Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
By Kerry Clawson
Published: September 24, 2019
Here are the 2019 Knight Arts Challenge winners:
• Amber D. Kempthorn, $54,000, “Ordinary Magic: A Sunday in the Cuyahoga Valley.” A stop-motion animated artwork that celebrates the landscape of Akron and the Cuyahoga Valley set to Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes,” which will be screened with live accompaniment by the Akron Symphony Orchestra.
• The Center for Applied Drama and Autism, $25,000, “Along the Graveyard Path (A History of Disability in our Community).” A dramatic performance that offers an example of theater created and performed by people of all abilities, to connect Akronites with the history of disability in this community.
• Center for Applied Theater and Active Culture (New World Performance Laboratory) and Jairo Cuesta, $6,000, “Lost in Translation.” A performance based on stories collected from local immigrants to engage the city’s Latinx community in a dialogue about culture, barriers, family and displacement.
•Cir L’Bert Jr., $60,000, “Conjure Comics.” The production of socially progressive comic books that center on the experiences of people of color, indigenous communities, LGBTQI individuals and those of varying abilities. Related content 16 winners share $592,000 in Knight Arts Challenge Akron grants September 24, 2019
• FRONT Exhibition Company, $100,000, “FRONT International Exhibitions and Installations in Akron.” In collaboration with Dansbana!, a creation of a vibrant and welcoming dance floor for everybody in downtown Akron, engaging the community in the planning, design and activation of the space.
• Gum-Dip Theatre, $25,000, “Three Countries, One Mother.” A multilingual play that explores the history and culture of the Bhutanese-Nepali by following the journey of three brothers who live in Bhutan, Nepal and the United States.
• Inlet Dance Theatre, $25,000, Phase 2 of “The ‘Black Card’ Project.” Movement workshops, educational videos and an online platform, as well as a week of performances of Dominic Moore-Dunson’s dance theater production, “The ‘Black Card’ Project,” to create a conversation about the narrow scope of black identity and its connection to economic development.
• Kent State University Foundation Inc., $30,000, “Power of Print: Resistance and Revolution in Akron.” A conference featuring exhibitions, technical demonstrations, lectures and panels to position printmaking as an entry point for artists and communities to amplify their voices.
• Les Délices, $15,000, “Fables and Fairytales.” Presentations of music by Baroque composers integrating puppets and visuals to animate Aesop’s Fables and a 17th-century feminist fairy tale, to provide cutting-edge early music programs to Akron.
• Robert Wesner, $30,000, “Akron Ascending, an Identity in Dance.” Site-specific works on staircases throughout Akron that will develop an ongoing, public conversation among artists, dancers and space.
• Roots of American Music, $30,000, “Akron Heritage Music Project.” Recording regional musicians, using direct-to-lacquer technology, in historic locations that have a connection to the genres of music being performed, or in locations inspired by the historic sites, to document through a podcast series, preserve and build awareness of regional music.
• Rubber City Theatre, $60,000, “Rubber City Musical Incubator.” An incubator that will support the development of musical theater works and showcase them through readings, workshops and fully staged productions.
• Shane Wynn, $17,000, “40%.” A traveling exhibition of photo essays and doorbell installations documenting the stories of LGBTQ young people who have experienced homelessness as a result of their sexual identity.
• Summit County Probate Court, $50,000, “Curated Courthouse.” A curated series of exhibits with local artists to give courthouse employees and visitors access to art in an unusual space.
• Synapse Art and Science Series, University of Akron, $25,000, “Synapse: Nature’s Solutions.” A series of exhibitions featuring leading artists and designers focused on learning from nature to address human challenges that will highlight Akron’s location in the Cuyahoga Valley and its legacy as a city of invention.
• The University of Akron Foundation/Art Bomb Brigade, $40,000, “Art Bomb Artist Residency and Apprenticeship Project.” A pilot program for professional and apprentice mural artists to elevate public spaces in Akron and foster the next generation of arts leaders.