Click a grant or award named below to read about the recipients in that category

Premiere Grantees | Funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

Art Fund Grantees | Funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

2012 Premier Grantees
17 awards, total awarded: $36,817
Above: Image courtesy of Lorenzo Hail, Premier Grantee

Sanchie Bobrow: Love Songs for Youth Chorus
Sanchie will compose three original pieces of music for the Youth Chorus of the Richmond Choral Society using poems by Rabindranath Tagore and Sarojini Naidu. The poems each speak of love for children in a non-religious yet spiritual voice. By composing new music for these young singers, she hopes to draw attention to their ability to perform music that is unique and fresh, while contrasting with the rest of the program which will feature music from the 17th and 18th centuries. Award Amount: $1115

Thomas Bonelli: Island Sounds
Thomas’ project is large in scope and includes recording songs from twelve Staten Island singers/singer-songwriters, record additional instrumentation, and mix and master the songs to record to CD. He will then work with Staten Island artists and graphic designers to create artwork for the CD. The CD’s will be printed and will be sold through various music channels. He will then work with a video producer to create a music video for one of the songs on the CD. All proceeds from the project will go towards Van Duzer Days, a summer festival that showcases local musicians, visual artists, performance artists, and restaurants. Award amount: $2500

Christine Carannante: Kinship
Christina will explore the meaning of family through a series of color portraits of her relatives, most of which are complete strangers to her. The work will explore notions of family and the longing as an only child raised by a single father to be a part of something she never had. The creation of this work will be shot on medium format film with a Mamiya 645 camera. Award Amount: $1500

Christine Dixon: Harriet Tubman
Christine will present an entertaining and educational fifty minute play based on the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Harriet's harrowing and dangerous life unfolds as she tells her moving story of how she brought hundreds of slaves- and her own family- to Freedom after the Civil War. The performance contains original and reinterpreted music from period spirituals by Staten Island-composer Ralph Martell. The play is based on a series of interviews Harriet gave in 1868 to a New York Sunday school teacher, and writer, Sarah Bradford whom wrote the book Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. A Q&A session follows each play. Award Amount: $2000

Lyle Foxman: App and Snap Photowalk Series
Lyle will conduct a series of photo walks and workshops through which he hopes to inspire people to present their visions. The project will be broken up into 4 parts: 1)Photowalks, where the aim is to practice and improve one's own photography skills; cameras of all types can be used, 2) Photo Editing Workshops, where he will teach photo-editing techniques, apps, tricks and styles, and a variety of editing tips will be demonstrated on tablets and smartphones, 3)Blogging and Social Networking,
where there will be a community workshop photoblog and website for the project, 4) Group exhibit at the Alice Austen House. Award amount: $2,000.

Lorenzo Hail: Faces
This grant will support an exhibit of 30 multimedia original works at two locations. The first part of the exhibition, "FACES" will take place at Art at Bay. Lorenzo hopes to show the community the character of faces, the play of light and shadow, and everything from the humor to the sadness of both iconic figures and faces from the community. The second part of the exhibit will be at The Universal Temple of the Arts, where he will show 10 original works based on faces and jazz featuring works that have never been shown in the community. This show will be in collaboration with the jazz festival being held at snug harbor during the month of October. Award amount: $2000.

Richard Hayes: Brochure on SI Architecture and Built Environment
Richard will create a large-format brochure on the island’s architecture and built environment. He will publish a visually engaging brochure--stylish yet accessible--which will be of interest to residents and tourists alike. Copies will be made available at the tourist information booth in the Staten Island Ferry terminal as well as at cultural destinations like Sailors’ Snug Harbor and Conference House. It will bring into focus the contemporary scene through articles on the car culture of Hylan Boulevard, the Mexican-American community of Port Richmond, “Little Sri Lanka” in Tompkinsville, and recent works of civic architecture throughout the island. Award Amount: $3000

Sheryl Humphrey: The Haunted Garden
Sheryl will write, self-publish, and promote a nonfiction book entitled "The Haunted Garden: Death and Transfiguration in the Folklore of Plants". The book is not a scientific or scholarly study, but an informal collection of plant folklore, from cultures around the world, pertaining to death and spirits. It will be illustrated with copyright-free antique woodcuts and engravings. Once the book is published, she will give a reading from the book accompanied by a visual presentation at the Every Thing Goes Book Cafe. Award Amount: $2000

Yuki Koike: Duo Nanashi Concerts
Duo Nanashi was formed with the intent of performing music of many different traditions, especially Western Classical, jazz and traditional Japanese styles. This current project's aim is to present a concert that balances 19th century works for flute and guitar with freely improvised and composed original pieces influenced by, amongst others, Debussy, Toru Takemitsu, and Morton Feldman. Award Amount: $1502

David Loncle: Student Art Exhibit and Lecture
David will have an exhibit of his work at the Art Lab gallery, where he experiments with large scale canvases that he has previously used. He will experiment on unconventional ways to display his work, including different forms of framing and lighting. He will also present a lecture at the gallery space for art students and artists to discuss his experiences in art school, and convey what students might expect if they are planning on devoting their time to artistic discipline in the contemporary art world. Award Amount: $2000

Diane Matyas: LOSS, a Book for Grieving Children
The book LOSS is a new children’s book and website project created for children and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Written and illustrated by artist/author Diane Matyas and writer H.P. McKean (Patricia Murphy).The simple prose and delicate drawings of LOSS create an intimate, yet universal, discussion about death–still a taboo subject for many–using honesty and expressive imagery. The book addresses the needs and fears of children who are dealing with death, and the awkward moments, self doubt, and unexpected feelings people experience when bereaved. The project will culminate with a published book, website, and public reading and presentation.
Award amount: $3000

KT Pinto: At the end of the Rainbow
KT’s project is a retelling of ancient myths (some popular stories, and some not) with an LGBT component. Her inspirations for these myths are the Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, African, Celtic and the American cultures, because they all tell tales that transcend the boundaries of the nuclear family. She will write a book entitled “At the End of the Rainbow”, and will do a reading at Bent Pages. Award Amount: $1500

Florence Poulain: Deep Tanks Art Party
Deep Tanks Studio is a photography/art space located at 150 Bay street. In conjunction with Second Saturday Staten Island, a monthly open studio art walk, Deep Tanks proposes an arts block party to be held on Central Avenue, scheduled for September 8th, 2012. The event will include: artists selling original works; art fence show; stage for live music, performances and spoken word; fashion show sponsored by ETG Clothing; workshops for all ages; mural project;and recycling / green energy workshops. Award amount: $3,000.

Larissa Schiano: Conversation Pieces
Conversation Pieces: Moments in time is a debut project of Larissa’s choreography. The pieces will portray the internal and external conversations we have that are developed through life experience. She will portray these conversations through movement which allows the body to be the tool of expression; of thought, emotion, and spiritual connectedness. Each piece will portray life experiences that a person has lived through. The dances will convey celebrations in life as well as the sorrow and heartache one experiences. Award amount: $$2500

Sean Simpson: Black Saturday
Black Saturday is a short video art piece covering historical events leading up to the PS General Slocum disaster of June 15, 1904 and the direct aftermath on the local community. Through the use of live actors shot on green screen which will be composited onto 2D environment plates depicting locations of this disaster, Black Saturday will detail this disaster through direct experiences and written interviews from survivors. Award Amount: $2000

SI Multiple Sclerosis Society: Way to Watercolor
The SI Multiple Sclerosis Society will offer a watercolor painting program to their members, their families, friends, and the local community. The intention is to help stimulate an interest in painting, so that those with multiple sclerosis can go out into other artistic venues and become an integrated part of the arts community. This program will culminate in a community art show at a local venue. Award amount: $2500

Melissa West: Dance Works
Dance Works is a modern dance concert featuring the work of Staten Island-based choreographer, Melissa West. The concert program will feature five dances, all choreographed by Ms. West. In addition to each show, Ms. West will host a Question and Answer session, and will give lectures/master classes throughout the year. Award Amount: $1700

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2012 Art Fund Grantees
9 awards, total awarded: $29,639
Above: Image courtesy of Dona Kiriella, Art Fund Grantee

Irma Bohorquez-Geisler: El dia de Los Muertos
El Día de los Muertos aims to bring the growing Mexican immigrant population together, to unify the SI community, to build bridges between generations, and expose the larger Staten Island population to a traditional Mexican celebration. El Día de los Muertos is a family festival with a joyful atmosphere, celebrated with friendly dancing skeletons and sugar skulls decorated with flowers and fruits. El Día de los Muertos will feature participatory workshops in traditional Mexican crafts, the construction of two ofrendas, and a talk about the meaning of the altar, offerings displayed, and traditional music and dance performances. The program is explained in both English and Spanish. Traditional music from different regions of Mexico will be performed live. Award Amount: $5000

Laura Del Prete: Shimmer in Shadows
"Shimmer in Shadows" will be collage/assemblage art playing with light and shadow, primarily based on memories that stay with us, the visual stories music can tell us, and how often times, music can trigger memories. Del Prete will create pieces that are very small in size, challenging herself as an artist. She will also work to stimulate both positive and negative memories in people in order to create discussion. She will also have a workshop called “Tools and Glue Sticks” where participants will create a collage and learn to frame it using basic tools. Award Amount: $2500

James Indelicato: Westerleigh Folk Festival
The 5th Annual Westerleigh Folk Festival is a free all day outdoor music, art and crafts event to be held in Westerleigh Park on Saturday, September 22, 2012. The festival will feature a number of Staten Island musical artists / acts playing a broad spectrum of music including folk, blues, gospel, country and Americana. For this year’s event, they will also seek out traditional dance groups to perform as part of the day’s activities. The festival also provides space and display panels for graphic artists to display their work. And for the little ones, free children's activities are provided such as pony rides, face painting, and origami. Award Amount: $3000

Dona Kiriela: Melting Pot
The term melting pot refers to the idea that societies formed by immigrant cultures, religion, end ethnic groups, will produce new hybrid social and cultural forms. Dona’s project is about how Asian immigrant women and their rich cultures transformed into Asian Americans; through printmaking, photography, and mixed media. Comparing these cultural and traditional characters she will create 30 of these mixed-media prints. Award Amount: $1500

Jennifer Lytton: St. George Day Festival
The St. George Day Festival is a major celebration of the diverse artistic and cultural richness of the St. George neighborhood. The festival includes: all day music, dance, readings and theater performances on 3 stages; a Dragon parade featuring musicians, dancers and huge handmade puppets; a staging of our larger-than-life St. George and the Dragon puppet show written and performed by local artists; a literary fair with readings, journal workshops, bookbinding demos and a book swap; kids' activities including performances both by and for children and craft workshops led by local artists; Earth Day activities, exhibits and demonstrations; and a drum circle to which all are invited to cooperatively create a communal rhythm. Award Amount: $5000

Ann Marie McDonnell: My Favorite Things
Ann Marie will create final drawings for a sculpture called My Favorite Things. The grant will also cover the mold and bronze casting of parts of the sculpture. She will give two programs at the Richmondtown Library where they will discuss favorite things, and will make special boxes for those objects. She will also have an artist reception and artist talk,The Lost Wax Technique and the Bronzing Process. My Favorite Things will contain an opened box on a rock. There will be objects inside the box which the viewer will assume to be the favorite things of the unknown owner. The objects will be chosen for their ability to conjure memories or curiosity in the viewer. Ann Marie’s goal is to tap into memories that cross generations and create sculptures that foster dialog between several generations. Award Amount: $2539

Janice Patrignani: Shibori Sensations
The natural beauty of Staten Island’s Greenbelt will motivate a series of 5 fiber art pieces ornamented with sculpted ceramic forms. Janice will create hand painted Shibori dyed silk to showcase a kaleidoscope of nature’s patterns, shapes, colors and textures. She will also teach silk & ceramic techniques at the Stapleton Senior Center. During this series of 8 workshops the seniors will create beautiful nature inspired pieces for themselves plus components for one of her banners for display. The ornamental textiles will be exhibited at the Greenbelt Nature Center. Award Amount: $5000

Patrick Raftery: A concert for Staten Island's Children
Patrick will perform a concert for children, giving the kids of Staten Island an up-close chance to move and groove to live music. He will perform traditional children’s music but with a twist. “This Old Man” will be played in a classical soul style, while “Five Little Monkeys” will be performed as a reggae song. He will also have egg shakers on hand to get kids to interact with the music. Award Amount: $1100

Wafoo: The Music of Wafoo meets Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble
This project will be two full-scale music concerts in which Wafoo will perform original compositions and/or their own arrangements of Japanese popular songs, featuring distinctive Japanese instruments such as shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) and shamisen (Japanese three strings banjo). The project also invites three guest players from Staten Island most well known classical chamber music group, Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble (aka MCCE) to inspire the audience. The concert will have three sets, the first set by MCCE, the second set by WaFoo, and the third set by the collaboration which will be the main set of the concert. New compositions and arrangements written especially for the project will also be performed. Award amount: $4000.

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2012 Encore Grantees
9 awarded, total awards: $30,600
Above: Image courtesy of Raja Rajeswari, Encore Grantee

Century Dance Complex: From the Diary of a War Child
“From the Diary of a War Child” is a full-length dance and theater production combining traditional African and modern styles of dance and music to tell the true story of Rose Kingston. Miss. Kingston survived civil war in her home country of Liberia, escaping to a refugee camp in Ghana as a child and ultimately relocating to New York City. While “From the Diary of a War Child” depicts survival, dislocation and immigration in the context of the West African, and specifically, Liberian experience, these themes are common to the many new immigrant groups that call Staten Island home. Award amount: $5,000

Friends of Westerleigh Park: Young Artists in the Park
Young Artists in the Park will be a program occurring on 5 consecutive Tuesdays in July 2012. The program will run for 2 hours each day. The project takes place in the center of Westerleigh Park on the patio around the gazebo. Children (and sometimes adults) are provided with an easel, a palette of watercolors, brushes and a cup of water. They create pieces of art based around a theme.
Award Amount: $750

Harbor Lights Theater Company: The King and I
Rogers and Hammersteins', "The King and I", makes for a dramatic, richly textured and ultimately uplifting tale. The Harbor Lights production of "The King And I" will feature 8 Broadway veterans and 25 of Staten Islands' finest performers - adults, youth and children. This production will afford local artists and children within Staten Island the unique opportunity to work alongside professional Broadway actors under the direction of a Broadway Director and choreographer. Award Amount: $5000

Mighty String Demons: Stories without Words & Spooky Creatures in the Night
The Mighty String Demons will present two concerts on themes that relate to the venues where they will be held. The concert at the Dongan Hills Library will be titled "Stories Without Words". They will present carefully chosen pieces that should evoke a certain feeling or drama, and invite the audience to imagine what kind of story or idea the composer was trying to communicate. The concert at the Greenbelt Nature Center will occur during the weekend before Halloween. They will their violins creatively to creak, squeak, growl and screech, creating an orchestra of spooky creature sounds such as owls, crows, bats, crickets and ghosts. Award Amount: $1800

Raja Rajeswari: Natural Rhythm: Mahabharatha, The Mystical Journey
"Mahabharatha, The Mystical Journey" is revered in Indian literature as one of the greatest treatises ever written in Sanskrit. Rajeswari will shape the central theme of this vast epic into a comprehensive dance that depicts man's eternal struggle in life. She will choreograph the final battlefield scene between two warring royal factions. For the project, she will translate several verses to English and compose and record music with Indian musical and war instruments, design authentic costumes for Krishna and Arjuna for maximum visual effect, and create fliers that will be given out with the translations. The performance will take place at the Staten Island Zoo. Award Amount: $2050

Richmond Choral Society: Spring Concert
Richmond Choral Society’s 2012 Spring Concert, featuring the "Great Mass in C Minor," K. 427, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is a large-scale work requiring a double chorus. RCS Music Director, Marina Alexander, will once again bring her Arcadian Chorale from Matawan, NJ and approximately 40 musicians from Staten Island Philharmonic (SIP) to collaborate with RCS on this great work of the Classical period. Award Amount: $5000

Seaview Playwrights Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew
The project, a 1920s version of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" will be staged in June 2012 at Sea View Playwright's Theatre. This 1920s version will include period music and costumes. Their aim in producing this play is to expose the audience to classic literature. They plan on working with the English departments in high schools on Staten Island, to encourage student attendance. They hope to enlighten younger audiences on how classical pieces can be relevant today. Award Amount: $2500

Staten Island Creative Community: Art by the Ferry
Funding will go towards the continuation of "Art by the Ferry," a fun-filled weekend of art, literature, performances, crafts, and music, based at the Staten Island Ferry and surrounding area. The goal is to attract not only the Staten Island community, but tourists and passengers traveling across from Staten Island to Manhattan. Award Amount: $3500

Staten Island OutLOUD: Staten Island OutLOUD 2012
Staten Island OutLOUD strengthens community and fosters cross-cultural understanding by gathering neighbors to explore global literature aloud and share ideas. Staten Island OutlOUD will do 45+ events throughout 2012 in historic sites, galleries, libraries, parks, the SI Ferry and on SI streets. These events will include Staten Island artists and musicians. Award Amount: $5000

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2012 Original Work Grantees
4 awards, $2,500 each
Above: Image courtesy of Brendan Coyle, Original Work Grantee

Carolyn Clark: Same as You
Same As You will be a collection of fifteen essays on disability that address the subject from the author's own experience, through a number of different lenses. The essays will look at becoming disabled, creating a "normal" life in spite of disability, remaining a part of the community in spite of disability, what people with disabilities need from the community, how people with disabilities create our own community, people with disabilities helping each other, parenting with a disability, and more. She will publish the essays as a book, and create a website to promote the book and provide a place for people with and without disabilities to discuss disability issues. Project will culminate in book readings and discussions.

Brendan Coyle: The Mass of Expenditure
The project is a solo conceptual assemblage sculpture exhibition that explores and addresses themes of mass neglect, overproduction, and growing waste in proportion with a growing world population. The concepts are a critique on our level of waste production and accumulation of excess. The mass being saved from a landfill is an infinitesimal fraction of our ever increasing waste, but the intent powerfully reinforces the virtues of recycling and condemns overproduction and municipal neglect i.e. the ubiquity of polypropylene bottle caps and the excessive packaging of tea.

Kazuo Nakamura: Composition of Princess Kaguya Overture
This project is to compose a new orchestral piece inspired by the oldest extant Japanese narrative, “The Tale of Bamboo Cutter” (aka Princess Kaguya). The instrumentation will include strings (1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos and basses), winds (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons) and French Horns. The composition will then be performed by a live orchestra.

Sean Simpson: Burning Bay
Burning Bay is a series of paintings that depict maritime disasters occurring in the New York harbor throughout the development of New York City’s social and economic power in the Industrial Revolution. The paintings will use stylistic traits reminiscent of the Hudson River School, bringing into discussion those changes which these painters feared and reacted against. Burning Bay will be presented together with American Gothic (Xiamen China: Brooklyn NY) in an exhibition of 8 paintings as well as prints and photographs of archival footage documenting those historical events that have specific local significance. The exhibition will take place at the Alice Austen House Museum.

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Arts-in-Ed Grants & Award Recipients| 2012

Staten Island Foundation: Arts Investment Regrants
6 awards, $32,000 awarded

Port Richmond High School with The Staten Island Philharmonic
(Award amount: $6,000)
Professional Musicianship Intensive
In a program coordinated by The Staten Island Philharmonic, students in the string, brass, woodwind, and percussion sections of the Port Richmond music department will have 12 intensive, small group instructional sessions with experienced teaching artists/professional musicians, each of whom is an expert in one of the instrument families.

P.S. 1 with Janice Patrignani
(Award amount: $7,000)
Art Garden
Students will research the unique local flora and fauna of Staten Island, and then, with the help of teaching artist Janice Patrignani, use their newly learned skills and art techniques to depict their observations in mosaic and ceramic murals. These will become permanent installations in the school’s newly created outdoor classroom and art garden.

P.S. 3 with Sundog Theatre
(Award amount: $4,500)
The History of New York City/State
Students will learn to understand history and the events that shape today’s society through historical reenactment. Students will re-enact a different event or highlight from New York City or New York State’s history. This residency with Sundog Theatre will have a final performance for friends, family, and the community.

P.S. 31 with Emily Ellison
(Award amount: $4,500)
I Hear America Singing
“I Hear America Singing”, has teaching artist Emily Ellison employing some of America’s greatest heroes to help teach students songs and stories of pre-Colombian America, the Dutch Settlements, the underground railroad, patriots during wartime, the railroad, immigrants’ songs, peace songs, freedom songs, silly songs and classic American folk songs that educate, entertain, and inspire.

P.S. 58 & The Alice Austen House
(Award amount: $5,000)
Community through Photography: Documenting the World Around Us
Teaching artist Ann Marie McDonnell leads a literacy program for special education students where they will be introduced to photographer, Alice Austen, stage their own photographs, put together books of their writings and photographs, and visit the Alice Austen Museum.

P.S. 373 with Todd Woodard
(Award amount: $5,000)
The Works of Eric Carle
Teaching artist Todd Woodard will work with special needs students and their teachers to create a theatre piece based on the works of author Eric Carle. Students with limited verbal skills will use movement to portray characters such as animals and wind while students with more advanced verbal skills will participate in dialog. Woodard will concentrate on incorporating theatre techniques such as movement, voice projection, role-playing, and teamwork in the context of preparing for a final performance.

ABC (Arts Bring Change) Regrants: Funded by the New York State Council on the Arts

6 awards, $11,600 awarded

The Hungerford School with Carolyn Clark
(Award amount: $1,900)
The Hungerford Big Band
Students who are non-verbal adolescents will use wind instruments to perform songs that will help them build communication and community living skills, such as learning to recognize signs often found in every day life, like “EXIT,” “DANGER,” and more. Since the students are not verbal, playing instruments while learning the songs will engage them as active participants in the process, and may help them learn more effectively. The Big Band will be led by teaching artist Carolyn Clark.

P.S. 18 with Ashekia Hall-Alexander
(Award amount: $2,500)
The Art of Theatre Making
Teaching artist Ashekia Hall-Alexander will work with two 5th grade classes who will participate in a theater making and literacy project. Students will study selected works from one author and as a response to literature, will participate in a theatrical event.

P.S. 19 with the Alice Austen House
(Award amount: $2,200)
Alice Austen and Immigration: Connecting the Past to the Present through Photography
Two 5th grade classes will analyze Alice Austen’s immigration and quarantine photographs by comparing them to the photographs of social reformers, Lewis Hines and Jacob Riis and then stage their own photographs, with the help of teaching artist Ann Marie McDonnell. The project will culminate with a photography exhibition of their own photographs as well as photographs taken by Alice Austen, Lewis Hines and Jacob Riis that they will share with family and other classes.

P.S. 20 with Sarah Yuster
(Award amount: $1,500)
Immigration Nation
Teaching artist Sarah Yuster will guide students in creating a gallery of artwork, display book or mural based on their various cultures and national origins. This will be comprised of individual efforts of writing, portraits, and images related to immigration or family background.

P.S. 26 with Sundog Theatre
(Award amount: $1,500)
Masters as Mentors
This project coordinated by Sundog Theatre provides seven introductory lessons to students to learn about the life and work of four famous artists (Picasso, Van Gogh, Mondrian, and Monet). Students will learn artistic skills, enrich vocabulary, gain insight into the world of visual arts, and create their own works to be displayed in a museum-like setting

P.S. 74 with Ron Chironna
(Award amount: $2,000)
Telling Our Stories
Teaching artist Ron Chironna’s illustration project where students will use illustration to bring their standards based stories to life. Illustrated stories will be published and shared with the school and community members.

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2012 JPMorgan Chase Arts in Our Communities Grantees

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2012 JPMorgan Chase Capacity Building Grants

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