Hot off the Presses ~ i got my first grant!!!

This weekend I learned that I was one of the lucky artists to receive The Artist's Valentine Grant!!! This is my first grant and I am very excited!! Thank you Ben Aronson who was the juror this year, and everyone who is involved in this great program. I love the concept ~ artists supporting artists ~ below is a list of the recipients & a little information about the whole idea.
2009 Grant Recipients, juried by Ben Aronson
David Lang - Kinetic Sculpture

Virginia Fitzgerald - Sculpture
A. Laan - Photography
Laraine Armenti - Oil Painting
Judith Jaffe - Mixed Mediums
Carolyn Stock - Stained Glass
Margot Stage- Fiber

Since 1996 over $47,000 has been awarded to visual artists of every discipline: painters, fiber artists, printmakers, installation artists — the gamut. Every penny of these grants has come from the sale of artist-made valentines. All labor is volunteer, and all valentines are donated.

Proceeds from the annual Valentine sales (which have been held every Feb. for the past 13 years) are used to fund a juried grant competition for artists. Artists who have donated work to the Artist's Valentine are eligible to apply for an unrestricted grant to further their art. The awards are made through the jurying of slides or digital images (of their professional work).

Ten nationally known museum curators, gallerists, professors, working artists, and critics have served as jurors to the Artist’s Valentine, including Barbara Krakow, Nick Capasso, Pamela Clark Cochrane, Bernard Toale, Joseph Carroll and Ben Aronson, among others.