The Arts Council of Fairfax County announces three $5,000 Strauss Artist Grants awards to Mount Vernon-based visual artist Linda Hesh, Mason-based painter Scott Hutchison, and Mason-based theatre designer Margaret (Margie) Jervis.
“The Arts Council is honored to recognize and champion these three superlative individual artists,” said Linda S. Sullivan, President and CEO of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. “The Strauss Artist Grant is open to artists of all disciplines residing in Fairfax County, and this year’s recipients were selected from a group of nearly 30 highly qualified artists.”
Linda Hesh’s art explores human connections, concentrating on personal and political themes. Her recent work includes public art projects that encourage engagement from passersby to photography pieces that capture the beauty of nature and challenge perspective. Her art becomes more interactive by extending her work beyond a physical location through project websites and social media. Chicago-born, Hesh now lives and works in Fairfax County after earning her MFA from the State University of New York at New Paltz. In 2011, Hesh was recognized by Americans for the Arts with an award for Community Engagement and Social Activism in Public Art. To find out more about Linda Hesh, visit http://www.lindahesh.com.
“As an artist, not only do I need to find a venue to show my work, but funding for presenting the art is also a concern. I was just wondering how to afford framing for my new series when this grant solved that problem,” said Linda Hesh. “It is particularly encouraging during this unstable time to receive this grant. This is a vote of support for the arts and all artists for which I am very grateful.”
Scott Hutchison’s paintings and drawings are conceived through a combination of photography, animation, projections, and digital manipulations to create multifaceted figures that appear to be in motion. Some works consist of multiple images depicting shifting time frames, and as a result, these paintings and drawings illustrate the idea that life’s ever-changing events unfold into who we are and how others perceive us. Hutchison received an MFA in painting from The George Washington University and teaches painting and drawing at Georgetown University. Some of his local solo exhibitions were hosted by Gallaudet University, Georgetown University, and George Mason University. His work was most recently displayed in an exhibition called Syncronicity at the Hillyer Arts Space in Washington, DC and Face to Face at The Strathmore Mansion in Bethesda, MD. To find out more about Scott Hutchison, visit http://www.scotthutchison.com.
“I am honored and grateful to have been awarded the Strauss Artist Grant. The proceeds of this grant will impact my work in tangible and immediate ways through the purchase of art supplies, promotional materials, model fees, and travel,” said Scott Hutchison. “This grant will make it possible for me to create a new body of more involved figurative artworks. I look forward to expanding the complexity and scope of my artwork as well as having the resources to reach an even broader audience through promotion, travel, and exhibition.”
Margie Jervis, a Falls Church native, is the resident Scenic, Costume and Puppet Designer for Creative Cauldron in Falls Church and is also a Teaching Artist for their educational programs for children. She received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in Sculpture with a specialty in Glass, and Jervis received training in theatrical design and production with the Seattle Opera. Her vision of what could be becomes a reality through her depth of experience, transforming familiar materials into worlds and characters that capture audiences’ imaginations. Her fine art has been exhibited and collected internationally in museums, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Jervis has worked on several Helen Hayes recommended, nominated, and awarded shows for Creative Cauldron and other theatres in the DC area. To find out more about Margie Jervis and Creative Cauldron, visit http://www.creativecauldron.org/.
“I am very honored and grateful to be a Strauss Artist Grant recipient. The Strauss Artist Grant is truly helpful and encouraging for an artist,” said Margie Jervis. “This grant will help me improve documentation of my existing projects and begin new, innovative work in theatrical design. The arts are so important to humanity and are a transcendent language that crosses the boundaries of age, country, and culture. I am thankful to be a part of the conversation.”
The Strauss Artist Grants, funded by Fairfax County, are named after Bill Strauss (1947-2007), gifted writer and cofounder of the Capitol Steps and the Cappies. The grants are an investment in the sustained growth and development of the arts in Fairfax County as well as a way to honor contemporary artists’ commitment to an artistic discipline and their contributions to Fairfax County. Applications are open to individual artists residing in Fairfax County each year. For more information about the Strauss Artist Grants and other grants offered by the Arts Council of Fairfax County, visit https://artsfairfax.org/grants.
(via Arts Council of Fairfax County. Photo courtesy of Arts Council of Fairfax County.)
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