Salem, Oregon – In the first of two rounds of FY2022 Career Opportunity Program grant awards, the Oregon Arts Commission and The Ford Family Foundation have awarded $88,234 to 28 artists for career development projects. The awards include $44,150 from the Oregon Arts Commission for all artistic disciplines and $44,084 in supplemental funding for 11 established visual artists through a partnership with The Ford Family Foundation’s Visual Arts Program. Individual grants range from $425 to $11,000.
Career Opportunity Grants support individual Oregon artists by enabling them to take advantage of timely opportunities that enhance their artistic careers. Most grants support the artists’ participation in residencies, exhibitions or performance opportunities.
“This grant program invests in the career growth of talented Oregon artists,” said Christopher Acebo, the Arts Commissioner who chaired the review panel. “That support is critical now as artists continue to rebuild from losses related to the pandemic.”
The Ford Family Foundation funds are available to established Oregon visual artists who are producing new work in the fields of contemporary art and craft.
"These awards allow artists to seize key opportunities in their careers. Even one exhibition or residency has the possibility of unlocking a new path, technique or business relationship that can alter an artist’s future in a significant way,” said Anne C. Kubisch, president of The Ford Family Foundation. “The Foundation is pleased to play a part in that."
FY2022 Career Opportunity Program grant award recipients are:
Laura Allcorn, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support Allcom’s travel to Science Gallery (Dublin, Ireland) in November 2021 to produce a performance program to be featured alongside a newly commissioned interactive installation entitled SKU-Market, a mini-market where visitors shop to learn about AI and social profiling for the exhibition BIAS.
Loo Bain, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,500
The Ford Family Foundation $587
To support travel, residency fees, materials and shipping for Bain’s attendance at The Icelandic Textile Centers textile lab in April to use the TC2 loom in Blondous Iceland to create work for an exhibit at Nordia House.
Rick Bocko, Eugene
Oregon Arts Commission $425
To support Bocko's singer/songwriter career by funding a professional recording of “Sunday Breakfast” to pair with a children's book to be published; the book will include the song lyrics, illustrations and music for read/sing/play along.
Srijon Chowdhury, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
The Ford Family Foundation $8,500
To support the production of large-scale paintings for Chowdhury’s solo exhibition at The Frye Art Museum in Seattle in October 2022.
Tomas Cotik, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,300
To support a recording and international release of Cotik’s historically informed recording of Telemann for Solo Violin by Centaur Records, one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels.
Merridawn Duckler, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $900
To support Duckler’s housing for a month-long stay at Spokane’s Playwright Lab in February, where her full-length play has been accepted into an intensive developmental workshop Included will be teaching and mentoring opportunities at Gonzaga University and a public staged reading and performance.
Daniel Duford, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,500
To support Duford’s writing and creation of a shadow puppet performance with live music and actors combining the medieval poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” with North American roots music, to be presented on the Winter Solstice as part of a three-week residency at Building Five in Northwest Marine Artworks.
Joshua Flint, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,500
The Ford Family Foundation $500
To support the development of Flint’s professional practice by producing an edition of lithographic works with professional lithographer Austin Armstrong.
Joan Gilbert, Enterprise
Oregon Arts Commission $1,100
To support the preparation of Gilbert’s solo exhibit titled “Wallowa Lake: 55x55” at the Josephy Center for Arts & Culture, running September through October 2022. The exhibit represents the culmination of a three-year project exploring Wallowa Lake and mediums, styles and techniques.
Brian Gillis, Eugene
Oregon Arts Commission $1,800
The Ford Family Foundation $5,000
To support a transdisciplinary, interinstitutional, collaborative project from May 1 through July 8 that ties the Alberta Abbey to its community by establishing a hub for service and access to resources and opportunities related to health, wellness and social justice.
Garrick Imatani, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
The Ford Family Foundation $2,734
To support Imatani’s exhibition, free online screening, book launch and public conversation for the 2021 Time-Based Arts Festival (TBA) at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) that will also include fabricated sculptures to be exhibited at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) in early 2022.
Kendra Larson, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support Larson’s art residency at GilsfjordurArts in Gilsfjörður in the Westjords of Iceland, in the summer of 2022. The award will support travel, art supplies and documentation.
Niraja Lorenz, Eugene
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
The Ford Family Foundation $2,700
To support Lorenz’ participation in a two-week independent study with Nancy Crow in Indianola, Washington, in February/March 2022, The award will support tuition, travel, lodging and supplies.
Brenda Mallory, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,975
The Ford Family Foundation $8,500
To support the creation of art for Mallory’s solo exhibition "The North Star Changes" at The Heard Museum in Phoenix.
Brenna Murphy, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support Murphy’s performance and exhibition in collaboration with Birch Cooper and Jan Anderzen at Blank Forms in NYC.
Lamiae Naki, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,500
To support Naki’s consultancy with the founder and CEO of Olivia Management, a professional artist management company, to manage publicity leading up to her upcoming album release and strategies for promotion.
Kristen Nekovar, Astoria
Oregon Arts Commission $1,000
To support the completion of custom, hardwood framing in preparation for Nekovar’s debut exhibition at Astoria Visual Arts Gallery from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5.
Aja Ngo, Nehalem
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
The Ford Family Foundation $2,013
To support Ngo’s study at In Koko Mosaico in Ravenna, Italy, under the supervision of master mosaic artist Arrianna Gallo. The award will support travel, tuition and materials.
Geraldine Ondrizek, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
The Ford Family Foundation $9,000
To support an installation of Ondrizek’s “The First 100 Hours” in the upcoming Personal Structures exhibition at the European Cultural Center in Venice, to run parallel to the Venice Art Biennale from April 23 to Nov. 27.
Sara Parker, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support the inaugural production of Parker’s “the beast that blooms,” a multidisciplinary dance performance to be presented at BodyVox Dance Center on Feb. 4 and 5.
Mark Powers, Tigard
Oregon Arts Commission $1,650
To support a unique one-on-one intensive training opportunity in the Los Angeles area to increase Powers’ knowledge of microphone, effects and drum mixing techniques for the continued growth of the artist’s remote recording home studio.
Alyson Provax, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,000
The Ford Family Foundation $2,750
To support Provax’ exhibition at Well Well Projects in North Portland scheduled for August, focused on text-based letterpress works on paper.
William Ray, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support an all-BIPOC crew for Hearts + Sparks Productions’ production of Ray’s film adaption of a section of M. Scott Peck’s book "People of the Lie." The film title is "tour de force" and will be shot from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30 mostly in Southeast Portland. Post production and editing will occur off-site at Desert Island Studios.
Lyla Rowen, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,300
To support Rowen’s residency at the Icelandic Textile Center in April to work in the dye studio and digital loom lab to create weavings that will be shown at the museum and Nordia House.
Angela Saenz, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $700
To support Saenz’ professional documentation and website services so that she is able to share her new works and details about her upcoming solo show in the gallery of The Armory at the Portland Center Stage.
Coleman Stevenson, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $1,000
The Ford Family Foundation $1,800
To support the creation and installation of a Stevenson’s new body of text and image work for an exhibition in Brooklyn, NY, in May.
Jennifer Vaughn, Eugene
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support the creation and installation of visual artwork for a Vaughn’s solo exhibition at Ditch Projects in Springfield, Oregon in September.
Phyllis Yes, Portland
Oregon Arts Commission $2,000
To support Yes’ travel to Los Angeles to work with a producer/director on the filming and editing of her movie script “Good Morning, Miss America.”
-----
The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, services, and special initiatives. The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.