Charlotte Street Foundation recently announced two artists, Heidi Van and Patrick Alonzo Conway, were selected as this year's 2012 Generative Performing Artists Award Fellows. Each will receive unrestricted cash awards of $8500.
"Creating Original, New Work"
Charlotte Street Foundation - a Kansas City-based organization that supports and recognizes artists - defines a generative artist as one who's "actively creating original, new work in their performing arts field."
This year's Generative Performing Artists Award Fellows were selected by a panel of local and national performing arts professionals.The competitive process included in-person visits with 10 semi-finalists, selecting the finalists based on the following criteria:
- Quality of work
- Innovative nature of work and relevance in relation to local, regional and national contemporary art discourses
- Accomplishment to date and promise for continued development as a generative artist
To date, Charlotte Street has awarded $75,000 in cash to 88 artists since the launch of the programs in 2008 (generative performing) and 1997 (visual).
Check here for a complete listing of past award winners.
Collaborative and Experimental: Pat Conway and Heidi Van
Composer and musician Patrick Conway is known for his wide-ranging collaborations with musicians, composers and artists. He often composes and performs works with large ensembles, like BCR and The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, but he's also created compositions for Paul Mesner Puppets, City in Motion Dance Theater, and others. Conway is the director of Gamelan Genta Kasturi, a community-based Balinese orchestra.
Theatre creator and performer Heidi Van is the co-founder and curator of the experimental theatre space, Fishtank Performance Studio, at 18th and Wyandotte in the Crossroads. New works Van created in 2011 include Rubble: A Window Play - performed in and outside the windows of the Fishtank - and Brindsay Kardilton's Bump (co-created with David Wayne Reed). She's also known for "performing and creating pieces in the red nose clown style" dating back to the "European tradition of theatrical clowns."
A public performance of the artists' works is scheduled to take place in fall 2012.
