R2AC Awards Individual Artist Grants

Region 2 Arts Council (R2AC) recently awarded $11,086 through the Individual Artist Grant Program to individual artists in Beltrami, Hubbard and Clearwater Counties. The purpose of this grant is to stimulate new artistic endeavors in the region by providing project assistance to regional artists who are seriously committed to their work and to the advancement of their artistic careers. The Individual Artist Grant Program is supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation.

Virgene Tyrrell of Bemidji was awarded $1,000 to work with a mentor to broaden her skills as a mosaic artist and to purchase a specialized piece of equipment and art glass supplies.

Alice Blessing of Bemidji was awarded $953 to paint a series of ten Bemidji residents with body modifications to be displayed at Talley Gallery in Spring 2014.

Duane L. Goodwin of Bemidji was awarded $1,000 to purchase a hydraulic lift to facilitate his using larger and heavier rocks for his sculptures.

Erja Wiltse of Bemidji was awarded $536 to attend a one-day prima oil portrait-painting workshop conducted by Suzann Beck.

Michael Forbes of Bemidji was awarded $604 to purchase a laptop computer, printer, voice recognition software, and other equipment to compile an essay collection for publication.

Wayne Shilson of Park Rapids was awarded $1,000 to paint thirteen different bridges that traverse the river Seine in Paris, France.

Christina Thorne of Bemidji was awarded $893 to purchase tools and equipment to enhance her jewelry designs and grow as an artist with her home-based business, Bad Cat Creations.

Cody Bartz of Bemidji was awarded $450 to purchase a camera to document his artwork.

David R. Towley of Bemidji was awarded $1,000 to purchase a new larger capacity variable speed wood lathe and accessory wood holding scroll chunk.

Vivienne Morgan of Bemidji was awarded $1,000 to create a new suite of prints using the Van Dyke process.

Aimee Fredrickson of Bemidji was awarded $615 to create silkscreened original art designs on clothing.

Celia Littlecreek of Red Lake was awarded $974 to purchase kiln equipment to pursue other avenues of ceramics firing.

Paula Swenson of Bemidji was awarded $514 to purchase materials allowing her to experiment with painting in the new medium of egg tempera.

Darci Thabes of Bagley was awarded $547 to buy a wet-tile saw to develop her recycled stone artwork in new ways.

The next Individual Artist Grant deadline is October 3, 2013

Applications are available in the Region 2 Arts Council Office, 426 Bemidji Avenue, Bemidji, MN 56601, or for download from our website, http://r2arts.org. Please call us at 751-5447 or 1-800-275-5447 for more information