I Can Uncross My Fingers Now

I got a piece of mail from the state arts council this afternoon.  I had realized not too long ago that we were coming up on about the time when I'd expect to hear the results of this year's Fellowships for Individual Artists, and they hadn't managed to cancel the program this time around.  (happened three other years I applied)  In the past they sent e-mails when we were approaching decision time, and even extend an invitation to come to the meeting when they voted on the final awards.  No such word this time, which is odd considering that I get 2 or 3 e-mails a week from them promoting something.  The letter announced the results of this latest round of awards and I didn't get one.  The odds are tough (this year 346 applications for what turned out to be 22 grants) so it's not that surprising.

I will send away for the panel's written comments, but meanwhile I went to the website to find the list of winners.  It turns out I have connections to 3 of the 22 artists.  One of the winners for painting is Elise Dodeles, who took a woodcut class I taught at the Printmaking Council back in 2009.  The other two were in my works on paper category.  I know Marsha Goldberg from being a fellow adjunct professor at my university, though I don't think she has a class this semester.  However a few years ago we shared a tall locker in the big painting and drawing room we both used that semester; she teaching the former, and me teaching the latter.  The third winner I have a connection with is Eileen Foti, who I've known going back to not long after I returned from Illinois, when she juried me into the annual members show at the Print Council and awarded me the top prize.  Several years later she put me into another show at the Hunterdon Museum, but no prize then.  More recently she invited me to be part of an international  print show in Estonia, and I've run into her from time to time in between.

If I remember correctly, the current set up for the program has each category now come up every three years. So if I can remember to look up the information at the right time, and the program still exists, I will apply again and be hoping for money in 2016.