Micro-support grants awarded to 12 Indiana artists
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The Indiana Arts Commission has awarded micro-support grants to 12 Hoosier artists through its Work In Progress Exchange Labs program.
The initiative provides up to $1,000 to support a current project connected to Exchange Lab discussions, topics or an artist’s individual practice.
The Work In Progress Exchange Labs are in-person meetings for artists of all disciplines to “gather to discuss topics of interest pertaining to creatives such as the status of current projects and their creative practices and careers.”
Artists who participate in at least one meeting are eligible to apply for a micro-support grant.
The grant recipients are:
- Aaron Nicholson, Delaware County – Iron sculptor Aaron Nicholson will hold an Iron Pour at Muncie’s Fire Up Downtown event in August. He is also leading a project to create 20 sculptural manhole covers for downtown Muncie, inviting community participation through workshops where the public can design mini-covers. Work In Progress Micro-Support Grant funds will cover the sand molds for these designs. Nicholson will pour the mini covers during the event and return them to participants.
- Carl James Johnson, Putnam County – With grant funds secured, the artist set out to buy essential equipment and materials for their jewelry-making project. This new equipment would allow them to create three unique rings using different finishing techniques, fostering their growth and productivity.
- Connie Wagner, Putnam County – The artist will use grant funds to attend “The Architecture of Light” Watercolor Workshop with Artist Thomas Schaller, AWS, NWS, TWSA organized by the Watercolor Society of Indiana. She will leave the workshop with three strong paintings that she can submit to juried exhibitions in Putnam County and nearby areas during the 2025–26 show season. Through her experience with the Watercolor Society of Indiana, she has learned to treat exhibitions like assignments by planning ahead and preparing her work. She knows that jurors look for both technical skill and compelling stories in the artwork.
- Jennifer Johnson, Putnam County – The grant will allow the artist to explore the unique properties of these yarns for her third-year assignments and support a significant final project for her master weaver certification. Additionally, this study would enhance her students’ learning and enable her to introduce new weaving classes and workshops based on her findings.
- Zach Evans, Vanderburgh County – The artist will record an EP blending American folk, rock, hip-hop, and electronic styles, influenced by blues and bluegrass, to be released by December 2025. The project will combine digital and analog techniques and will be available on streaming platforms, CDs, and cassette tapes.
- Katie Wood, Putnam County – The WIP Grant would enable the purchase of a Quick Form Press from PotterUSA, an all-in-one tool for shaping metal. The goal is to create eyeglass frames from an heirloom platter, using thin, concave metal to securely hold the lenses. Despite attempts to create this curvature by hand, a smooth curve has not been achieved. With the Quick Form Press, consistent concave shapes needed for the frames can be created.
- Laura Foster Nicholson, Posey County – This proposal aims to use traditional tapestry weaving to address contemporary themes. Funding will support materials and exhibition costs. The current piece is titled “Watching Grass Grow,” where long blades of green grass are weaved in a slow, repetitive way. The next piece created will be “Sticks and Stones,” inspired by the saying that “names will never hurt me.”
- Lavinia Hale, Putnam County – Hale will attend an artist-in-residence experience with an adventure running company to document scenic vistas. The artist will create gouache and oil paintings while joining the runs. This collaboration will produce artwork for promotion and enhance the artist’s own portfolio, attracting new audiences of plein air artists.
- Mary Ann Michna, Posey County – The grant funds will be used to create new works for the September 2025 exhibition of the New Harmony Artists Guild. Five new paintings inspired by and based on longtime resident Charlie Gaston, who has recently published an autobiography.
- Phoebe Scott, Owen County – Phoebe Scott will use grant funding to develop a new body of work that deepens her exploration of ceramic surface and figurative form. She will research mold-making techniques and glaze chemistry, shifting her practice toward ceramic-based finishes. Funds will support the purchase of materials including skin-safe molding compounds, silicone rubber, glazes, and Mason stains, resulting in sculptures that reflect technical innovation and psychological depth.
- Rachel L Curtis, Putnam County – Rachel Curtis is creating a cohesive watercolor collection of pieces that reflect her community. She plans to use grant funds for supplies and proper matting to exhibit the full complete collection.
- Rebecca Bailey, Vanderburgh County – Bailey will utilize grant funds to support beta readers and focus groups for a new book. The novel will explore themes how residents in a community support one another’s day-to-day needs using examples from Southwestern Indiana.
You can learn more about the Work In Progress Exchange Labs program by clicking here.
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