ArtSake

On WBUR, Andrea Shea covers the current Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law and its effect on creative individuals. According to the article, the law was changed in 2004 to prevent worker exploitation, but it’s had the unintended consequence of making it more difficult for freelance writers, illustrators, and other creative workers in Massachusetts to be hired as independent contractors.

From the article:

… (State) Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, is concerned about the law’s unintended impact ripping through his district. Many of his constituents are indie artists, and he says western Massachusetts – and the state as a whole – really can’t afford to lose its creative workforce because of this law.

“This creative economy is certainly putting people back to work and all I know is out in the Berkshires, if it wasn’t for the creative economy, I’m not sure where the Berkshires would be on the radar map at this point,” he says.

Read the article and weigh in.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Further adventures in movies
Yesterday, we talked about adapting novels to film and past MCC awardees who have done so. Today, ArtSake returns to Hollyword (i.e. the special place movies of books get made).

The following is a list of books by past state fellows in literature that have been made into movies.

Andre Dubus (Fellow ’76) wrote Finding a Girl in America (1980). One of the stories, “Killings,” is the source material for the 2001 movie In the Bedroom.

Tim O’Brien (’76) wrote the short story “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,” included in his seminal book The Things They Carried (1980). “Sweetheart” was later adapted into the movie A Soldier’s Sweetheart (1998), which starred Kiefer Sutherland.

Rita Mae Brown (’77) is the author of the Mrs. Murphy “cat” mysteries, and she adapted her novel Murder, She Meowed (1996) into the 1998 TV movie Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery. (Fun fact: Brown has written a number of other screenplays and teleplays, including the script to the 1982 film Slumber Party Massacre. According to IMDB, she wrote the script as a parody, but the producers decided to film it straight-faced!)

Denis Johnson’s (’83) Jesus’ Son (1992) became a movie of the same name in 1999. Johnson himself has a cameo as a man who arrives at an emergency room with a knife in his eye.

Sue Miller’s (’84) novel The Good Mother (1986) was made into a movie in 1988; same goes for Inventing the Abbotts (1987) in 1997.

Stephen Dobyns (’85) wrote the novel Cold Dog Soup (1985), which was adapted to an American film of the same name in 1990 and a 1999 French film called Doggy Bag. Also, his novel Two Deaths of Senora Puccini (1988) spawned the film Two Deaths in 1995.

Tom Perrotta (’98) published Election (1998) while the movie version was being made (it was released in 1999). Little Children (2004) became a movie, too, in 2006.

Honorable Mentions
Sabina Murray (’02) wrote the lauded short story collection The Caprices. While her books have yet to be adapted to the screen, film director Terrence Malick commissioned her to write the screenplay for the film Beautiful Country.

Regie O’Hare Gibson (’10), and his poetry, appear in the 1997 movie Love Jones. According to a Taunton Daily Gazette interview, the film was actually loosely based on events from Regie’s life. A meta-adaptation?

We wish
Those are the adaptations we know of (tell us if we’ve missed any), but there are others we’d pay good American currency (or bartered lawn-mowing services) to see:

Francie Lin’s (’06) The Foreigner. The 2008 literary thriller won an Edgar Award for Best First Book, and if this smart, atmospheric, compulsively readable book isn’t optioned and filmed soon, then somebody, somewhere, should be fired (or at least get a noogie).

Pagan Kennedy’s (’10) The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex, a biography of Alex Comfort, creator of The Joy of Sex. Biopics are total Oscar-nip, and this has one has “eccentric, over the top performance” written all over it, so get on it, Leo (or whoever else wants to finally win one).

Steve Almond’s (’08) Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life. So many ways this nonfiction book about musical superfandom could go as a movie. Documentary about fanatics and the bands that fanaticize them? Freaks and Geeks-esque TV dramedy, soundtrack heavy on the Toto? (Experience Steve’s deconstruction of Toto’s “Africa” to see why.) Perhaps a liberally fictionalized story of dude being superfan of Styx, dude getting sick and needing kidney transplant, Styx donating its kidney to dude, saving his life, that’s right rock and roll literally saving dude’s life so he can actually join Styx and ROCK THE UNIVERSE?

(Instead of waiting for this movie to be made, you can check out Steve and Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life at a multi-media rock-stravaganza at Club Oberon in Cambridge on Thursday, July 8, at 8 PM. Literature, music, and bad hair are promised!)

What books would you add to the wish list?

Images: Harold Reddicliffe, PROJECTOR AND LIGHT STAND (2009), Oil on canvas, 18×16 in (photo credit Clements/Howcroft).

Powered by Bookmarkify™

I wanna stick around ’til I can’t see straight:  Governors Island Art Fair are still accepting submissions from students and professionals equally. Their focus is on showcasing new international talent to the New York art community.
Deadline: July 15, 2010

If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning: Call to Furniture Artists: The John D. Mineck Foundation has created a fellowship to support a furniture artist looking to fulfill an apprenticeship, develop their own skills, and/or make the transition to independence. A $25,000 fellowship is awarded annually to one artist. The fellowship is administered by The Society of Arts and Crafts.
Deadline: August 9, 2010

It’s a small world after all: The Bambi Foundation has a call out for applications from multimedia artists with a focus on experimental cinema and projection installations. The Bambi Foundation supports contemporary non-object art projects, with an emphasis on experimental cinema and projected image installations. The foundation accepts proposals from a wide range of artists, disciplines and medium, and focuses on works that cannot be easily accommodated by market-based art scenes. It offers up to 8,000 euros (approximately $9,750) per project and even more, depending on the project requirements. Email contact@bambifoundation.com.
Deadline: September 1, 2010

Pretty on the inside: CraftBoston Spring & Holiday 2011 are now accepting applications via www.juriedartservices.com. CraftBoston is a leading show and exhibition of fine contemporary craft in New England.
Deadline: September 14, 2010

Powered by Bookmarkify™

The National Endowment for the Arts has a nifty Writers’ Corner page that lists movies adapted from the books of past NEA fellows. Authors like Sherman Alexie, Jane Smiley, and Tobias Wolff all received NEA support over the years, and at some point saw their work transformed for the silver screen.

When I saw the list, I thought, cool, let’s steal from the Feds.

Well, maybe steal is the wrong word (he says, somersaulting away from federal agents). Let’s say localize. Because Massachusetts has been awarding fellowships to writers since the early ’70s, and along the way, we’ve amassed our own bodacious list of writers whose works have been adapted to film.

Now, without getting into the whole, which is better the book or the movie thing (Really? That’s in doubt?), it’s hard to deny that movies bring attention to the books that might not have come otherwise. In discussing the film adaptation of his novel Breakfast with Scot, Michael Downing, a past Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Finalist from MCC’s Artist Fellowships Program, notes that “A heck of a lot more people know about (the novel) because of Tom Cavanaugh’s performance.” (Cavanaugh, known for portraying the title character of the NBC comedy Ed, played the novel’s central character in the film version.)

And if Ed can sell a novel, imagine what Ferris Bueller can do!
It’s interesting to note the chronology behind the book/movie Election by Tom Perrotta (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow ’98), another past MCC awardee who has leapt from page to screen. Perrotta actually sold the option on Election before the book was published. Momentum from the subsequent film-in-progress by Alexander Payne, starring Matthew Broderick, helped get the novel published in 1998 (the same year Perrotta won an MCC fellowship).

With Perrotta’s rising star came the prospect of more adaptations. But adaptations are tricky things for authors, because for better or worse, stuff from the book often gets changed in the film. Will those changes allow the story stay true to itself? Or will the book get lost in the tinsel?

In his next adaptation, Perrotta took a head-on approach to the issue of changes: he made them himself. As co-writer of the film adaptation of his novel Little Children, he either endorsed any adjustments made to the original story or actually came up with them.

Michael Downing didn’t write his own adaptation, but at least he found filmmakers who shared his vision of Breakfast with Scot. Eventually. When the novel was published, it was swiftly optioned by a major American production company. Michael says he met with the company’s appointed screenwriter, only to learn that the screenwriter felt the movie version needed a “third act.” Michael jokingly suggested he kill off one of the major characters. Readily and without apparent irony, the screenwriter agreed.

Michael’s heart sank. “It just felt so crushingly off the spirit of the project,” he says. Within the year, the company had given up the option, which gave Michael the chance to work with Canadian producer Paul Brown. The book is about two gay men who adopt the son of a deceased friend, and Brown was drawn to the story because of his own experience adopting a child.

That’s not to say the story emigrated to the screen without alteration: in the movie, the story’s setting shifted from Cambridge, Mass. to Canada, and the sport of hockey, nowhere to be found in the novel, became central to the plot. So did these changes bother Michael?

“They just seemed like a good, interesting choices.” He says he was much more possessive of details, tiny gestures or the way an actor would deliver a line taken directly from the book. “And I’d think, that’s not how Mildred would say that!” He adds, wryly, “Though nobody was asking me how to read a line.”

Line readings aside, he says he found the process gratifying (“You’ve got hundreds of people at work on something adapted from your book – it’s not the usual response to one’s work!”), and by the time the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, it was nothing but a pleasure. “When my partner and I were sitting in the theatre, and the place went dark, I thought, this is just about the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Coming up: Part Two of Page to Screen, with a full list of past fellows’ books with movie adaptations.

Images: Cover art from the original edition of BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (Counterpoint, 2000); cover art from the movie tie-in edition (Counterpoint, 2008).

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Joshua Meyer (MCC FY10 Painting Fellow) gave ArtSake a quick peek into his mind. We want to share it with you, so here goes.

What artists’ work do you admire most but create no thing like? Musicians and writers.

If forced to choose, would you be an eraser or a permanent magic marker? I am about to have shoulder surgery for my painting arm. Even though it is relatively minor surgery, it makes me reconsider how I create and what would happen if I lost my arm. Could I paint with my left foot? While the physical act is extremely important to me, the imperative is simply to create. The tool comes later.

What is the most surprising response to your art you have ever received? I once stood in front of my paintings with the poet Robert Hass as he described my art to me. I felt like I was in the midst of one of his poem’s, a participant.

Do you live with any animals? I have a nine-year-old and a toddler. Do they count? Oh, and I’ve also got a little gargoyle that my wife gave me for my studio. Come to think of it, I also have a few toy turtles that were gifts from one of my models. They were meant to remind me to be the tortoise and not the hare–slow and steady wins the race!

How do you know when your work is done? I don’t, I never know. If it is still in my studio, it isn’t done. The paintings are just big buckets of ideas. Accumulations. Stone soup. The longer they are in my studio, the more densely packed they become. Paintings go on without end. I wish they would grow feet of their own so they could run away when enough becomes enough.

What do you listen to while you create? When my painting is really in full swing, the music gets louder louder. When I crank up something loud, like the Lounge Lizards, painting becomes a little bit like dancing on a canvas. But on quieter days, I podcast. I love Radiolab. I always listen to Fresh Air–Terry Gross is in my studio so often, it seems like she’s one of my models.

What films have influenced you as an artist? I’m a Fellini junkie, so 8 1/2 is about as good as it gets. Kieslowski’s great too. Dave McKean made an amazing short called “The Week Before”. Does Shirin Neshat count as film?

What are you currently reading? I just finished Tinkers, which came out of the blue and won the Pulitzer prize. It was really remarkable. Orhan Pamuk’s “Museum of Innocence”. Also some poetry.

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall? I love living where the seasons keep dramatically changing. Every few months the rug gets pulled out from under us. Everything looks and feels different. Life has rhythm.

What has the MCC Artist Fellowship meant to you? It is so nice to have external validation and to be included in the dialogue. Plus, now I can afford twice as much coffee.

Joshua will participate in small works invitational exhibition showcasing the works of eleven Massachusetts artists recognized by the MCC’s Artist Fellowship Program. Painted Visions will be at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod from July 13- August 8, 2010. The Opening reception is July 17 from 5-7 pm.

Upcoming feature exhibit in 2010: Rice/Polak Gallery, Provincetown, MA. August 13-August 26, 2010.

Upcoming Solo exhibit in 2010: Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA. December 2010-January 2011.

Image credit: All images courtesy of Joshua Meyer. From top to bottom:
Pearl (2010), Oil on panel, 20″ x 24″

Makings of the Sun (2008), Oil on canvas, 30″ x 30″

And the Love that Loves the Love that Loves to Love (2009), Oil on canvas, 35″ x 46″

Accidents that Always Happen (2009), Oil on canvas, 24″ x 24″

Roundabout (2009), Oil on canvas, 24″ x 24″

Once I Was (2009), Oil on canvas, 30″ x 30″

Powered by Bookmarkify™

John Ewing is interested in sparking public dialogue. And he does so the way he, as a public artist specializing in digital media, knows best: through interactive, boundary-pushing art.

The Virtual Street Corners project connects Coolidge Corner, Brookline with Dudley Sq, Roxbury through 24/7 video teleconferencing. The project, which you can read about in a terrific interview in The Atlantic, inspires spontaneous conversations by passers-by in both neighborhoods as well as planned discussions by artists, politicians, and other community figures from each neighborhood.

Tomorrow (Friday, June 25, at 5 PM), former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis will visit Virtual Street Corners. He’ll discuss his recent projects, share his perspective on the relationship between Brookline and Dudley Sq., and engage in dialogue with State Senate candidate Carlos Henriquez and Union of Minority Neighborhoods Executive Director Horace Small about what can be done to strengthen the relationship between the two communities.

Virtual Street Corners is installed at A Nubian Notion and Brookline Booksmith (respectively), through June 30. Learn more

Images: View of the two locales in Virtual Street Corners, photo by John Ewing; Portrait of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis by Gardner Cox (1983).

Powered by Bookmarkify™

ArtSake couldn’t make it to Lorraine Chapman’s (MCC Choreography Fellow ’04, Finalist ’08) Soaking WET performances at the West End Theater in NYC, but thanks to her Web site, there are excerpts we can all take a look at (although attending a live performance is always preferable).

Displaced Persons part 3 from Lorraine Chapman on Vimeo.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

This is a revised version of a post we created in September 2008, about a subject that never seems to go out of style: funding for artists. Specifically, artists in Massachusetts (though there may be an opportunity or two in here for those of you who live out-of-state).

We thought it was about time to examine the piece, pluck out its gray hairs, add some new flourishes as one might add wax to one’s mustachio, and send it forth into the arms of the ArtSake-embracing public.

MCC Artist Fellowship Program
When Massachusetts artists contact us at the Massachusetts Cultural Council to ask about grant support for individual artists, our first response is, of course, to strongly encourage they investigate our Artist Fellowship Program, a competitive, anonymously judged award recognizing artistic excellence in a variety of categories. The program currently offers unrestricted individual fellowships of $7,500 and finalist awards of $500, to categories that alternate each year, and two deadlines in any given year (one in Fall and one in Winter). It’s always a good idea to sign up for the Artist News e-newsletter to receive the upcoming deadlines, and to check current guidelines to see what the current grant amount is, as this can fluctuate based on our agency’s legislatively-allotted funding.

So, if you’re a generative artist who lives and works in Massachusetts, check it out. However, we thought it might be useful to list some of the other grant opportunities we share with artists looking for funding for their ongoing work.

Keep in mind that not every grant opportunity listed here will be right for every artist. Before applying, you need to ask yourself whether that particular grant is a good fit and thus worth taking time and energy away from your work. Also, this is by no means a comprehensive list, so feel free to let us know about other funding opportunities for individual artists.

Local Cultural Council Grants
Another MCC program that includes support for individual artists is the Local Cultural Council Program. Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns that support community cultural activity through Local Cultural Councils (LCCs). Several LCCs offer individual artist fellowships, similar to MCC’s state fellowships: Somerville Arts Council, Worcester Cultural Commission, and Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire.

But most LCCs concentrate their funding on smaller grants (typically averaging $200-$500) for projects that benefit a specific Massachusetts community – including projects by individual artists.

When applying for an LCC grant, you’ll need to explain how your project will benefit that particular community and engage its residents. Funding criteria and priorities vary from town to town, so the best way to see if your project is right for a particular community is to contact that LCC (get the skinny on specific LCCs). The deadline is generally mid-October.

Traditional Arts Apprenticeships
If you’re a master artist of a traditional art form, and you’re looking to pass on your knowledge, our Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program offers funding for exceptional master artist/apprentice teams. See some of our past successful apprenticeships.

Others
So what’s available for Massachusetts artists, beyond MCC’s programs? If you don’t want to know, then don’t read on!

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Artist’s Resource Trust
A.R.T. grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, ranging from $1,500 to $10,000, are for New England visual artists who demonstrate a financial need. Painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, or mixed media artists who have lived in New England for at least two years at time of application are eligible. As of this writing, the guidelines call for (among other things) up to ten images, a one page letter describing what the artist plans to accomplish with the A.R.T. grant, and some IRS forms (per the “financial need” criteria). Received-by deadline is August 1. Past recipients include Liza Bingham (Painting Finalist ’10).

Artadia
Founded in response to the decline of NEA funding for individual artists, Artadia offers unrestricted grants to visual artists in specific communities. In 2007, Boston was added as one of those communities, and a group of 10 visual artists/collaborations received awards. Another group of artists received funding ranging from $3000 to $15,000 in 2009. Past recipients include Hannah Barrett (Painting Fellow ’04), Jane D. Marsching (Photography Finalist ’03), and Stephen Tourlentes (Photography Fellow ’05).

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum’s Lillian Orlowsky and Wiliam Freed Foundation Grant
Grants are offered to American painters aged 45 or older who demonstrate financial need. The fund honors its namesakes, in particular Lillian Orlowsky, who sought to provide financial support to mature artists due to her passionate commitment to art. The goal of the grant is to promote public awareness and a commitment to American art, as well as encouraging interest in artists who lack adequate recognition. Grants will range from $5,000 to $10,000. At the time of this post, applicants need to fill out an application, send 10 images, and complete financial disclosure form. In 2010, applications need to be postmarked by August 16, 2010.

LEF Foundation
For the over 15 years, LEF Foundation has played a key role part in fostering and promoting contemporary art in New England. Currently, LEF’s funding is focused on supporting independent documentary film through its Moving Image Fund.

New England documentary filmmakers applying for LEF grants will need to find a nonprofit organization to act as fiscal sponsor (Filmmakers Collaborative, Independent Center for Documentaries, Documentary Educational Resource all offer this service, as does the New York-based organization Fractured Atlas). Currently, LEF accepts proposals for pre-production, production, and post-production funding. More information, including how to apply, here. Numerous prominent New England filmmakers have received LEF funding including Ross McElwee (Bright Leaves) and Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan (Troublesome Creek).

Mass Humanities
Mass Humanities offers pre- and post-production and distribution grants to film projects that support humanities themes (check out Executive Director David Tebaldi’s post on The Public Humanist blog about what makes a good humanities film). Similar to the LEF application process, individuals will need a fiscal sponsor to apply. For example, At Home in Utopia, a film by Michal Goldman (Film & Video Fellow 07), received Mass Humanities funding by applying through the Filmmakers Collaborative. As with other programs, the best way to see whether this funding is right for your project and to learn more specifics is to contact the organization.

By nomination only
Why mention grants that are by nomination only? Well, I was thinking this might save you the trouble of hearing about these grants, thinking, “Hey, maybe I should apply,” only to find unsolicited applications are not accepted. Or, maybe you’ll be nominated, in which case, yippee!

Foster Prize: the James and Audrey Foster Prize, awarded by The Institute of Contemporary Arts, is a $25,000 biennial award for nominated Boston-area artists. Though there’s only one big winner, all finalists are featured in an ICA exhibition.

Brother Thomas Fellowship: this nomination-only award offers $15,000 unrestricted grants to Boston-area working artists of all disciplines. The award is administered by The Boston Foundation and sustained by sales of world-renowned porcelain ceramics by Brother Thomas Bezanson, a Benedictine monk. See an ArtSake post on the inaugural winners.

St. Botolph Foundation Grants: the foundation offers awards of $2,500 for emerging New England artists, plus an award for a distinguished artist. See the 2009 emerging artist grant winners on Our Daily RED. The 2009 distinguished artist was M.T. Anderson.

Further research on arts grants

artSource
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston offers a “comprehensive index of arts-related employment opportunities, internships, civic engagement partnerships, grants, residencies, exhibitions, competitions, public art commissions, artist workspaces, and related community resources,” called artSource.

NYFA Source
NYFA Source is a searchable database of national grant opportunities, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts. Don’t be alarmed that the site is hosted by a New York organization; the database includes opportunities from throughout the country. You can set your own search criteria, which is useful for filtering out those that don’t apply.

Mira’s List
Whereas artSource and NYFA Source are the stately institutions of grants databases, think of Mira’s List as the Mom & Pop shop. It’s a terrific blog run by generous and industrious Massachusetts artist/writer Mira Bartok, listing useful grants deadlines and info for artists of all disciplines. Also highly recommended is Mira’s Primer on Grants and Residencies on ArtSake, a great resource for grant-seekers at any stage.

In conclusion…
Of course, we wish there were more: more funding sources, more funding from those sources. If we hear of new opportunities, we’ll add ‘em. (So don’t be shy about sharing them with us.)

And if you’re interested in seeing MCC’s funding for individual artists continue and grow, sign up to receive announcements of advocacy opportunities from the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanites (MAASH).

Images: Mary O’Malley, HAECKELS GARDEN (2008), Metallic ink on paper, 32×40 in; Liza Bingham, CORNER PIECE ll (2009), Oil on linen on panel, 10×19 in (photo credit: Steward Woodward); Heather White, MURMURING BROOCH (2006), cast sterling lips, gold, rubies, seed and cultured pearls, 4.75 x 4.75 x .75 in.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Call to Artists: The Santo Foundation is offering two $3,500 individual artists grants. Graduate students and all emerging to mature artists (their language) are eligible to apply. The juror is Barbara O’Brien, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. Candidates are requested to apply online through Westaf.  Inquiries: The Santo Foundation, 4236 Lindell Boulevard, Suite LL10, St. Louis, MO 63108; santofoundation@yahoo.com.
Deadline: June 30, 2010

Call for Proposals – Thanatopolis at I-Park, a not-for-profit international arts community sited within an expansive nature preserve in East Haddam, CT, is seeking creative proposals in the following disciplines: Music Composition/Sound Sculpture, Visual Arts/Environmental Sculpture, Theater/Choreography/Performance Art, Landscape/Garden Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture. They are looking for works engaging the issues of death, memory and memorialization. Selected projects will be presented at the Thanatopolis Exhibition on October 2, 2010. Contact Agnes Miyuki at thanatopolis@gmail.com
Deadline: July 5, 2010

Call to Choreographers & Dance Companies: The Perceptions Contemporary Dance Festival provides artists (emerging and established) with the opportunity to present dance in New York City. The festival is designed to support choreographers and companies around the country and internationally, providing the necessary technical aspects of staging professional work with minimal costs incurred. This festival provides artists with a state-of-the-art theater, expert technical crew, ticket sales, promotion and exposure in the NYC area, while creating the opportunity for growth and development by allowing each artist to focus solely on their art. Full guidelines and application procedures.
Deadline: July 30, 2010

Image credit: Sculpture by Mary Kenny (MCC 2005 Sculpture Finalist)

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Many painters are soley dedicated to creating the masterful illusion of deep space on a two-dimensional picture plane. No small feat for sure. But Michael Zelehoski (FY10 Painting Fellow) goes the other way. He takes three-dimensional objects and forces them to submit into two-dimensional picture planes. Michael took a moment away from his work to answer a few questions.

What artists’ work do you admire most but create nothing like? People like Jeff Koons’ and Richard Haden’s treatment of the object is the inverse of what I do, although I think the concepts overlap. I definitely envy anyone who paints and their ability to work autonomously in illusionary space unencumbered by mass and physical dimension. Then again, bumping up against those limitations is central to my creative process and helps make my work what it is.

If forced to choose, would you be an eraser or a permanent magic marker? Definitely an eraser, and we need a lot more of them. I’m imagining people all over the world rubbing each other out of existence.

What is the most surprising response to your art you have ever received? Someone once burst into tears.

The unauthorized biography of your life is titled: Objectification.

Do you live with any animals? Just my girlfriend and I. We’re pretty much domesticated though.

How do you know when your work is done? I hate to say it but when it sells. Until then nothing is safe.

What do you listen to while you create? Lots of NPR, classical, random obscure progressive, Smylonylon, bands named after animals etc.

What films have influenced you as an artist? Good question.

What are you currently reading? Merleau-Ponty’s Primacy of Perception, The Death of Mister Watson by Peter Mattheissen and The New Yorker.

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall? All of them.

What has the MCC Artist Fellowship meant to you? New tools, some financial security and a measure of validation. Thank you.

Michael Zelehoski’s work will be part of a small works invitational which will feature painters from this year’s MCC Artist Fellowship Program. The exhibition will be at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. The opening reception is Saturday, July 17th from 5-7pm. The show runs from July 13-August 8, 2010.

Powered by Bookmarkify™