Individual Artist Project Grant (INDIVIDUALS ONLY)

Unveiling this project to the community will begin July 24, 2020 with an exhibition reception at the JHP Gallery in downtown Grand Marais. Because July and August are the heart of the summer tourism season, not only will my community include local Cook County residents, but it will also include an extended community of visitors to the North Shore. The three week exhibition is open to the public, free of charge. The advertising is provided by the Gallery, Visit Cook County, which includes social and print media. My contact with Visit Cook County records indicated that 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 visitors travel the North Shore each Summer. Specifically, JHP Gallery averages 200 people during July and August Exhibition Openings, and 1000 gallery visitors per week during the summer. ( Note: I used the JHP statistics to answer the number of audience benefiting question below) My community also benefits by engaging with sculpture not typically exhibited in Cook County. Having transplanted here three years ago, I have yet to exhibit a personal body of work. While I have connected with the North Shore community members through teaching at the Art Colony, partnering on public art initiatives, and taking on local welding fabrication jobs, I have not had the opportunity to express my internal voice of sculpture to the community. I want to accomplish the expansion of my studio practice to include a body of work that emerges from personal curiosity rather than relying solely on public art commissions. Thus my measurable outcomes are: Outcome 1: Through this project I will successfully create a series of four thematically unified works for public exhibition with a July 24, 2020 deadline Outcome 2: Because of this project, I will generate and grow a community awareness that my studio practice includes both personal work and public commissions. As my resume and images indicate, I have a solid history and dedication to art making and bringing previous projects, grants and commissions to fruition. Concurrently, two other artists and a gallery venue are depending on my commitment to produce work for public exhibition.Evaluation, reflection and self analysis will drive the assessment process through these two measures; Assessment of Outcome one Upon completion of the (4) new works I will have the foundation of a personal body of work that can grow into future solo and group exhibitions Assessment of Outcome two Through the public exhibition, conversation with gallery visitors, resulting sales, and analysis of visitor comments will allow for critical thinking on how I can grow or modify this new direction.