2018-376-E Arts - Kelly Johnston arts grant

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DocuSign Envelope ID: 1A195186- E6B7- 44D4- A4B0- 8016C160DAAF Project /Program My name is Kelly Johnston. I am sculptor and installation artist living Summary and working in Chapel Hill, NC. I am applying for the Orange County Arts Commission Artist Project Grant to fund my Post - Graduate Residency at the Torpedo Factory Art Center (TFAC) in Alexandria, VA and a casting workshop at Penland School of Craft in Penland, NC. Both opportunities are integral to my professional development and growth as an artist. With these resources, I will develop curricula to lead free community workshops for emerging artists in Orange County, NC. The Artist Project Grant will help me attend Penland School of Craft to acquire technical casting skills, that I will use to generate a body of work during my residency at TFAC. Penland has awarded me the merit -based Windgate Partial Scholarship for their Ideation workshop, in July 2018. This workshop explores traditional and alternative casting processes and materials, a focal point of my artistic practice. This grant will fund the remaining cost of tuition and required materials for the workshop, so I can take full advantage of my time at Penland. The skill -set I learn there will provide the basis for the new body of work I create at TFAC as well as the free rVem , unit,• From October to December 2018, 1 will be one of four residents at the Torpedo Factory Art Center's nationally juried Post - Graduate Residency. TFAC provides rent -free studio space and a modest stipend, but I am responsible for housing, living expenses, materials and travel. There, I will continue to explore alternative casting methods, which I find to be a compelling medium. They are versatile, immediate, have a strong historical and personal resonance, and are widely accessible. Specifically, my workshops will explore the versatility and accessibility of these materials, and in doing so, provide a stimulating introduction to casting for the Orange County community. Currently, I fabricate and use biodegradable plastic in conjunction with identity objects, such as hair and teeth to explore the politics of the body. During the TFAC residency I will explore these techniques by creating a new body of work. Upon my return in January 2019, 1 will begin the Emerging Regional Artist Residency at Artspace in Raleigh, NC. nag the six month resideAGY, I YAII . 1 have secured space with two Orange County organizations dedicated to accessible art programming: Vibehouse 405 in Chapel Hill, NC and the ArtsCenter Live, in Carrboro, NC. The Orange County Arts Commission Artist Project Grant will impact my professional development by funding my workshop at Penland School of Craft and my residency at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, allowing me to take full advantage of these opportunities and to make a public impact with the skills I acquire by bringing engaging programming to Orange County artists.