Past
Grantees

Composer, bassist, and educator JIM ANTON, Minneapolis, Minnesota, will travel to Havana, Cuba, to study all aspects of Cuban music with master musicians, thereby increasing the authenticity of his approach and advancing his confidence and creativity for the composition of future works incorporating a strong Latin influence.

A grant of $17,100 was awarded to ART IN GENERAL, New York City, in support of the participation of emerging artists in the 2009-10 New Commissions Program. Founded in 1981, Art in General assists artists with the production and presentation of challenging new work and engages the public with that work. It organizes and presents exhibitions, hosts artists residencies and offers public and educational programs. Since 2005, its exhibition program has focused on the commissioning of new work from artists. The New Commissions Program supports five to seven emerging artists each year by providing honoraria, production support for the works, technical and logistical assistance, exhibitions and publications. Artists are invited to submit project proposals in response to an annual open call. Independent panels evaluate the more than 350 proposals received each year and select artists for studio visits by staff curators, who make the final selections. Each project unfolds according to its own timetable. Selection criteria for the commissions are artistic quality, creative and imaginative approaches to content and form, exploration that is challenging in terms of practices and strategies and the potential for artistic growth.

THE FIELD, New York City, as fiscal sponsor for DAELA/KIMBERLY BARTOSIK, received $7,200 in support of the development and production of a new evening-length project, The Materiality of Impermanence. Bartosik has been presenting choreographic work since 1999. Her choreographic interests are based, in part, on the relationship of architectural space to the architecture of the body. Her work is greatly influenced by literature and cinema. The title of her new work is taken from an article on Tacita Dean, whose 16mm films have been a creative inspiration to Bartosik. As the title suggests, the project looks at a complex architectural structurethe homewhose essence is an accumulation of shifting meanings created from the human dramas and material belongings of the occupants. The concept of home has been radically altered in this era of epic foreclosures, as it has become permeated with the constant threat of loss. Bartosiks interest is in the ramifications of ones deep attachment, over time, to the idea of ones living space and the ways in which traces of ones home are materially erased once the interior life and inhabiting bodies are removed.

MARY BILLYOU received a grant for GUN, HAT, an experimental film in five sections that the maker describes as a compendium of narrative film using only its iconic elements: a gun, a hat, low-key lighting, screams, and a sexy lady. Shot on black and white 16mm film, GUN, HAT recalls film noir and its surrounding fantasies of nostalgic return. Shot on location in New York City's Chinatown, The Bowery, Central Park, and Fifth Avenue, the film follows the close-up action of hands wielding guns and heads wearing Fedoras. Other sections of the film will focus on different soundtracks of screams and a sexy lady dressed in a sequined gown who stands on a bare stage in front of a large curtain. Lighting will be used to great effect in the film to not only recall the film noir aesthetic, but also in conjunction with the film's other elements, to illustrate the Godard directive that in order to make a film, all you need is a girl and a gun.

BLACKLOCK NATURE SANCTUARY, Moose Lake, Minnesota, received $19,800 for Emerging Artist Fellowships. Founded in 1994, Blacklock Nature Sanctuary is dedicated to preserving undeveloped land and providing artists with uninterrupted time and space to develop new work. The Sanctuary fosters creative growth through direct experience, study, and interpretation of nature. The Sanctuary developed a Moose Lake retreat center with an all-season house, two studios, hiking trails, space for temporary installations, and a photographic darkroom. Jerome Foundation funding will be directed to a program that provides emerging artists working in the performing, visual, and literary arts with residencies for research and creative exploration in a quiet natural setting. Artists submit applications in response to an open call for review and selection by independent panels.

A grant was awarded to LISA BLACKSTONE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in support of Grappling Girls, an intimate hour-long documentary about girls and women who defy preconceived notions and societal disapproval as they pursue the worlds oldest sport. One of the central characters in the film, a 13-year-old girl named Audra, readies herself for a major competition. Her skintight outfit is red. Her eyes are watchful. A man and a woman whisper advice in her ears. She bounces in anticipation of the battle ahead. What Audra is about to do is perfectly legal, not particularly well known, and often frowned upon by those who have encountered it. Audra is about to engage in a wrestling matchan old-fashioned, get-down-on-the-mat, competitive, mano a mano wrestling match. Audra is a grappling girla female wrestler. Grappling Girls is an intimate look into the thoughts and lives of Audra and other girls and women who pursue a passion for wrestling.

THE BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS, Bronx, New York, received $18,000 in support of the 2009-10 Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) Program. Founded in 1971, The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a primary center for contemporary art and a vital cultural and educational resource for the borough and the City. The Museum is committed to presenting new ideas and voices in a larger, global context and making contemporary art a vital and relevant experience for students, families, community residents, artists, art patrons, and museum visitors. The AIM Program provides professional development, a venue for exhibition, a catalog, and educational workshops to 36 emerging artists each year. Artists attend 12 two-hour seminars on such topics as financial management, gallery representation, tax law, and self-promotion, led by guest experts and the Museum's experienced staff. AIM offers emerging artists real-world skills to navigate the art market and the confidence to transition to more seasoned artists.

Artist IAN BURNS of Brooklyn, New York, will travel to the Arctic Circle, north of the Svalsbard archipelago of islands, on a collaborative voyage with artists, scientists and educators. He believes that the landscape and natural environment will have an impact on his artistic sensibilities, as will engaging with the other passengers on the ship. He intends to investigate sculptural forms and language in the context of the voyage and bring back new methods to apply in his studio.

CAVE CANEM, New York City, received $15,300 to support writing workshops engaging emerging poets. Cave Canem is a home for the many voices of African American poetry and is committed to cultivating the artistic and professional development of African American poets. The Cave Canem community has grown from an initial gathering of 26 poets to an influential movement with a renowned faculty and high-achieving fellowship of 289 poets residing in 34 states. Jerome support will cover two eight-week long poetry workshops in New York City. The fall workshop, Writing in Form, will be open to African American poets. The spring workshop, Writing Across Cultures, will be open to African American and Asian American poets. All participants will be emerging. The workshops will be led by a senior poet with strong teaching skills. Participants are chosen via an open application process and review by the poet instructor.

IAN CHENEY, was awarded support for The City Dark, a feature-length documentary about light pollution and the disappearance of the night. Posing the deceptively simple question-why do we need the night?-Cheney leads viewers on a quest to understand what is lost in the glare of city lights. Blending a humorous tone with majestic time-lapse footage of the night sky, Cheney creates what he calls an unprecedented portrait of our world after dusk, and a meditation on our relationship to the stars. It is a personal journey rooted in New York City, but bringing viewers as far afield as Shanghai, Paris, and Mauna Kea, The City Dark reveals how cancer studies, energy crises, and disrupted ecosystems are adding unprecedented urgency to astronomers' quest to darken our city lights.

CLUBBED THUMB, New York City, received $13,500 in support of the development and production of new works by emerging New York City and/or Minnesota playwrights. Clubbed Thumb commissions, develops and produces funny, strange and provocative new plays by living American writers. It is dedicated to supporting the work of emerging writers and does so by commissioning new work, offering a range of developmental programs, and mounting full productions. It provides each writer the resources to fully realize the particular world of his/her play and actively fosters an ever-growing artistic community. Jerome support will be directed to New York City and Minnesota-based emerging playwrights participating in the SummerWorks festival, mainstage productions, commissioning program, New Play Boot Camp and Under Construction.

COFFEE HOUSE PRESS, Minneapolis, Minnesota, received $18,000 in support of the publication of three books by emerging authors in its 2010 publishing year. Jerome funds are used for royalty advances, editing, design, printing, distribution, and promotion. The mission of Coffee House Press is to publish exciting, vital, and enduring authors of this time; to delight and inspire readers; to contribute to the cultural life of the community; and to enrich literary heritage. It publishes approximately 14 books per year and has published more than 300 books in its history, including 52 first-time authors. Coffee House produces books that celebrate innovation in the craft of writing, the infinite possibilities of the imagination, and the many authentic voices of the American experience.

The COUNCIL OF LITERARY MAGAZINES AND PRESSES (CLMP), New York City, received $45,480 in support of FACE OUT: Maximizing the Visibility of Emerging Authors. CLMP supports and promotes noncommercial literary publishing to ensure that readers and writer are well served by a strong and vibrant literary culture. As the service and advocacy organization for independent literary publishers, CLMP's services and resources are designed to develop each member's publishing capacity through increased marketing and organizational skills, while promoting communication and shared learning across the field. The FACE OUT program provides regrants and technical assistance to five competitively selected independent publishers and the emerging artists they are publishing. FACE OUT focuses on technical assistance workshops and one-on-one meetings for publishers and their authors. The learning that occurs is documented and made available to a broader circle of presses and writers.

The Jerome Foundation renewed its general support of and membership in the COUNCIL ON FOUNDATIONS, Arlington, Virginia, with a commitment of $10,547. The mission of the Council on Foundations is to engage its members in a commitment to the public good and to their individual philanthropic purposes. This national trade organization calls on its members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, stewardship, accountability and transparency, diversity and inclusiveness, sound governance and respect for applicants. The Jerome Foundation has been a member of and has supported the work of the Council on Foundations since 1975.

Artist ROBERT DE SAINT PHALLE, Brooklyn, New York, will travel to Paris and Saint Phalle (Provence), France, to conduct research for a series of sculptures exploring his relationship to his cousin Niki de Saint Phalle, French painter and sculptor (1930-2002), and the complex role of gender in his family history and art. The goal is to create new work that engages the formal and psycho-linguistic framing of gender.

Composers KATIE DOWN, JEFFREY LEPENDORF and MIGUEL FRASCONI, Brooklyn, New York, will travel to Bulgaria and Macedonia to study with Shaqir Hoti, Kremena Stancheva, Goran Alacki, and Bajsa Arifovska, masters of traditional instrument making, music styles and performance technique. This is an ensemble of classically trained flutists and composers working with improvisation, electronics and experimental instruments. The primary goal is to inform the trio's improvisational work and expand their experience as composers.

The DULUTH ART INSTITUTE, Duluth, Minnesota, received $14,000 in support of the participation of emerging Minnesota artists in the 2009-10 exhibition program. The mission of the Duluth Art Institute is to enrich daily life with dynamic, innovative arts programming that upholds excellence and promotes active community participation. It operates an exhibition program in galleries in The Depot. Exhibitions range from a solo show exploring the grand narratives and symbiotic relationship between American consumers and the War on Terror to a group show of works by emerging professional artists in the region.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (EST), New York City, received $14,700 in support of the Youngblood Program. Founded in 1972, Ensemble Studio Theatre is dedicated to creating a vibrant community for the creation, development and production of new works to replenish the American theatre repertoire. EST maintains a program for talented New York City-based playwrights under 30 years of age, which it has offered for the past 15 years. Titled Youngblood, the program currently serves a roster of 18 playwright members, selected through a competitive process. Membership in the group lasts until each writer turns 30. Youngblood offers an array of opportunities designed to stimulate the creation of new works in a supportive peer environment, sustained by participation in a large and active membership theatre. Youngblood encompasses peer meetings, productions, readings, workshops and retreats.

EXIT ART, New York City, received $19,000 in support of the participation of emerging artists in the 2009-10 Exhibition Program. This cultural and multidisciplinary arts center supports artists whose quality of work reflects the transformations of contemporary culture. Programming encompasses exhibitions, performance events, film and video series, musical offerings, and public dialogues with artists and scholars. The curatorial approach of ConceptPlus has significantly broadened the group of artists entering Exit Art's programming. Jerome support is dedicated to the participation of emerging artists based in New York City and/or Minnesota in the exhibition season, which includes a new wall exhibition space for graffiti artists.

EXIT ART, New York City, received $18,620 in support of the participation of emerging artists in the 2008-09 Exhibition Program. Exit Art, a cultural center for many disciplines, is an independent vision of contemporary culture prepared to react immediately to important issues affecting peoples' lives. It focuses on supporting artists whose quality of work reflects the transformations of culture. Jerome support is directed toward the participation of emerging artists in the Exhibition Program. Exit Art has a history of championing generations of young artists with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and aesthetics who are presented in ways that unite them with common concerns across disciplines. Exit Art's primary curatorial model, since 2003 is Conceptplus, based on an open call, which removes barriers to cultural participation by creating exhibition opportunities limited only by the artistic idea itself.