Past
Grantees

Joel Shepard, assistant director of the University Film Society, received $950 to spend six days in New York City to expand his knowledge of gay and lesbian film. Shepard plans to attend the Eighth Annual New York Lesbian and Gay Experimental Film Festival in September of 1994. The Festival will expand his knowledge of the field, thereby enhancing his participation in this facet of the Film Society's programming.

Performer and composer Steve Tibbetts was awarded $5,000 to spend five months in Delhi, Nepal and Tibet. Tibbetts will collect sounds and experiences to enrich his work. The grant supports time for reflection and individualized study.

Artist Stephanie Torbert received $5,000 to take photographs in a wide range of botanical gardens over a five-month period. Torbert will choose from sites in Canada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Costa Rica, England, Hawaii, California, Georgia and South Africa. She's interested in making photographic statements that question living within the rhythms of nature and how human intervention in this process changes and transforms the world.

Xiong Vang, a film and video maker, was awarded $5,000 for four months in Phosawang Xing Khouang, Laos, to research his cultural heritage. He'll spend time with his 76 year old uncle and others, seeking knowledge of family history and his own heritage, culture and ethnic traditions. He plans to record the information to share what he has learned with future generations.

Writer Diego Vazquez, Jr. received $5,000 to spend five months in El Paso, Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico, to complete a novel. Events in the novel take place in the border area where he intends to spend time. Vazquez will interview residents and research historical events