ARTS AND CULTURE FELLOWSHIP

Arts and Culture Fellowship



Arts and Culture Fellowship Questions

Q.1: How do you define your arts community?

Answer: I began drawing at the age of three, and painting at age ten. “I have always been an artist, now art work has become a part of my DNA. At age ten, my uncle gave me my foundation in art. Under the encouragement and tutelage of both his uncle and high school art teacher, I have experimented with several different media and began painting in oils at sixteen. He would later submit his paintings to art competitions and win an art scholarship to study at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Upon graduating with honors, I started my professional career as an artist, publishing his work and receiving commissions from publishers and production studios such as Dreamworks, where he served as a the lead conceptual artist for Steven Spielberg's “Amistad” and “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” Sports Illustrated, Coca-Cola, The United States Postal Service and Major League Baseball, among others. Often community art is based in deprived areas, with a community oriented, grassroots approach. Members of a local community will come together to express concerns or issues through an artistic process, sometimes this may involve professional artists or actors. These communal artistic processes act as a catalyst to trigger events or changes within a community or even at a national or international level. In English-speaking countries community art is often seen as the work of community arts centre. Visual arts (fine art, video, new media art), music, and theater are common mediums in community art centers. Many arts companies in the UK do some community-based work, which typically involves developing participation by non-professional members of local communities.

Q.2: Describe the characteristics of a working environment that would enable you to learn, contribute, and grow. Please draw from previous work experiences.

Answer: Community theatre provides such an environment to work with full concentration. As Development and Executive assistant, I was able to not only work directly along-side the Founder and Executive Director of the organization, but was also able to learn about (day to day activities) Development. Each day was a new learning opportunity. And while very fast-paced it was amazing to work with colleagues who were driven and focused on such an important mission. Community theatre includes theatre made by, with, and for a community—it may refer to theatre that is made entirely by a community with no outside help, or to a collaboration between community members and professional theatre artists, or to performance made entirely by professionals that is addressed to a particular community. . I was also given the opportunity to contribute and take on new challenges in a welcoming environment, and work with great leaders from various sectors. (Elizabeth, 2006) Community theatres range in size from small groups led by single individuals that perform in borrowed spaces to large permanent companies with well-equipped facilities of their own. Many community theatres are successful, non-profit businesses with a large active membership and, often, ...