FRANKFORT, Ky. — Six Kentucky artists have been awarded $7,500 Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships from the Kentucky Arts Council for exemplifying excellence in their respective creative disciplines.
The prestigious award, named in honor of former arts council chair and Kentucky journalist Al Smith, recognizes professional artists who have reached a high level of achievement in their careers. Since its beginning in 1983, the program has provided more than $2.5 million in funding to artists in the visual arts, literary arts, media arts, composing and choreography. In this round of funding, the fellowships were awarded to artists in the choreography and literary arts disciplines.
The 2016 Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship recipients, their discipline and county of residence include:
Tracey Bonner, choreography, Campbell
Aimee Zaring, creative nonfiction, Jefferson
Sharon Mauldin-Reynolds, fiction, Fayette
Rebecca Gayle Howell, poetry, Fayette
Maurice Manning, poetry, Washington
Sarah McCartt, poetry, Jefferson
Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded in different disciplines each year on a rotating schedule. The next round of fellowship applications will be open to artists in the visual and media arts. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15, 2017.
In addition to the Al Smith Fellowship recipients, five Kentucky artists will receive Emerging Artist Awards. This $1,000 award recognizes practicing, professional artists who create original work and are in the first 10 years of their arts careers.
For this round of Emerging Artist Awards, panelists considered entries from artists in the choreography and literary arts disciplines.
The 2016 Emerging Artist Award recipients, their discipline and county of residence include:
Joey Connelly, poetry, Daviess
Ann DeVilbiss, poetry, Jefferson
Dave Harrity, poetry, Jefferson
Mary Elizabeth Pope, poetry, Jefferson
Dominic Russ-Combs, fiction, Jefferson
Britton Shurley, poetry, McCracken
Emerging Artist Award applications are accepted from different disciplines on a rotating basis. The next round of awards will be given to artists in the visual and media arts. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15, 2017.
For more information on the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship and the Emerging Artist Award, visit the arts council’s website, or contact Tamara Coffey, arts council individual artist director, at [email protected] or 502-564-8110, ext. 479.
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