What do human wombs, Soviet-era punk-folk music and the American Tobacco Trail have in common?
These varied subjects are just a few of the many to be tackled by the 12 artists who received grants last week at the 23rd annual Emerging Artists Awards Ceremony, administered by the Durham Arts Council.
The artists were selected from a pool of 94 applicants from Durham, Chatham, Orange, Granville and Person Counties.
The Arts Council does not allocate awards based on county or art form, but this year's recipients hail from only Durham and Orange Counties. The program simply strives to recognize and support quality art.
"The intent of the program is to fund projects that will help artists take their careers forward," said Margaret DeMott, program administrator and DAC director of artist services.
Each recipient's application undergoes three levels of review which evaluate the criteria for the award: quality of art, feasibility of the project and potential impact on the artist's career.
Individual grants funded by a variety of benefactors are not to exceed $1,500.
"It is not a huge amount, but it can make a significant difference," DeMott said.
Adam Sobsey, a grant recipient, wrote in an e-mail that the funding will allow him to spend less time waiting tables and more time attending rehearsals and producing his play The Gratitude of Wasps, premiering April 26, with Chapel Hill's Deep Dish Theater Company.
The benefits for the artists extend far beyond the monetary award, however.
The application process itself is helpful for artists who often struggle to actually think through their project, DeMott said. Applicants are required to complete a narrative about the proposed project, explain how it will help their careers and set out a reasonable budget, paving the way for a smoother process.
Receipt of the grant also serves as a useful credential when artists seek to garner funds, attend graduate programs or receive advanced training.
"If down the road I'm able to make a living as a playwright or as a teacher of playwriting, having credentials like the DAC Emerging Artists grant will help persuade people who might be likely to pay me for work that I'm worth paying," Sobsey said.
Such a grant also helps to validate art forms that have not yet been accepted, like those that make heavy use of technology, DeMott said.
DeMott said the Emerging Artists Program benefits DAC by introducing members to new artists and keeping them abreast of current issues and trends.
She added that it is important to become familiar with those artists not selected to receive funding as well because DAC is often asked for artist referrals. In the same vein, all project requests helps the council understand what artists are thinking about.
"We don't have councils without the artists," DeMott said.
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