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Iowa Arts Council Names Five New Iowa Artist Fellows
DES MOINES – A writer, a photographer and three visual artists have been named 2018 Iowa Arts Council Artist Fellows, each receiving access to professional development opportunities, promotional support to enhance their careers, and a $10,000 grant to support new work.
A panel of of Iowa arts professionals selected visual artists Noah Doely of Cedar Falls, Mary Jones of Indianola and Julia Franklin of West Des Moines along with writer and illustrator Lauren Haldeman of Iowa City and photographer Molly Wood of Des Moines as this year's fellows from a pool of 66 applicants. The five new fellows were honored Wednesday during a ceremony with Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg at the State Capitol.
“Iowa has a strong record of supporting the development of talented artists across the state," Reynolds said. "In return, these artists continue to strengthen cultural vitality in our communities. I'm proud to recognize them as our new Iowa Artist Fellows and wish them well as they engage in new experiences over the next year."
“With nearly 6,000 arts-related business that employ some 23,000 people, more Iowans are recognizing the important role the arts play in improving the quality of life in our state," Gregg said. “The governor and I are proud to support artists who choose to build their careers in Iowa and contribute to our communities.”
In addition to grants, professional development and promotional support, fellows also participate in Creative Capital's Core Weekend Professional Development Program, one of the nation's premier artist professional development programs, and will participate in "Meet the Artist" public programs at various arts and cultural venues throughout the state.
The Iowa Arts Council created the multi-discipline Iowa Artist Fellowship Program in 2014 to support professional, active Iowa artists who are at a pivotal point in their careers and who demonstrate exceptional creativity and the capacity to contribute to the excellence and innovation of the arts in Iowa.
More information about this year's Iowa Arts Council Fellows follows:
- For Mary Jones' latest project, she walked portions of Des Moines' east side neighborhoods and created a mixed-media exhibit about urban walking, focusing primarily on the city's infrastructure. "That was a solitary adventure," she said. "This time, I'm going to seek out people in the neighborhoods and learn things only they know about their neighborhoods, because they're going to be the ones who have all the stories that can be shared with others."