Lake Region Arts Council, Fergus Falls, awarded six Artist Quick Start Grants, $750 each, at the September LRAC Grant Review. The grants were awarded to artists from six different counties, in six different artistic disciples, one of them being Becker County.
Eileen Hanson, Becker County, Visual Artist, Photography - Hanson will be printing a series of photographs for her upcoming exhibit at the Detroit Lakes Public Library in November and December.
She will create her marketing campaign with business cards and a brochure to promote her work.
“I love to photograph old metal equipment and buildings. Metal remains calm and still, while allowing me to crawl around, under, and above it to capture its geometric and even organic qualities,” she said.
Other recipients include Jeffrey Thornton, Pope County, Visual Artist, Painter - Thornton will be the featured artist at the Phipps Museum of Art in Hudson, Wis., during January. The grant will offset the cost to frame 23 pieces for the exhibit.
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“This grant would help me to keep the momentum I’ve been building and allow myself to eventually show at more major locations in the twin cities & beyond,” he said.
Michael Weatherly, Grant County, Visual Artist, Printmaking - Weatherly will be purchase silk screen equipment to further his printmaking versatility. His art was featured in the 2014 Solo Exhibition Program Group Shows, Altered Esthetics, Minneapolis.
“Art can speak to all of us, it can lift spirits, provoke memories, create emotions and connect the past to the present,” he said.
Vicky Radel, Traverse County, Visual Artist, Encaustic Painting - Radel will be completing her studio space with the installation of an exhaust system and acquisition of paints and tools. This will enable her to create encaustic painting in a safe, well ventilated environment.
“It wasn’t until I took classes in encaustic painting that I felt I had found ‘my’ medium. I was finally able to achieve the look and the feel I had been looking for and I was thrilled,” she said.
Gary Wahl, Stevens County, Visual Artist, Sculpture - Wahl will connect his physical and digital studio practices through the purchase of a desktop 3D printer capable of printing plastic objects from his files thereby improving his viability when pursuing large-scale public sculpture commissions.
“Being in the Midwest, I am aware that there is very little to see that is not owed to human’s decision to either put it there or to leave it there. The landscape is a kind of community drawing being erased and redrawn. My sculptures use strong visual metaphors for such forces,” he said.
Amanda Nygard, Clay County, Musician/Composer - Nygard will record and produce an album of original work. The grant will pay for additional time to complete the project and release the album in January 2015.
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She was the recent winner of the Brainerd Battle of the Bands and won time in a recording studio.
“I love to bring a human aspect to people that are seen as outsiders, and give a voice to the experiences of the working poor. I appreciate when people can bring dignity to the struggles of working people, and I hope that I can do the same with my music,” she said.
For a sample of her music, go to www.amandastandalone.com .
The LRAC Artist Quick Start Grant is a $750 grant, open to all applicants in the LRAC nine county region. The next LRAC Artist Quick Start Grant will be open on July 1 with six grants to be awarded. This grant program is funded by the McKnight Foundation and these grants may take place outside of the LRAC region.
