoned 1939 film, Penthesilea, and Heinrich von Kleist’s classical adaptation. The creative phase includes a three-tiered development process, a series of public workshops, and a full production at Perishable Theatre in 2006. Support from the National New Play Network ensures that Amazons and Their Men will have a national presence.
Providence City Arts, African Glory, $15,000
Munir D. Mohammed, a Ghanaian artist, is concerned about the prevalence of inaccurate visual presentation of diversity of African racial, religious, and tribal differences. Mohammed will develop an exhibition of ten murals (6 ft x 7 ft.) that render West African history, culture, and lifestyle in a culturally correct manner. The artist has identified African elders living in Rhode Island to serve as advisors and will work with the collection from the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology. Providence City Arts, Primary Source, and the Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. Center will provide exhibition venues and educational programs beginning in January 2006.
Providence Singers, Music for the New Age, $7,875
Providence Singers commissioned, premiered, and will record a new work for chorus and percussion by African American composer Trevor Weston. Ma’at Musing, based on a text of Egyptian mythology, will premiere as part of the Providence Singers New Music for a New Age concert series in February, 2005. Weston will host a series community music forums to foster appreciation of contemporary choral music and increase public awareness of the contributions of diverse composers to the choral field.
University of Rhode Island Foundation, Viscerally or Virtually Americans, $14,400
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, photographer, will collaborate with the University of Rhode Island Art Galleries to explore the fluidity and consequences of immigrant identity in the United States and virtual identity in India. Utilizing photography, video, and audio Matthew will research and compare the experiences of workers at call centers in Bangalore, India, with those of immigrants and recently-naturalized American citizens. The project intends to challenge the current thinking about shifting identity and engage dialogue about the technological impact on international boundaries. The multi-media installation will be presented at URI in September 2006.
Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Reclaiming Urban Dead Zones through Sculpture, $16,800
Will Machin, sculptor, in collaboration with Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Woonasquatucket Valley Community Build, and YouthBuild Providence, and New Urban Arts, will develop a community-based public art project. Twenty organically-formed, nesting houses for American Kestrels, Screech Owls, and Tree Swallows will be sculpted from discarded objects. The houses will meet specifications provided by the Audubon Society. An exhibition, artist residencies, website, and educational programs to expose the public and youth in environmental issues are scheduled for August, 2005.
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