Awarded Development & Research Grant; Invited To Cuban Artist Exchange, & Other Amazing News
by Daric Gill
I’m incredibly enthused to announce a handful of very exciting developments. A few months ago I was graciously invited to take part in a Cuban Artist exchange. Today, I was notified that I’ve been awarded a generous Artists in the Community Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Professional Development & Research grant from the Greater Columbus Arts. This funding will aid in the travel expenses and research costs for the trip in late August. Read on for more.
Additionally, an art exhibition will be held at the Hilton Downtown Columbus in 2019, which will include work driven by the inspiration from the trip. The overall goal of these efforts is to build a friendship between these two vibrant cultures through the exchange of great story-telling. Moreover, there are also prospects of the exhibition traveling to other locations, including an international exhibition in Havana, Cuba.
As my work has developed, so too has the desire to foster intimate social connectivity through immersive story-telling. I fully expect to chronicle the vibrancy of Cuba as well as document the journey of the resulting artwork from start to finish. This documentation will be presented in tandem with the final work I will publish here on my website via process videos, photographs, and a set of narrative articles. These articles will also champion all funding, support networks, and communal partnerships that have aided in the process.
These are simply amazing opportunities! I’m tremendously grateful for such a loving and supportive group of people who have worked to make these types of ventures possible. Thank you dearly.
The Arts Council receives its funding primarily through the City of Columbus’ Hotel/Motel Bed tax. As Columbus encourages people into her city through interesting culture and attractions, a portion of the taxes garnered from the hospitality gets cycled back into that same rich culture. In this way, I’d like to thank the public most of all for your continued interest in Columbus and the arts.
We use the term “starving artist” as a playful descriptor for the career, a cheeky marketing ploy for arts events, and even in catchy brand names for arts-related businesses. Its influences are so ubiquitous that we often fail to see the phrase for exactly what it is, a harmful title that doesn’t actually jive with how we see creativity in today’s world. In this article, I will make the case that this little idea is at best a self-fulfilling goal, and at worse one of the most damaging outdated paradoxes one can wear as an artist. Read on for more.
Daric Gill 
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