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Arts Council of Greater Lansing Awards New Clark Fellowships to Local Creative Professionals

Arts Council of Greater Lansing Awards New Clark Fellowships to Local Creative Professionals

The Arts Council of Greater Lansing is pleased to announce the selection of eight local artists as recipients of the Chris Clark Fellowship Program for Creative Professionals.  The program provides up to $1,500 as a cash grant reimbursement for equipment, training, or other business support to help build creative capacity for artists, arts administrators, arts business owners, and arts instructors in greater Lansing.  In addition, Clark Fellows have the opportunity to attend, free of charge, one full year of the Arts Council’s SmArts educational workshops in order to learn more about legal, financial, marketing, and other business issues related to those working in creative fields. Chris Clark, a greater Lansing area native, saw the Arts Council as one of the chief agents of change in the region and established a legacy gift to the Arts Council as a part of a planned bequest.  Chris had a passion for scene-building and the arts and had a gift for bringing artists and business persons together, understanding that each needs to work together in order for a community to thrive and prosper.  The Arts Council of Greater Lansing established the Chris Clark Fellowship Program for Creative Professionals in 2012 to honor Chris’ values and his commitment to the arts and the community. The following Clark Fellows represent the inaugural year of the program.  Each recipient was selected based upon the merit of their proposal and their capacity for growth.  The 2012-2013 recipients include:   Jaime DeMott,an arts administrator at the MSU Community Music School, will gain personal professional development and support the MSU Community Music School by attending the National Conference for Community Arts Education in Dallas, Texas.  Jaime will participate in critical arts education sessions designed to share best practices. Phillip Denny, a Lansing resident and jazz musician, will produce the album “Crossover” and will present a public concert release of the album of the same name in order to further his position in the music industry as a full-time, professional jazz artist.  Stephanie Glazier, poet and arts administrator at the MSU Residential College for Arts and Humanities, will gain personal professional development and support the efforts of the MSU Residential College for Arts and Humanities by attendingthe Poet’s Forum conference in New York City.  Stephanie will participate in seminars and attend lectures given by accomplished poets. Kimberly Lavon, a Lansing resident and printmaker, will expand her instructional capabilities and increase the size and scale of her artwork for future exhibitions by purchasing a large-scale 19″ printmaking press. Jane Reiter, a Lansing resident and arts instructor, will expand her teaching capabilities in the Lansing area by becoming certified as a Zentangle Instructor through Zentangle Training in Providence, RI. Zahrah Resh, an East Lansing resident and mixed media artist, will purchase a lighting kit to help her develop new artistic skills, enhance the Zahrah R brand, and expand her work to include original photography. Jenny Schu, an East Lansing resident and fiber artist, will gain personal professional development by attending the Michigan League of Handweavers workshop at Hope College in order to gain a better understanding of tapestry weaving and to incorporate the technique into a new body of work.  Sandra Seaton, an East Lansing resident and playwright, will support the increased demand in her presentation of original dramatic works and her need to communicate with those outside of the U.S. via Skype by purchasing a Dell laptop computer and related equipment. For further information on the Chris Clark Fellowship Program for Creative Professionals provided by the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, please contact Barb Whitney, Program Manager at (517) 372-4636 x 3 or barb@www.lansingarts.org. Founded in 1965, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing is a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, advocate for, and advance arts and culture in the capital region. For more information, visit www.www.lansingarts.org.