Faculty members in the College of Arts + Architecture are among the winners of the inaugural “Celebrate Charlotte Arts” grants given by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The 12 grants, totaling $200,000, are designated to “fund art that captures the spirit of Charlotte.” They were announced September 19.
Assistant Professor of Theatre CarlosAlexis Cruz and his urban circus project, Nouveau Sud, will receive $25,000 for “La Bestia,” a contemporary circus take on the Central American immigrant journey to the U.S.
Assistant Professor of Architecture Dimitris Papanikolaou will receive $23,080 for his Urban Synergetics Lab project, “Charlotte Breaths,” an interactive public art installation of wirelessly-networked inflatables placed at sites around Charlotte that allow visitors at one site to perceive the presence of visitors at other sites, promoting a spirit of public participation.
Assistant Professor of Music Jessica Lindsey, a clarinetist, is a member of an eight-person collaborative that will receive $3,500 for “The Land of Nod,” a dance theater work that uses Shaker-inspired music and choreography to explore the story of Cain and Abel. Music alumnus Troy Conn, guitarist, is also a member of this group, which is led by Queens University of Charlotte professor Eric Mullis.
All funded projects will be presented in part or in whole during the spring 2020 BOOM festival. For more information, please see this article in The Charlotte Observer.
Pictured: courtesy of Urban Synergistics Lab