Columbus Cultural Arts Center Launches Artist-in-Residence Program
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The Columbus Cultural Arts Center
(CAC) will launch a new Artist-in-Residence program this week. This annual
program will foster new methods for engagement with the local community,
providing opportunities for CAC and the Columbus Recreation and Parks
Department to build a new, diverse network of creative artists in the city.
The artists will have access to studio space
at the facility, along with organizational and material support. They will also
receive a stipend and a platform to present what they create during their
residency. The selected artists were chosen by an independent panel of six community
members and artists.
“A residency can be
an important time in an artist’s life, giving them time and space to create and
grow,” shared Geoff Martin, arts administrator at the Cultural Arts Center. “At
the same time, we are excited that the Cultural Arts Center and Columbus
Recreation and Parks Department community will have the opportunity to engage
with these two amazing artists as they explore and play.”
The first two artists-in-residence are Tiffany Lawson and
Brianna Rhodes.
Lawson, the spring/summer resident, is a multidisciplinary artist and Columbus native, who often works with collage, found objects and assemblage. She will serve in residence May 10-Aug. 31, 2021. Rhodes, the fall/winter resident, is a dancer, poet and educator from Dayton, Ohio. She specializes in dance, which she has taught online throughout the pandemic. Her residency runs Sept. 14, 2021-Jan. 4, 2022.
As part of the residency program, the artists will work with youth at Columbus Recreation and Parks Department community centers throughout the city. This will provide avenues for aspiring young artists to learn from and be mentored by established professional artists, while also creating opportunities for the Cultural Arts Center to enhance connections within the community, through workshops, artist talks, exhibitions, performances and demonstrations.
Building community is a critical focus for the Cultural Arts Center and both recipients emphasized their efforts to create community through their art during the application process.
“One
of our primary goals as a department is to build community throughout
Columbus,” said Paul Rakosky, interim director of Columbus Recreation and Parks
Department. “We’re excited about the work of these two artists and how they can
help us reach new audiences, while also strengthening our existing relationships
within the neighborhoods we serve.”
To learn more about the Cultural Arts Center, visit CulturalArtsCenterOnline.org.
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