by Samantha Gebert
"There is happiness which comes from creative effort,” Henry Miller, American writer and painter, once said.
To celebrate this creativity of the human mind, The Ohio Art Council (OAC) is opening a new exhibit, Celebration of Creativity, at the Riffe Gallery. The show, honoring the 25-year anniversary of the OAC’s Individual Creativity program, will feature 18 of the most accomplished artists among the hundreds who have received fellowships from the OAC program since 1980.
“This exhibit shows that Ohio has an incredible pool of artists that are working at a national scale. They’re contemporary and cutting edge for the state, the country and beyond,” says Ken Emerick, director of the OAC’s Individual Creativity program.
Artists from regions throughout Ohio will exhibit a diversity of mediums including photography, sculpture, ceramics, oil paintings and an array of contemporary art. The OAC chose artists for the exhibit by dividing the state into three regions and choosing curators who were familiar with the artists within their region. The three curators were each given a list of artists dating back to the 1980s and the only criteria was that the artists must still be in Ohio and producing work.
“The artist are all pushing forward, taking their art to a new place, no matter what the medium,” Emerick says. “The show has amazing diversity that will appeal to everyone.”
Many of the artists who have received fellowships feel compelled to contribute to their communities in some way, Emerick says. “The artists that receive grants look at them as public funds. They do projects with their communities such as community gardens, working with after-school programs, performing for free at a nursing home, or assisting the community art center.”
For the artists, the exhibit is another way for them to give back and the OAC is proud to support them.
“What we want to do at this exhibition is to show people this function of the OAC and how it benefits artists throughout the state,” says Mary Gray, director of the Riffe Gallery
The OAC awards about 60 fellowships a year to creative artists in 13 different categories. Each category is judged using a general list of criteria, but above all the judges are looking for excellence within the discipline. The use of personal voice, expertise with the material, and individual vision within the work are important considerations for fellowships. Each judging panel looks for a consistent, cohesive body of work and a clear, focused statement.
The fellowships, also referred to as excellence awards, are either $5,000 or $10,000 grants and no stipulations are given to the artists as to what they can do with the money, however they can not use it to go back to school. Artists often use the fellowship to purchase equipment, computers, services such as childcare, travel expenses and Web site creation. The OAC’s goal is that the artists use the money to forward their careers, but often the recognition that comes from winning a fellowship is more significant than the grant itself.
Most of the artists will be present at the opening reception on July 26 from 5-7 p.m. and the three curators will give free, guided tours on Friday, July 27 from noon to 1 p.m. In addition, a free family workshop will be available on Sunday, Aug. 5 from 2-4 p.m. where children can build structures and put them together to create an environment.
The exhibit will run through Oct. 7 with free group tours available Tuesday through Friday. Call Mary Gray at 614-728-2239 to schedule a tour. Hours from July 26 to Sept. 27 are Tuesday, 10-4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 10-5:30 p.m.; Thursday 10-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; closed on Monday and state holidays. Call 614-644-9624 for information about hours after Sept. 27 or visit the Riffe Gallery Web site at www.riffegallery.org.