The Maryland
State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of
Business and Economic Development, has recognized
87 Maryland artists
for creating work of exceptional quality within a range of
disciplines. This class of outstanding writers, artists and performers
was selected from nearly 600 applicants (including yours truly) and awarded grants ranging from
$1,000 to $6,000 to advance their artistic careers. This year’s
Individual Artist Awards went to artists working within the disciplines
of Fiction; Painting; Media/Digital/Electronic Arts; Solo Theatrical
Performance; and Works on Paper. Although I was rejected for the billionth time, I congratulate all the artists who received an award - yay!
 Portrait of Fair Young Fia as Licensed Royalty by Katherine Miller
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Selected submissions by award recipients are available to view at
www.msac.org/iaa2013, where information on the artists' home county, artistic discipline and grant amount is also provided.
“Artists and art making in
Maryland help fuel our creative economy and expand opportunities for
cultural engagement across the state,” said Theresa Colvin, Executive
Director of MSAC. “The diverse works of exceptional individual artists
is essential to the arts industry, which generates a billion dollars a
year in Maryland.”
The MSAC’s competitive
Individual Artists Award (IAA) is a program administered by
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
that recognizes the value of artists and their work to the cultural
vitality of Maryland. In determining the awards, an out-of-state jury
reviews unidentified IAA submissions and recommends grant awards solely
on the basis of artistic ability.
Many artists report applying IAA grant funds toward the
cost of materials needed to complete their projects. Sculptor David
Knopp, a 2012 Individual Artist Award recipient wrote, “Since receiving
the award, I have completed two more functional sculptures, and the
monetary award supplied the materials to complete them. I will be
experimenting with incorporating other hardwoods into my sculptures and
hardwoods come at a hefty price. The award will aid in purchasing the
lumber.” Knopp, a lifelong Baltimore resident who works a night shift,
and spends the days producing art, was later named one of only three
2012 Baker Artists—a prestigious distinction accompanied by a $25,000
grant.
The IAA Program
reviews a total of 18 artistic disciplines, which are separated into
three competition groups that are awarded once every three years. The
2014 Individual Artist Award will open to applications around June 1,
with a deadline of July 26, 2013. Eligible categories include:
Choreography; Classical Music Composition; Classical Music Solo
Performance; Poetry; Sculpture; Solo Dance Performance; World Music
Composition; and World Music Solo Performance.
A celebration in honor of Maryland’s 2013 Individual Artist Awardees will be held in May.
