Kenton Co. artist among nine to receive Kentucky Arts Council fellowships, emerging artist awards


The Kentucky Arts Council has awarded $48,000 to nine recipients for Individual Artist Fellowships and Emerging Artist Awards, recognizing the talents of Kentucky artists who have demonstrated excellence and creativity in their work.

“I am always proud to support our talented artists who deserve to be recognized and celebrated,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “These funds will help Kentucky artists continue to see through their passion of art, while also making a positive impact in our new Kentucky home as we build a bright future together for all our people.”

KAC has awarded six Individual Artist Fellowships and three Emerging Artist Awards in three categories this year: media arts, musical composition and songwriting.

Brandon Faris (NKyTribune file)

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a $7,500 unrestricted award given to a Kentucky artist who has achieved a high level of excellence and creativity in their discipline. Artists may receive two fellowships in their lifetime, at least 10 years apart. The current round was open to media artists, musical composers and songwriters. Recipients of Individual Artist Fellowships are:

• John Ben Bomar Lacy, media arts-film, Jefferson
• Mark W. Kidd, media arts-video, Letcher
• Brandon Faris, media arts-video, Kenton
• Krzysztof Wolek, musical composition, Jefferson
• Jeremy Beck, musical composition, Jefferson
• Aaron Bibelhauser, songwriting, Jefferson

Emerging Artist Awards are $1,000 unrestricted grants awarded to early career professional Kentucky artists who demonstrate excellence and creativity in their work. Recipients of this year’s Emerging Artist Awards, listed by discipline and county, are as follows:

• Boston Enderle, media arts-film, Rowan
• Bryn Silverman, media arts-film, Jefferson
• Danny Barracca, media arts-film, Madison

Louisville composer Krzysztof Wolek first received the Kentucky Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship for musical composition in 2012. He was recently greeted with the news that he was one of six artists awarded a fellowship in musical composition in the current round.

“When I received the award for the first time in 2012, it was an important milestone in my academic career,” Wolek said. “The award most certainly helped me secure tenure at the University of Louisville, which I received in 2014. The financial award also gave me the freedom to pursue projects that would have been difficult to accomplish otherwise, including composing the piano concerto ‘Motions, Stases,’ which premiered in December 2012.”

When Wolek was contacted about being awarded his second fellowship, he was surprised and extremely happy, commenting on the many talented and deserving composers throughout the commonwealth.

“I will admit that receiving the award for the second time feels even more amazing than the first,” he said. “This is because there is a certain need for reaffirmation that the choices I made in mid-career – to follow my individual path, which was not always the most popular, and to continue seeking innovation and truth through my music – were the right ones.

“I can only express my happiness that we have a program dedicated to recognizing and supporting artists in Kentucky. This initiative is vital for the cultural and creative growth of our community. It is essential that we continue to foster and encourage the arts, ensuring that artists receive the recognition and support they deserve. By doing so, we not only enrich our cultural heritage and create our unique identity but also contribute to the economic and social well-being of our region.”

Funding for the Kentucky Arts Council and its programs is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information about the Individual Artist Fellowships and Emerging Artists Awards, visit the arts council website.

Kentucky Arts Council


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