Artadia in Atlanta: Christopher Vroom in conversation with Lisa Cremin, Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund

Over the past 20 years, many of the fastest growing counties in the United States have been in the metropolitan Atlanta region. With this dynamic growth, the cultural, economic, and social diversity of the community has become even richer. Conscious of its history of tolerance and equity (the city's slogan during the 1960s was "The City Too Busy to Hate") Atlanta has embraced this growth and now plays host to a wide range of cultural organizations, centers of higher educational excellence, and an eager community of artists.

In recognition of the area's strength and dynamic arts scene, Artadia launched the inaugural Atlanta awards cycle this month. Atlanta is the fifth in Artadia's national roster of award cities. With crucial underwriting by local partners and supporters, Artadia will distribute awards to 10 visual artists living in the 23-county, Greater Atlanta area working in all media and at all career stages in early 2009. Conversations first began more than three years ago with arts leaders in Atlanta to establish a program. Lisa Cremin, the Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund at The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, observes, "This city has become a platform that invites creativity but until now has lacked a robust support system for artists. That's why we're thrilled that Artadia is coming to Atlanta. Artadia's programs not only serve to strengthen the artistic community locally, but will help connect our artists and institutions to a national network of arts patrons, curators, collectors, arts professionals, and others across the country and around the world." She added, "The national visibility, relationships, and connections that Artadia facilitates enable artists to remain vital contributors to their local communities."

Ms. Cremin outlined the many major institutions in Atlanta that provide education, access, and support for artists: "Atlanta is a terrifically vibrant community with many institutions that engage individual artists. With a range of top notch educational institutions, ranging from Emory, Georgia State, Georgia Tech to Spellman, Clark Atlanta University, and Morehouse College, as well as the newly expanded High Museum, the Contemporary, artist-run Eyedrum, and MOCA GA, intellectual and artistic life in Atlanta is vibrant. Our programs will nurture artists and forge connections for them throughout the country, in the process showcasing the tremendous talent resident in the city."

The Metropolitan Arts Fund plays a pivotal role in supporting small- and mid-sized arts organizations. These smaller organizations are closest to individual artists. Ms. Cremin noted that "we recognized that artists are where the art comes from; they are the heart and soul of the city and if they are not supported, the cultural vitality of our community will be compromised."

Artadia's program for individual artists has three core components: an awards application process, public exposure through programming, and ongoing artist services for awardees. All eligible applicants in the metro Atlanta area can access the application online over the course of three months until December 1, 2008 at www.artadia.org. A short-list of 15 artists will be announced in early 2009 after the first round panel. A second round jury will then go to Atlanta for 45-minute studio visits with each of the finalists and determine the 10 Artadia Awardees in late winter 2009. Awards range from $15,000 to $1,500. An exhibition of the awardees' work and an accompanying full-color publication will follow the inaugural Artadia Awards in Atlanta.

Christopher Vroom is the Founder and President of Artadia.

Artadia received visionary support from the Common Good Funds of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Judith Alexander Foundation, and many generous individuals to establish the program.

Awardees will be selected through Artadia's two-tiered jury process early next year. For eligibility requirements, information session dates, and to access the web-based application CLICK HERE.

Application deadline: December 1, 2008. Apply now!

The exceptional diversity and range of artists living and working in Chicago was evident as three internationally prominent jurors selected the 15 Artadia Awards Finalists for the fifth cycle of Artadia Awards 2008 Chicago. Jurors Allison Peters Quinn (Director of Exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago), Matthew Drutt (Executive Director of Artpace San Antonio), and Fred Wilson (artist based in New York) named the finalists out of a record-number of more than 650 applications for the fifth Artadia Awards in Chicago.

For additional information about all finalists and the full press release please click here.

Artadia Awards 2008 Chicago Finalists

Melika Bass

Songs from the Shed, 2007
Filmstill, 16mm to DVD, 22min.

Marie Krane Bergman/Cream Co.

O-Tan-V, OK, M, J (3), 2008
Acrylic and pencil on linen, 94" x 22.25"

Juan Angel Chavez

Speaker Project, 2007
Found materials, 16' x 10' x 25'

Jim Duignan

suitcase archive (for Michael Piazza), 2007
Suitcase, books, and memorabilia, 24" x 18" x 8"

Jeanne Dunning

Untitled, 2008
Archival inkjet print and frame, 30" x 45"

Theaster Gates

Forest for Tea, 2008
Sculpture/performance, 102" x 86" x 94"

Amanda Gutierrez

En memoria, 2007
Media performance

Michael Hernandez de Luna

Bill's Little Black Book, 2008
Digital perforated print, 16" x 20"

Kelly Kaczynski

Olympus Manager, Scene II (detail), 2008
Mixed media, dimensions variable

David Leggett

Hollwoo, 2007
Acrylic on canvas, 10" x 11"

Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger

Cameo (conjoined silhouette), 2008
Shell and silver, 2' x 1.25'

Kim Piotrowski

Carrot Top, 2008
Mixed media on synthetic paper 26" x 20"

Deb Sokolow

Someone tell Mayor Daley the pirates are coming (detail), 2005
Mixed media on paper, 4.5' x 48' (54" x 57")

Deborah Stratman

Traincrash (from the Deathworld series), 2007
C-print, 16" x 20"

Tony Tasset

Capuchin Chandelier, 2006
Painted plastic, electric, 60" x 52" x 52"

Applications for the Artadia Awards were open to visual artists in all media and at any stage of their career working and living in Cook County, IL. The application was available online for 13 weeks from June 1, 2008 to August 29, 2008. A total number of 654 applications were received in response to the open call to Chicago artists.

Tumelo Mosaka (Assistant Curator of Exhibitions, Brooklyn Museum, NY) and Kristin Poole (Artistic Director, Sun Valley Arts Center, Idaho) will join Allison Peters Quinn in Chicago for the final jury/studio visits next month from Thursday, October 23 through Saturday, September 25, 2008. The jury will then select 10 artists for awards ranging from $15,000 to $1,500. The list of 10 Artadia Awardees will be announced by early November.

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About Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue

Artadia was founded in 1997 as The ArtCouncil, by investment banker and art collector Christopher E. Vroom as a response to the demise of the National Endowment for the Arts' artist fellowships. The first awards were given in San Francisco, where Vroom was living at the time. Chicago was added as a program city in 2001. In 2003, Artadia added Houston to its roster, Artadia launched a Boston program in 2007, and Atlanta in 2008. Once Artadia commits to a community, it returns every other year to run its awards programs and, on the off years, it co-sponsors a public program with a local institution. Started as an individual's philanthropy, Artadia is now expanding its base of support by recruiting art patrons from across the United States to join its giving circle and board of directors which provides governance and covers administrative costs. Artadia has been based in New York City since late 2002.

Artadia Awards are determined through a jury process that employs nationally prominent curators, artists, and critics. Artadia partners with local foundations and individuals in the host cities to raise funds that go directly to artists in that community. Artadia matches those contributions by providing the funds that administer the program. Once an artist receives an Artadia Award, he or she becomes part of a national network of support forever. Since its founding, Artadia has awarded over $2.0 million to more than 200 artists in participating cities.

Artadia also presents events and programming in New York and Miami. Upcoming programs are intended not only to demonstrate the tremendous creativity in partner communities, but also facilitate exchange and dialogue nationwide.

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