“Artist as Catalyst” Essay Project
The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) awarded two grants (2000 and 2001) to CGCA, through their “Artist as Catalyst” program, to fund a critic-in-residence. Robin Rice, from Philadelphia, Pa. participated as the visiting critic, as well as attending GlassWeekend ’01 and ‘03. The MAAF has since discontinued funding for all writing projects, however the CGCA Board made a commitment to continue the critic-in-residence project. In 2002, a grant from the American Craft Council was awarded for educational outreach, including this essay project.
The primary objective of the project was to establish a dialogue between the fellowship artists and Ms. Rice, exploring the artists’ work, both in relation to the medium of glass and the personal vision of the artist. The final form(s) of the project are essays (approximately 1,000 words each), intended to be used as a vehicle to educate a diverse audience about contemporary glass artists and their work. It was the belief when implementing the project in 2000, that the CGCA Fellows would benefit from the process of dialogue, as well as the end product (particularly since most fall into the “emerging” category). Feedback from the artists interviewed indicates a true appreciation for the opportunity to discuss their work and goals. A by-product of this project is an excellent archival record, profiling the CGCA Fellows and their work.
