DAYTON, OH (Dec 19, 2017) – Fifteen Montgomery County artists have been selected to receive grants in 2018 through the Artist Opportunity Grant program, which is funded by the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District (MCACD) and administered by Culture Works.

The Artist Opportunity Grant program, now in its second year, provides funding for Montgomery County artists of all disciplines to pursue professional development opportunities and complete new works. Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of artists, arts administrators, educators, and community leaders.

Based on the funding recommendations made by the panelists at a public meeting in mid-November, a total of $37,975 will be awarded to this cycle’s grantees:

•   Bridgette Bogle – Visual Artist; Assistant Professor of Art, Sinclair Community College
•   Christie Cerio – Theatre Manager, Town Hall Theatre; Artistic Director, Madame Gigi’s Outrageous French CanCan Dancers
•   Morris Howard – Visual Artist, Educator
•   Shelley Jagow – Musician; Professor of Music, Wright State University
•   Julie Jones – Photographer
•   Amy Kollar Anderson – Visual Artist
•   Annie Lee-Zimerle – Visual Artist
•   James McCutcheon – Guitarist, Educator
•   Marsha Pippenger – Visual Artist, Educator
•   Danielle Rante – Visual Artist; Associate Professor of Printmaking and Drawing, Wright State University
•   Sarah Robertson – Musician, Educator
•   Sharon Short – Novelist; Executive Director, Antioch Writers’ Workshop
•   Shawanda Smith – Vocalist
•   Shon Walters – Visual Artist; Owner, Eccentric Wood
•   Joel Whitaker – Photographer

Projects and opportunities being funded by this grant cycle include: the creation of a new mural on Jefferson Street; local exhibitions of paintings and papier collé tapestries; the recording of two albums of original work; and participation in artist residencies, retreats, and workshops in Massachusetts, Tennessee, Croatia, Switzerland, and Iceland.

The program was originally budgeted to award $30,000 this year, but the amount was increased to accommodate an abundance of strong applications. Matt Dunn, Executive Director of MCACD said, “We are pleased by the caliber of the artists that applied and impressed by the opportunities they wanted to pursue.” He continued, “We were happy to increase the funding to make more opportunities available, and we look forward to the artists sharing their work with the broader community in the coming year.”

Read more about the 2017-18 Artist Opportunity Grantees here.

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ABOUT CULTURE WORKS

WHO WE ARE: Culture Works is a nonprofit regional arts agency that provides a unified voice for all of the cultural organizations and activities in the Dayton Region, and promotes the good news about the amazing cultural vibrancy of our region to a national audience.

WHAT WE DO: Culture Works is committed to leading the charge to ensure a healthy environment for arts and culture in this community for generations to come.  We work to galvanize widespread support for arts and culture, while also ensuring that every citizen has an opportunity to experience the cultural vibrancy that defines our region.

WHY WE MATTER: Our efforts play a vital role in making the Dayton Region more appealing to new residents, tourists, and employees looking for a new home