In the fall of 2006 VCUarts initiated this grant program and helped fund nine student projects, with a total of $25,000. The proposals were intriguing, and we expect no less of the outcomes.

To apply for a grant, download the application PDF. This year's deadline for applications is November 16, 2007.

2006-2007 Awards:

Kakuma Kenya - African Refugee Art Club
Kinetic Imaging student Gabriel Williams and Awer Bul, who studies Kinetic Imaging and Painting & Printmaking, will travel to Kenya to produce a video documentary about the African Refugee Art Club. The Art Club was founded by Awer Bul and other Sudanese artists who fled their country seeking safety. The group provides a rare artistic outlet for the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Gabriel and Awer intend to build an identity for Sudanese refugees worldwide. The $5,000 award will fund travel to Kenya, lodging and video supplies. Faculty mentor: Robert Paris, Assistant Professor, Kinetic Imaging

FroshArt.com
Graphic Design students Michael Garrett and Eric Wolinsky have teamed up with engineering student Clint Titsworth to create a web site that will provide free space for upcoming and professional artists to display their work. The software will be designed and coded from scratch and will allow for commenting and tagging, fan/friend/patron communication, artwork viewing and sales, and rankings. The $3,250 award will fund dedicated hosting and advertising.

Slow Brown Dinner
A diverse group of students including Sharon Moon and Ashley Pridmore from Sculpture + Extended Media; Cecelia Dailey, from Photography & Film and Philosophy; Kevin Blow, a Fashion Design & Merchandising student; and Genevieve Kammel, from Religious Studies will employ absurd techniques to create humorous and “somewhat meaningless” films. Three of these will utilize mad libs, meaning selected words of a phrase are replaced with others as their point of departure. The project explores the narrative possibilities of pattern, texture, gesture, and non-sync sound to produce work that is more complex than would be possible individually. The $2,500 award will fund fabric, ink and sewing supplies for costumes and film festival entry fees. Faculty mentor: Kristin Caskey, Associate Professor, Fashion Design and Merchandising

Identity in Urban Environments
Communication Arts student Sera Tabb and Jon Headlee, a student in Philosophy and Psychology, will examine why we see so many examples of extreme identities in urban settings such as Richmond. They will produce a documentary about those in the urban environment who choose to make radical changes in their personal representation. The goal is for the viewers to form a better understanding of the impact of urbanization on identity formation. The $5,000 award will fund supplies. Faculty mentor: Robert Meganck, Professor, Communication Arts

TechNouveau
Fashion Design & Merchandising student Michael Birch-Pierce and Andrea Harriman of Craft/Material Studies will create a collection of women’s apparel and fashion jewelry inspired by Art Nouveau and technology. They will explore the relationship between these two vastly different ideas by combining old techniques, including traditional draping and embroidery, with modern fabric printing methods. The $2,000 award will fund a New York trip to visit the Art Nouveau collection at the Met and the purchase of fabric, precious metals, jewelry supplies, fabric printing and photography. Faculty mentors: Susie Ganch, Associate Professor, Craft/Material Studies; Kristin Caskey, Associate Professor, Fashion Design and Merchandising

A Study of Time and Reality
Dance student Courtney Cooke investigates the effects of technology on performance. She will explore the time-controlled manipulated environment of a machine and its association with a moving body. Through the use of computer-generated images, pre-recorded and live feed video footage, the work will incorporate audience interaction to create numerous outcomes. The $2,100 award will fund costumes and equipment. Faculty mentor: Scott Putman, Assistant Professor, Dance and Choreography

The Swap Meet
Macon Reed, a student in the Department of Sculpture + Extended Media will solicit artistic proposals from an eclectic group of participants in a variety of mediums, who will anonymously swap proposals with others. The new owner is charged with fulfilling the creative vision of a stranger. The emerging outcome crosses minds and cultures. The resulting work will be displayed at Epehemeroptera Gallery in Brooklyn. The $3,050 award will cover travel, printing, shipping and exhibition costs. Faculty mentor: Robert Paris, Assistant Professor, Kinetic Imaging   

Insiders/Outsiders
Through the study of portraiture, Douglas Colie, a Painting and Printmaking student, will examine the notion that an identity or community is the belief that something or someone lies outside of it, and that the construction of self is inherently “othering.” A group of large-scale oil paintings will be created which will describe the research and its relevance to contemporary art. The student plans a solo exhibition at a VCU student gallery space. The $900 award will fund two trips to the National Portrait Gallery, paint materials and framing. Faculty mentor: Ruth Bolduan, Associate Professor, Painting and Printmaking

Untangling the Arabesque
Art history student Leila Prasertwaitaya will examine an accurate account of the purely Islamic architectural elements within Richmond’s Monroe Park District. The result will be a two-part catalogue to be deposited in the Special Collections at VCU’s Cabell Library. The $1,200 award will fund travel to DC to visit libraries and galleries, selected books, cost of images, supplies, stationery and printing. Faculty mentor: Dr. Charles Brownell, Professor, Art History in consultation with professors Sheila Blair and Dr. Jonathan Bloom, Hamad bin Khalifa Co-Chairs in Islamic Art.