#TraditionsTuesday: Black Swamp Arts Festival

The city of Bowling Green, Ohio, will erupt in color, food, music, and fun as the annual Black Swamp Arts Festival, an Ohio Arts Council grant recipient, takes over the downtown September 10-12. With free admission, this three-day extravaganza has something for arts lovers of all stripes. Entirely run by volunteers, the festival is not only entertaining, but also raises money and support for the arts in the area. Festival Chair Jamie Sands says there’s even more to it: “This is the most diverse weekend of the year in our area. We are providing space and opportunity to come together for positive representation and hands-on arts experiences for all.” 

A juried art show attracts more than 100 artists specializing in ceramics, textiles, printmaking, jewelry and more, and a special Wood County Invitational Art Show highlights local talent. Families can stop by the Kiwanis Youth Arts Village for hands-on activities, including making their very own Paper Sun Hat, a major festival tradition (some have even ended up on stage with the musical acts). A few blocks away, local students compete to raise money for their respective high school music and art departments in Beats on the Streets and the Bowling Green Rotary Art Walk.

The Artists at Work section gives festivalgoers a chance to watch the fascinating process of some local artisans. Fans of Netflix’s "Blown Away" can experience the intensity of glasswork up close with Fire Nation's Mobile Hot Shop. If you can’t stand that heat, perhaps a spin on the lathe with Woodcraft’s Wood Turners is more your speed.  Either way, you can watch some master artists at work and maybe even give it a try yourself! 

Cassie Greenlee says the festival has been a big part of her life experience. She started attending in her youth, while helping her grandfather, a local glassblowing artist, with his booth. Today, she volunteers as the chair of the Artists at Work Committee, a responsibility she is happy to take on, saying, “If you want it to happen, then you have to step up and be a part of the process.”

Visit blackswampfest.org to learn more.
 

Take up the #TraditionTuesday:

EXPAND: Get to know the artists before you go by checking out their websites and eStores. Visit blackswampfest.org/main/art./#artists for the 2021 artist lineup and links.

EXPERIENCE: If you can’t make it to the festival in person, you can still experience the art! The festival has a curated Spotify playlist featuring artists from the 2021 lineup, available here: open.spotify.com/playlist/5rnWCsax16xl4Gy3dwXGvv?si=927f73b2841a4913

EXPLORE: The festival website is full of information for festivalgoers, including pro tips like:

• Take the shuttle to make parking easier. 
• Support the festival by stopping at the merchandise tents to buy official festival merch, including t-shirts, pint glasses, posters, and more.
• Commemorative glass pint glasses hold 2 oz. more than the disposable cups offered at the beer trailers and cost the same to fill.

Leadership Is Giving—Not Taking—Control

Five or six years ago, one of our e-newsletters focused on preservation and conservation. The last 18 months have proven that the arts sector embraces these practices—preserving the arts during a pandemic and conserving resources across budgets and fiscal years. Time and time again, this is evidenced in the arts sector’s resilience and recovery. Last week, I turned to David Marquet’s book, "Turn Around the Ship," which shares a compelling story about leadership and its origins. If you’ve read the book, you know that Marquet reveals his story about turning followers into leaders.

For context, Marquet was a nuclear submarine commander. While that job may seem to share little with the world of artistic disciplines we know, his findings are relevant. Marquet explored two styles of leadership: leader-follower and leader-leader.

The leader-follower model is the conventional supervisor-employee relationship that many organizations follow. But I believe it’s the leader-leader model that should be our new, authentic normal. Marquet saw the value of people becoming leaders, no matter their position in the workplace. He said:

"Imagine a workplace where everyone engages and contributes their full intellectual capacity. A place where people are healthier and happier because they have more control over their work—a place where everyone is a leader."

Here I am, six years past my first read of "Turn Around the Ship," and I still marvel at the success of the leader-leader phenomenon. Especially today, organizations with the most success have rallied together without regard for title or hierarchy within the organizational chart.

I know some of you are saying, ‘What?!”—but hang in here with me for a moment: Think back to the day your doors closed due to the pandemic and you had to decide between wringing your hands or shifting to digital content distribution (or any other number of big decisions to be made). Chances are, it wasn’t the finance or executive directors who knew definitively what to do next. It was the organization’s intern or administrative leaders are who became virtual heroes, producing high-quality online content. So many of you have experienced success because you were able to set aside individual titles and chains-of-command hierarchy in order to keep your passion alive and your sense of responsibility for the mission thriving.

We continue to witness the development of leaders from every position within arts organizations. We’ve seen artists lead community conversations and pave the way for hard conversations on a variety of fronts. We’ve found leadership rise from the staff and boards of arts organizations statewide and nationally. Executive directors, chairs, and presidents alike are thrilled with the success and support in our sector.

At the Ohio Arts Council, we too live Marquet's “imagine” statement. We’ve spent 18 months working remotely from our homes, and we’re now back to the office utilizing a hybrid teleworking/in-office structure. In 2020 and most of 2021, despite having less time and ability to travel the state to visit our constituents and grantees and introduce ourselves to new folks and potential new applicants, we still increased our outreach. As a result, nearly 20 percent of our FY 2022 applicants are new to the agency. We are winding up our work with our strategic plan—the 2021 Essentials Plan—and making great progress toward objectives centered on customer service, resilience, and recovery. We continue our quarterly data collection through grantee surveys so that we are able to tell the real story of the great work artists and arts organizations are accomplishing, and the sector’s real needs as we look ahead.

Nearly every single day we receive another invitation to a concert, performance, festival, or exhibition. You are safely opening your doors while keeping your eyes on the science, knowing you are able turn on a dime to keep your audiences safe, if that becomes necessary. Some of you are making big decisions about vaccination and mask requirements, knowing that not everyone will be happy. Some folks report that they feel like the pandemic police but remain determined to do the right thing to keep people safe and healthy. Thank you for your leadership.

By changing our perspective over these many months, we have realized we are better because we are practicing the leader-leader method of success. As arts leaders, regardless of title or role, we are conserving our most valuable assets, beginning with the leadership that lives within every artist, arts administrator, actor, musician, teacher, and more, in order to prevent the loss of new ideas and promote exceptional planning, design, and vision.

Let’s keep turning the ship and getting it right. If you are in a traditional leadership role, consider giving control to those you have the privilege of working alongside and support the idea of creating leaders rather than followers.

Challenge yourself —give yourself permission to be a bold leader! Soon enough, you’ll find yourself updating your resume and adding “leader” to your bio. After all, you’ve earned it, you’re living it, and we’re celebrating your success!

Until next time, 

Donna S. Collins
Leader among leaders at the OAC

Featured photo: Photo from the Fitton Center's Wings of Hope international mosaic mural. This collaborative project collected 1,000 hand-made glass mosaic butterflies created by 350 participants in 19 states and eight countries. The public art project, which showcases themes of uplifting change and transformation, was led by Hamilton-based artist Lori Kay Farr. Photos courtesy of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

#TraditionsTuesday: Alice Blumenfeld, Flamenco Dance

The stomp of a heel. The click of castanets. The artful flick of a ruffled skirt. These are some of the sounds and images which flood the mind when we first think about Flamenco. For this #TraditionsTuesday we meet Huron, Ohio, artist Alice Blumenfeld, an OAC Individual Excellence Award winner and artistic director of ABREPASO Flamenco. Flamenco, she explains, is so much more than the woman in the red dress—it’s even more than simply a form of dance. It is a full and rich culture all its own.

Historically rooted in the desire for freedom within the marginalized communities of Southern Spain, Flamenco culture—its music, poetry, aesthetic, and yes, dance—is about personal expression and a fearless devotion to being true to oneself. It comes from the people and, Blumenfeld insists, is best experienced in the small, intimate settings for which it was first intended. But that doesn’t mean that she and her fellow artists at ABREPASO are just rehashing the greatest hits of this traditional artform. Far from it; in fact, she is expanding the very idea of Flamenco.

WATCH: Flamenco is a language | Alice Blumenfeld | TEDxFulbrightSantaMonica

Video by TEDx Talks

Flamenco evolves like language because it is essentially a conversation improvised between musician and dancer. Each artist must understand the structure and forms rooted in the tradition, but the actual performance experience is full of improvisation and personal expression.

A dancer since the age of 3, Blumenfeld began her study of Flamenco when she was 12 after attending the International Flamenco Festival in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Swept up in the energy of the dance, she had what Flamenco artists describe as “Duende”—an almost out-of-body experience brought forth through the art. Today, Blumenfeld chases that same experience for her audiences and fellow artists, choreographing conceptual pieces with modern audiences in mind. By combining the traditional improvisational framework with post-modern choreographic methods and styles, Blumenfeld doesn’t just tiptoe past the generic and stereotypical—she stomps all over it. 

Take up the #TraditionTuesday:

EXPAND: Visit aliceblumenfeld.com or abrepaso.org to learn more about flamenco, Alice Blumenfeld, and ABREPASO Flamenco.

EXPERIENCE: Upcoming performances of ABREPASO Flamenco can be found in the Cleveland area, often at the Julia De Borgas Cultural Center. Visit the ABREPASO website or Facebook page for the schedule. Their next performance is a fundraiser for the organization.  Tickets and information are available here: abrepaso.org/special-events/fall-fundraiser-online

EXPLORE: ABREPASO offers classes in person and via Zoom, so you can learn flamenco wherever you are! Take a look at their fall class schedule here: abrepaso.org/calendar/classes

Learn more about the OAC’s Individual Excellence Awards at rebrand.ly/oac-iea-grants

ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Connect with the OAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.

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Article by Amy Ruggaber, Ohio Arts Council Folk and Traditional Arts Contractor
Featured photo: Alice Blumenfeld. Photo by Luis Pons.

The Artists of SHIFT: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally Are Here to Remind You That the Only Constant is Change

SHIFT: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally arrives at the Ohio Arts Council’s (OAC) Riffe Gallery right on time. Maria Seda-Reeder curated and supported a phenomenal group of artists from across the state to create and exhibit artwork that moves, stretches, and transforms the gallery space while simultaneously driving at the heart of the “shifts” we’ve all had to make in our lives over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. After more than a year of temporary closure, it feels really good to be writing about an exhibition that I know many of you will visit in person. 

Thinking globally does not necessarily imply any kind of scale or specific topic. Rather, thinking globally comes first from a deep understanding of our interconnection and interdependence as humans inhabiting a shared space—our planet. Thinking globally can begin with deeply intimate knowledge and exploration. 

From a distance, Amber J. Anderson’s “Houses I Have Haunted” series is subtle and muted, but up close, the eyes long to investigate these dark corners. We are left wondering about the places we have left behind, what is really gone, what is really here, and how we might reconcile spaces and places that seem to linger in our minds for too long. Each house is named, for its architectural style, but I connect their names to the process of naming our griefs—that we might call them something and reduce their power. 

Xia Zhang’s “Growth Death Repeat” began germinating just days before the exhibition opened. Her careful application of chia seeds to terracotta gravestones becomes the surface for the living work: the chia will grow, flourish, and then die. The work may be a graveyard, but it’s full of green life that explores the relationship of the body to material and to social constructs. It allows the viewer to think more deeply about the lifecycle of their own body and communities. 

After 35 years of living and making work in California, Lauren Davies returned to Northeast Ohio and found herself confronted with memories of Rust-Belt manufacturing replaced by abandoned factories, prisons, and schools. Davies’ photographs of these forgotten places were sent to Walmart to be printed on fabric that the artist then cuts up and rebuilds into works that represent forgotten places and people. Her work, which frays and spills down the gallery wall and onto the floor, discusses the impact of technology on the landscape and hints at the concepts that we have not abandoned but only slightly revised or relocated. 

Kevin Harris is a keen observer, and his collection of images, ideas, and objects become compositions of pain and joy, pressure and progress, destruction and pollination. His images pull and compel the viewer to respond to the people and symbols he carefully layers 

together. Harmful institutions and social frameworks fluctuate and are transformed under his careful, powerful attention to detail. Nine bees from his pollinator series, “HIVE,” are cleverly located around the gallery—buzzing around the ceiling and cocooned in corners—a kind of reward for an eye that takes everything in. 

SHIFT is not a dark reimagining or an outright critique of modern society. Instead, it seats the viewer in the midst of artists who are thinking, working, and acting in ways that support and sustain the rediscovery of our collective unity; creators who seek to balance and reimagine systems that do not support us all. They are thought leaders, material explorers, and conscientious citizen artists who invite you to come and feel the SHIFT happening all around us. 

SHIFT will be presented at the OAC Riffe Gallery through October 9, 2021. For more information about upcoming SHIFT programming, and to view a virtual exhibition experience, visit riffegallery.org. 

ABOUT THE OAC RIFFE GALLERY
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio's artists and the collections of the state's museums and galleries. The Riffe Gallery is located in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, 77 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215. 

Visit Riffegallery.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram. 

ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Connect with the OAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.

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Article by Aimee Wissman, 2020-21 OAC Riffe Gallery Marketing and Exhibitions Fellow
Featured image: "THE KALENGA FAMILY, North Hill, Furaha's Graduation Day" by Autumn Bland. 2020, Archival inkjet print, 20" x 16" x 2"

Cincinnati Dance Artist Padma Chebrolu Awarded 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship

Padma Chebrolu—a dancer, teaching artist, and the artistic director of the Cultural Centre of India in Cincinnati—has been awarded the 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award for Performing Arts from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC).

Ohio Heritage Fellowships are awarded in recognition of the significant impact an individual or group has had on the people and communities of the state through their advancement and preservation of the folk or traditional arts. The $5,000 award is given in one of three categories: Performing Arts, Material Culture, or Community Leadership.

Chebrolu grew up in the small town of Gunter in India, where, at the age of 3, she began learning dance. Encouraged by her father, who greatly appreciated the tradition and heritage of the performing arts of India, Chebrolu pursued dance, music, theatre, and poetry while taking an active role in school events, television, radio, and movies. Chebrolu is the first woman in her family to pursue higher education and ongoing training as well as teaching and performance in the arts.

“Art is eternal and being an artist is a gift from divine,” Chebrolu said of her connection to dance. “It is something you must share with others. The more you share, the more you enrich and grow as an artist. The more time and passion you put into the art, the more it gives back joy and fulfillment. Ancestral dance tradition is about awakening and bringing out the inner artist to enrich and evoke the human emotion all around.”

After completing her Bharata Natyam Arangetram (graduation) recital at the age of 11, Chebrolu studied with several gurus and mastered Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam, Mohini Attam, and other classical dance styles. She attended two colleges: one for dance—the Sri Thyagaraja Government College of Music & Dance, where she received a post-graduate diploma with honors in Bharata Natyam Dance—and one for academics—Osmania University in Hyderabad, India.

Chebrolu’s teaching career started when she was a teenager teaching dance to neighborhood children at the request of their families. She continues this passion for sharing her art as artistic director of the Cultural Centre of India, a dance company and studio in Cincinnati where she has taught for more than 25 years. As part of her practice as an instructor, Chebrolu incorporates an expansive knowledge of the music and costuming traditions of the art form, weaving a complete understanding of the heritage and tradition of classical Indian dances.

Chebrolu said she believes that being an artist is a privilege and a great responsibility, as one must maintain authenticity and high standards of the art form while sharing it with diverse groups of people through performing and teaching. She added that receiving the Ohio Heritage Fellowship award has inspired her to further her teaching outreach.

“This recognition renews and strengthens my deep commitment to continue to present the majestic heritage dance art form to the vibrant Ohio community and create exceptional next-generational regional artists,” Chebrolu said. “My deepest gratitude to my parents, gurus, supporters, students, family, and friends for being part of this wonderful artistic journey.”

OAC Executive Director Donna Collins congratulated Chebrolu on receiving the Heritage Fellowship and praised her dedication to sharing her expertise with thousands of students over the years.

“Padma is an exceptional artist, arts educator, and community leader whose life’s work has been astounding,” she said. “As an internationally renowned leader in her field, Padma has had a tremendous impact on communities across the globe. Her artistry showcases the beautiful tradition of Indian dance, and her dedication as an educator ensures that new generations have the opportunity to learn from a true master of the art form.”

To learn more about the Ohio Heritage Fellowship program and Ohio folk and traditional arts, visit folkarts.ohioartscouncil.org.

ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Connect with the OAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.

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Article by Amanda Etchison, Communications Strategist
Featured photo: Padma Chebrolu was awarded a 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award for Performing Arts. Photo courtesy of Padma Chebrolu.

Ohio Arts Council Seeks Artist Programs/Percent for Art Coordinator

The Ohio Arts Council is looking for a dedicated arts and/or business professional to join the Artist Programs/Percent for Art office as our new Artist Programs and Percent for Art Coordinator (State of Ohio classification Fine Arts Specialist 3).

For more information, to view the full job posting, and to apply, visit rebrand.ly/artist-programs-2021.

This position will be responsible for providing individual program support for constituencies within the state of Ohio. The primary programs currently supported include Individual Excellence Awards, Percent for Art, Folk and Traditional Arts, Traditional Arts Apprenticeships, Heritage Fellowships, Artists with Disabilities Access Program, individual artist residencies, and special projects. OAC program coordinators interact extensively with the public, serving as agency ambassadors in multiple settings, and must perform consistently in an ethical and professional manner as a public employee of the State of Ohio. Program coordinators are also expected to be confident, savvy, and adaptable in understanding and using up-to-date technology, as most agency programs, processes, and planning rely on either online or in-house platforms, communication tools, or other systems.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assists program director in formulating and executing Artist Programs (e.g., Individual Excellence Awards, individual artist residencies), Percent for Art, folk/traditional art (e.g., Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants, Heritage Fellowships), Artist with Disabilities Access Program, and coordinating exhibitions (e.g., Ohio Civil Rights Commission Youth Art Exhibition and Ohio Artist Registry Exhibition) as well as formulating and executing objectives, priorities, and evaluations for department programs when appropriate: supports constituents in using the agency’s online grant application system; schedules panel meetings and recruits panelists; reviews and presents applicant requests to panels; and reviews and presents panel recommendations to Council; provides feedback as requested for periodic program evaluation and policy development; actively seeks out applicants in assigned regions and counties to ensure that public funding for the arts is available to all Ohioans.

• Assists executive, deputy, and program directors in developing grant program guidelines, budgets, and activities.

• Designs and implements content for specific artist services-related programs or opportunities (e.g., conferences, workshops, meetings, presentations, state and national programs, etc.): confirms meeting agendas; obtains speakers; schedules and promotes events; compiles and prepares reports on feedback; attends/arranges events (e.g., workshops, conferences, meetings, Percent for Art dedications, etc.) when required by executive, deputy, and program directors; and, upon request of the executive director, represents the agency at functions or events.

• Develops data points for describing artist programs and initiatives: prepares program technical information and compiles statistics (e.g., types of applications, potential applicants) to be used for building program/agency value.

• Maintains and provides current information about agency and program by performing clerical/miscellaneous duties (e.g., typing, filing, data entry, running errands).

• Maintains artwork inventory, moves artwork, installs artwork for exhibition, creates signage and other exhibition requirements.

• Undertakes special assignments as directed, including assisting with special events (e.g., conferences, workshops, meetings); establishing meeting agendas; obtaining speakers; scheduling and promoting events; accepting and analyzing feedback; assisting in assessing issues with and making improvements to online grants system; performing duties as outlined in the agency strategic plan.

• Or 6 mos. exp. as Fine Arts Specialist 2, 64812
• Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.