Columbus, Ohio – The Greater Columbus Arts Council in partnership with the Columbus Film Council is accepting applications from media artists for its 2014 Media Arts Fellowship Program. Artists must be a Franklin County resident for a minimum of one year to apply for the Fellowships and remain a resident for the grant period if selected as a recipient. While students are not eligible, artists may submit student work that was created within the required timeframe. The application deadline is Friday, August 29, at 5 p.m.
The Arts Council will award two $1,500 fellowships and one $3,000 fellowship. The Media Arts categories are video, film and time based digital images. These awards, based on the quality of work created within the last three years, assist artists in the creation of new work and the advancement of their careers. Through the recognition of individual creative work and artistic enterprise, the Columbus area remains a vital place where artists can live and work.
The panelists for 2014 Fellowship Awards are:
Brian Plow, Independent filmmaker and educator, Athens, Ohio
Brian Plow is an educator and media maker with passions for documentary, social justice and cinematography. Plow graduated from Ohio University’s School of Film. He recently returned to Athens to join the School of Media Arts & Studies faculty after teaching, creating new curriculum and developing a variety of creative projects with Towson University and The John Hopkins University. Plow’s work as a producer, director and cinematographer has been exhibited in festivals throughout North America and Europe, national/international conferences and university programs, as well as top 25 television markets and PBS affiliates in Mid-Atlantic region.
Peter Balint, Independent filmmaker and executive director at Independent Pictures, Cleveland, Ohio
Peter Balint is a graduate from Hiram College with a BA in computer systems management. He is an award winning writer and producer living in the Cleveland area recognized for his work in independent cinema. His credits include “4th Floor” (Best Film, 2009 Cleveland 48 Hour Film Project), “Hole,” “Nathan,” “Diversions.” “Ring Ring,” and “Super to the Heroes” (Official Selection 2012 Comic-Con International Film Festival.) Balint also has been instrumental in film selection and judging for the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. After more than a decade as project manager and computer engineer at Cleveland Clinic, he recently accepted the full time position as executive director at Independent Pictures, the parent organization of the Ohio Independent Film Festival.
Claudia Esslinger, Independent media artist and educator, Gambier, Ohio
Claudia Esslinger is a visual artist working in media-based installation, video projection and collaborative performance. Her installations often invite interactivity, using new media software and sculptural components. Her single and multi-channel video projections include those appropriate for gallery exhibitions, film festivals or as components for music or dance performances. A common thematic thread through her projects is a poetic exploration of inequities and inconsistencies in both the human and natural worlds. By juxtaposing challenging and ironic elements within provocative aesthetic forms, she opens her work to a wide range of interpretation. Esslinger has been the recipient of seven Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards and a New Forms Regional Grant (NEA). Artist’s residencies include the Omora Ethnobotanical Preserve near Cape Horn (2009), Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California (2007), Singing Pictures workshop in Seoul, South Korea (2000) and the Grafikwerkstaadt in Dresden, Germany (1999).
Applicants who make it to the final round of consideration will be eligible to apply for the Artist Exchange Program, a two to three month residency in Dresden, Germany. The 2014 Media Arts Fellowship recipients will be featured at the 62nd Columbus International Film+Video Festival in November.
Access to the online application and 2014 guide is available by visiting the Arts Council website, www.gcac.org or contacting Ruby Harper, Grants & Services director at 614.221.8406 or grants@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. The Arts Council has been recognized as one of the “5 NonProfits to Watch” in 2014 by The Columbus Foundation.
About the Columbus Film Council: Founded in 1950 by a group of progressive educators, the Film Council, through the Columbus International Film + Video Festival (a 6 day event in downtown Columbus), continues their legacy, honoring and screening the work of makers whose creations of vision, beauty and power help us understand the complexities of our world by using their committed artistry to touch our minds and hearts.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org