Last November I was awarded a grant in support of advancing arts and culture in Iowa through the Iowa Arts Council/Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.¹ If you know nothing about your state’s grant application process, look now!
The process can be grueling², which is to say, it takes thought and time — two things that sometimes feel as if they come by short supply. I had been grateful to an artist friend and current Iowa Artist Fellow Brittany Brooke Crow, for reminding me of the deadline. After searching notebook scribbles and open Google tabs, I had my idea — a project in response to the coronavirus pandemic and an exploration of vulnerability.
The funny thing about plans is, the good ones never go according to plan. And while I had intended work that would begin much earlier and with much more ease, next week begins the start of something truly magical.
Margaux in the studio, Tuesday, May 6, 2022. Mainframe Studios No. 449.
The project, although only partially funded during a time period where funding was requested and required in all corners of the world, will make its debut in Des Moines next month. Stay tuned for process, progress and details on how you can be involved.
¹ Funding for the program was provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 through an appropriation to the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, for the state partnership agreement with Iowa Arts Council.
² It should be noted, if you think an application says you have 2,000 words to describe it, maybe check again to ensure it’s not 2,000 characters. So much alliteration left on the cutting room floor.