Notes From The Field - Brief Article

Afterimage, July, 2001

The Philadelphia Museum of Art announced its acquisition of the Julien Levy collection of photographs. Between 1931 and 1948 Levy's photography galleries in New York City acquired more than 130 artists who are represented in this massive collection of nearly 2000 images that contains both major and lesser-known works by American and European photographers active during the World Wars.

Eugene Atget is a exemplary contributor to this collection, with 362 works, as well as prime American masters including Anne Brigman, Imogen Cunningham, Lee Miller, Paul Outerbridge, Man Ray and Charles Sheeler. Important artists associated with the advent of Surrealism-Max Emst, Dora Maar, Roger Parry. Maurice Tabard and Umbo-are also included in the collection that was acquired in part as a gift from Jean Farley Levy-Levy's widow-and with a major contribution from Philadelphia philanthropists Lynne and Harold Honickman. .. The Andrea Frank Foundation announced its 2001 Grant awards. The Foundation, founded in 1995 by Robert Fr ank, supports the work of artists/artistic collaborators and nonprofit cultural and educational organizations for the creation of projects and programs in photography, video, film and other visual arts. The following eight artists and one organization were awarded a total of $63,800: Tokyo Ito (Tokyo. Japan); Tom Jarmusch (New York, NY); Paul McGurk (Redding, CT); Jonas Mekas (New York, NY); Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson (Chicago, IL); Victor Sira (New York, NY); Ross Schwartzman (Cincinnati, OH) and The Harry Smith Archives (New York, NY). An additional amount totaling $403,000 over three years was granted to seven organizations: Center for Communication Resources (Chicago, IL); Cinematexas International Short Film and Video Festival (Austin, TX); Essex Art Center (Lawrence, MA); Light Work (Syracuse, NY); 911 Media Arts Center (Seattle, WA); Outside In (Santa Fe, NM) and Tohono O'od ham Community Action (Sells, AZ). For more information contact Ralph McKay at afrankfund@earthlink.net... . The 2001 CalAr ts/ Alpert Awards were awarded to Ellen Bruno (Film/Video); Zhou Long (Music); John Kelley (Dance); Erik Ehn (Theater); and Cal Guo-Quing (Visual Arts). The CalArts/Alpert Awards is a collaboration between philanthropist Herb Alpert and CalArts that each year awards $50,000 to five artists, one in each of the above mentioned fields. For more information visit www.calarts. eduCreative Capital announced the recipients of its 2001 grants totaling $401,900. Fortythree artists were awarded grants from $5000 to $15,000 in support of projects in five different areas: performing arts, visual and media arts, emerging fields, experimental literature and other new, hybrid art forms. Proposals were reviewed by national evaluators in the preliminary round and by a panel of artists and art professionals in the final round. Applications were submitted from 49 states and the District of Columbia, as well as from six other countries, with 65 percent submitted online. One hundred and eighteen grantees have been funded by the f oundation in its first two years from 24 states and the District of Columbia. The 2001 recipients will now begin to work with Creative Capital in an intensive Artist Service program. The grantees will assist in fundraising, networking, marketing and strategic planning while obtaining advice and career counseling to help them realize their professional goals. For more information on Creative Capital or for a full list of awarded grants visit http://creative-capital.org/artists/index.html. The Print Center in Philadelphia, PA has announced the Digital Mural Project-an urban beautification project combining digital technology and community art collaboration. The project, which will produce building-size outdoor digital murals on fabric in a joint effort between the Print Center and The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, is aimed at communities seeking to benefit at-risk children and urban revitalization. Three neighborhoods will be selected to participate in the mural project with the murals being designed by arti sts selected through a national competition in September. Digital Fine Art Magazine, a partner in the competition, will publicize the event along with giving the 10 artists national exposure; in turn, the artists will conduct workshops in digital design and printmaking for children involved in the Mural Arts after-school program, the Village of the Arts and Humanities and the YMCA Black Achievers Program.... The MacArthur Foundation announced the ending of its initiative in support of media centers. For over 15 years the foundation has supported more than 110 organizations, investing nearly $16 million in national and local media centers. Since 1998, the Foundation has provided 25 centers with approximately $500,000 per year. The Foundation will continue its grantmaking in support of documentary films and expects media centers to be among those seeking and receiving grants in this area. For more information visit www.macfdn.org... . The Carol Ehiers Gallery, Ltd. in Chicago, IL will be closing on July 31. Ehl ers recently accepted the position of Curator at the LaSalle Bank Photography Collection in Chicago, founded by Beaumont and Nancy Newhall in 1967. The closing of the successful gallery-formed in I 989-coincides with this new position. A lights out ceremony will be held in the gallery 5-8 p.m. on July 31.