The Central MN Arts Board is excited to announce the Individual Artist Award (IAA) recipients for 2024!
The Individual Artist Award provides awards in recognition and support of outstanding artists living in the Minnesota counties of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns or Wright (Region 7W). Funding for the program is generously provided by the McKnight Foundation.
Artists are invited to apply for this award once each year in January and may receive up to $5,000 in Individual Artist awards in a lifetime. A panel of arts professionals reviewed and scored each application. Those with the highest average score were recommended to the CMAB Directors for awards. CMAB Directors accepted the review panel’s recommendations at their March 14, 2024, board meeting with a total of $22,500 in awards.
1. Kelly Lundquist, Literary Artist, creative nonfiction; Wright County
2. Renee Zeleny, Ceramics, functional stoneware; Benton County
3. Tanya Piatz-Sandberg, Visual Arts, ink, gouache, graphite and watercolor; Benton County
4. LeAnna Wurzer, Visual Arts, muralist, illustrator; Wright County
5. Jean Matua, Visual Arts, Pysanky, batik-style wax-resist; Stearns County
6. Rachelle Netland, Visual Arts, ink, acrylic; Stearns County
7. John Valo, Graphic art, Illustration; Stearns County
Kelly Foster Lundquist, Statge Makeup, creative writing nonfiction
The 2024 Individual Artist Award reviewers included:
Thomas Berger: CMAB director, small business owner, AAA Courier Express, Waite Park; Producer, Production Manager, Designer with Belville Productions; Served in many capacities for the History Theatre in St. Paul including Managing Director, Educational Project Director, Tour Director, Production Manager, Designer; University of Minnesota, Theatre Arts, Classics, Geology.
Katie Ruprecht-Wittrock: Art Teacher, Tech High School; Arts Degree, College of Saint Benedict; arts programming, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central MN; Fundraising and Audience Development Manager or Fine Arts Series College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University’s Fine Arts Series; a Teaching Artist; experience volunteering on panels and writing grants.
Timothy Takach: BA in Music and Art, St. Olaf College; co-founder and former member of Cantus; published composer; VocalEssence, Board Member; past CMAB Artist Career Development Grant awardee; previous experience volunteering as a CMAB panelist.
Elizabeth Haus: Fiber artist, spinning and needle felted sculpture; potter; writer; affiliated with Birch Grove
Pottery Studio, Wasilla, Alaska; Cherrico Pottery, Saint Joseph, MN; Anne Meyer Pottery, Saint Joseph, MN.
Keith Ewing: St. Cloud State University, professor in University Library; founder and grant primary investigator for Minnesota Digital Library, Chamber Music Society of St. Cloud sponsor; instrumental music appreciator; studied Asian arts and archaeology; published photographer; served as a juror for photography; functional pottery collector; Chinese and Japanese arts collector.
The Central Minnesota Arts Board (CMAB) strives to enhance appreciation of the essential economic and social roles the arts play in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties by providing grants and professional development services to arts and community organizations, schools, government units and individuals.
For more information about the Central MN Arts Board, visit http://www.centralmnartsboard.org or call the office at 320-968-4290 or toll free at 1-866-825-1471.