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GCAC ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF 2013 INTERNATIONAL ARTIST RESIDENCIES IN DRESDEN, GERMANY

in Press Releases September 17, 2012 3 min read

Columbus, Ohio – The Greater Columbus Arts Council recently selected two artists to receive international artist residencies in Dresden, Germany on behalf of GCAC’s Dresden Residency Program. The 2013 Dresden Residency Program recipients are Mariana Smith and Susan Li O’Connor.

“The Grants and International Committee was impressed by the exceptional proposals submitted by Susan O’Connor and Mariana Smith,” said Char Norman, committee chair and GCAC board member. “We feel strongly that both artists will take full advantage of their time in Dresden to capitalize on the city’s cultural and historical resources as they develop their studio work.”

Smith’s work bring together printmaking, drawing and video installation in order to inspire a dialogue about identity, locality, time and memory. She grew up in Moscow, Russia then moved to the United States in 1992. Smith received a BFA in miniature painting and folk art from the Moscow College of Applied and Industrial Arts in 1989, a BFA in printmaking from the Columbus College of Art & Design in 2002, and an MFA with emphasis in printmaking from Cornell University in 2004. Her work has been exhibited in a number of shows in the United States and in Russia. Mariana has done freelance illustration work for McGraw Hill and has been commissioned to do numerous portraits and murals. In addition, her work is displayed at the Ohio Governor’s Residence in Columbus. In 2011 Mariana worked in the Vermont Studio Center, the largest international artist’ and writers’ Residency Program in the United States, and in the winter of 2012 she will work in the Venice Printmaking Studio.

O’Connor’s work deals with the accumulation of everyday objects and the transformation of them into sculptural forms and installations. While the transformation of the mundane is the first thing the viewer sees, O’Connor is also entertaining ideas of identity, consumerism and consumption within our culture. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan and is now an adjunct faculty member at the Columbus College of Art & Design in the Foundation Studies Department. She holds a BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design and an MFA from the Ohio State University. O’Connor’s work has been exhibited nationally and is in private collections throughout the United States.

GCAC, in conjunction with the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Fine Arts, has been providing Columbus artists the opportunity to experience a residency in Dresden since 1994. Recipients of GCAC’s Individual Artist Fellowships in Visual Arts and finalists from the current year’s applications for theFellowships are eligible to apply for the Dresden Residency. The artists will travel to Dresden sometime between March 1 and November 30, for a minimum of eight consecutive weeks and a maximum of 12.

The Dresden Residency Program provides an extended period of time for artists to concentrate on research and production so that their artwork benefits significantly. Various work and research facilities are made available to the artists. GCAC also supports the artists by providing living quarters, a monthly stipend, travel accommodations, and fosters a relationship between the artists and the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Fine Arts. While in Dresden, the artists are expected to act as representatives for the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the city of Columbus.

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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, we fund exemplary artists and arts organizations and provide programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. GCAC thanks the City of Columbus, Franklin County and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support.

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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org