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Celebrating Creativity: The 2023 Great Performances Artist Fellowship Award Winners

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CELEBRATING CREATIVITY: THE 2023 GREAT PERFORMANCES ARTIST FELLOWSHIP AWARDS WINNERS

By Great Performances

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of our 2023 Great Performances Artist Fellowship Awards.

On Tuesday, December 12, we unveiled the winners at a ceremony held at our own Mae Mae Café and Plant Shop in the Bronx. The awards, four $5,000 grants, were presented to members of our staff to help foster their artistic dreams and pursue their creative careers.

The Awardees and Their Inspiring Projects

Jonathan Lauture: Igniting Imagination Through Music

Lauture, inspired by the birth of his son and his background in music production, founded Johnny’s Way—a children’s media company. His animated YouTube series educates and entertains kids through music, and he has plans to expand the series, publish a second children’s book, and enhance the brand’s visibility.

 

Check out his first book here

 

Check out Jonny’s Way youtube channel:

Aubrey Hunt: Flight of Lessons, Self-Love, and Healing

Hunt’s project takes flight from an awe-inspiring moment during a Jazz at Lincoln Center event. Observing a flock of pigeons, he was inspired to create a book about life lessons, self-love, and healing. The grant will support collaboration with a professional writer and illustrator for digital and print publication.

Iyana Shelby: Art You Can Feel: Navigating Grief Through Multimedia

Shelby’s project, “Art You Can Feel,” emerged from the profound loss of her mother during the pandemic. It explores the tapestry of human emotions through a multimedia art display, capturing the collective journey of processing grief. The grant will cover outreach, marketing, art creation, and eventual presentation.

Amir Windley: Ties That Choke: Exploring Childhood Friendships on Film

A former aspiring actor turned director, Windley harnessed his creativity and experience for a project, “Ties That Choke,” that delves into the unbreakable bond of childhood friendships. Having won Best Director in the Film Connection program’s 48-hour film challenge, the grant will support the creation of this compelling narrative.

 

Check out some of Amir Windley’s work:

The judging panel consisted of esteemed figures from prestigious cultural entities from across New York:

 

  • Heather Lubov, executive director, City Parks Foundation
  • Viviana Bianchi, executive director, The Bronx Council of the Arts
  • Angela Vallot, consultant, Entrepreneur
  • Klaudio Rodriguez, executive director, The Bronx Museum of the Arts

The Great Performances Artist Fellowship Awards serves as a testament to GP’s enduring mission to empower individuals in the arts. We look forward to following these talented individuals as they pursue their creative dreams and seeing the impact of the grant. Our commitment to supporting the arts remains at the core of our values, echoing our roots in providing flexible, part-time employment to support people’s artistic careers.

 

For past winners, please follow the link here.