COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Arts Council has selected works of art from three central Ohio artists to present to winners in the business and individual award categories at the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) Awards luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 26 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Hosted by the Arts Council each year in October, the CAP awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the arts by individuals and businesses. Winners are selected in six categories: Arts Educator, Emerging Arts Leader, Michael B. Coleman Arts Partner, Large Business, Medium Business and Small Business.
This year’s awards for the business categories were purchased from William Ortman, April Sunami and Barbara Vogel.
William Ortman graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He currently lives and works in Columbus, and is constantly exploring new techniques in glass. “I have always been captivated by the way colors come to life on a glass surface. The ways in which color can be layered on glass give a unique three-dimensional quality to the otherworldly designs I create. Using traditional Italian techniques, I draw inspiration from Asian cultural art to find a style of my own. In my new body of work, I am particularly drawn to combining the structural symmetry of cane and Murine with organic textures and patterns within each piece.”
April Sunami is a professional visual artist primarily focusing on mixed-media painting and installation. She earned her Master of Arts in Art History from Ohio University and her Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University. Sunami is also an award winning installation artist through the 2012 Columbus Art Pop-Up Project sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Her work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums including the Columbus Museum of Art, National African America Museum and Cultural Center and the Southern Ohio Museum. Her work is also represented in private collections throughout the country.
Barbara Vogel grew up in Granville, Ohio and resides in Columbus. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and a Master of Fine Arts in photography at The Ohio State University. Her photographs have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums, and in 2009 she received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Artists Award for her encaustic portrait work. In September of 2012 she was also awarded a residency at the Vermont Studio Center sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council. She is a member of Spring Street Studios, an artist cooperative in Columbus, the Ohio Art League and CAW (Creative Arts of Women).
Artwork for the business awardees goes through a selection process. Artists and galleries are invited to submit images of work for consideration. The CAP committee reviews submissions and narrows the selection pool down to two works each from 10 artists. Those 20 pieces are hung for a one-night private exhibition during which past and present Arts Council board members are invited to vote on the works to select for purchase.
This year’s winners in the three individual CAP award categories will each be honored with a sculptural mixed media piece incorporating natural materials created by Columbus artist Char Norman. Norman is an accomplished fiber artist specializing in papermaking and fiber sculpture who has lectured and exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. She is Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty Emeritus at Columbus College of Art & Design.
The CAP awards recognize the community’s important contributions to the arts including financial support, non-cash contributions, volunteer involvement and board participation. Strong partnerships between businesses, community members and the arts stimulate economic growth, promote the city’s revitalization, encourage tourism and enhance Columbus’ cultural image.
The event, presented this year by PNC, will take place 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in the Short North Ballroom. Sponsors include L Brands Foundation; American Electric Power; Meuse Family Foundation; The Ohio State University; Easton Town Center; Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease; Cardinal Health; Crabbe, Brown & James LLP; Ice Miller LLP and Robert Weiler Company. Media sponsors include CityScene Magazine and WOSU. Tickets to attend are available online at gcac.org.
About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, the Arts Council funds exemplary artists and arts organizations and provides programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. The Arts Council thanks the city of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support. www.gcac.org
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
