Arts First grants are announced by OFA

The Office for the Arts (OFA) has announced its support of 19 student arts projects taking place during Arts First weekend (May 2-5). Sponsored by the OFA grants program and selected by the Council on the Arts, the projects range from music and the visual arts to theater and the cultural arts. The Council on the Arts, a committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, responded favorably to 78 percent of the grant requests. Council members include Robert J. Kiely (chair), Elizabeth Bergmann, S. Allen Counter, Deborah Foster, Jorie Graham, Christopher Killip, H. Peik Larsen, Cathleen McCormick, Jack Megan, Robert J. Orchard, Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Marcus Stern, and John Stewart.

The Office for the Arts, which administers the grants, will also offer grants for projects to take place during fall semester 2002. The deadline for OFA grant applications is Wednesday, April 24. Grant applications are available at the Office for the Arts, 74 Mt. Auburn St., or online at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ofa. For more information, call (617) 495-8676.

The spring 2002 grants for dance

Arts First Dance Festival 2002, Maya Horii ’02: $750 Kahn Grant for the annual Arts First Dance Festival, which brings together many of the Harvard dance groups, both undergraduate and graduate, in a performance at Lowell Hall.

Crimson Dance Team, festival performance, Maya Horii ’02: $360 Kahn Grant for the Crimson Dance Team’s presentation of three pieces incorporating elements of jazz, funk, gymnastics, and ballet at the Arts First Dance Festival.

Harvard Ballroom Dance Club, Harvard Ballroom at Arts First 2002, Emily Wilcox ’03: $500 Kahn Grant for Arts First and the Harvard Ballroom Spring Recital. Both projects will feature student-choreographed pieces featuring Latin American, modern European, and American ballroom dance styles.

The spring 2002 grants for literature

Harvard Advocate, Harvard Advocate Readings at Arts First 2002, Min Lieskovsky ’03: $100 Linker Grant to produce a series of public readings of recent works by undergraduates and professional writers.

The spring 2002 multidisciplinary grants

Harvard-Radcliffe Contemporary Music Ensemble, “A Wild Rumpus,” Lembit Beecher ’02: $175 Linker Grant for a multimedia event combining children’s stories, music, and dance.

“Hamlet,” Daniel Sussner GSAS: $500 Timothy S. Mayer Grant for a modern-day multimedia installation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” combining both video and live performance with interactive elements featuring Harvard undergraduates in the cast and crew.

“Information for Foreigners,” Jesse Green ’02: $400 Timothy S. Mayer Grant for a multimedia production of the Griselda Gamabro play including computers and television screens.

“Untied Up,” Miriam Asnes ’01: $800 Linker Grant for an original collaboration including choreography, musical composition, and written text created by students under the guidance of dance program director Elizabeth Bergman.

The spring 2002 music grants

The Harvard Din & Tonics, Arts First concert, Dan Poston ’03: $250 for a concert featuring the Din & Tonics, the Krokodiloes, and Yale’s Whiffenpoofs.

Fallen Angels performance, Sara Lowe ’03: $100 Kahn Grant for a performance by the Fallen Angels, the newest all-female a capella group on campus.

Harvard Pops Orchestra, Gershwin’s “Second Piano Rhapsody,” Keith Goodman ’02: $275 for an Arts First performance by the Harvard Pops Orchestra with Jason Lee Keenan ’02 on piano.

Brattle Street Chamber Players, Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings,” Eric Wong ’02: $275 OFA grant for the Brattle Street Chamber Players’ performance.

Adams House Drama Society, “Evening of Farce: ‘The Brazilian’ and ‘A Slap in the Farce,’” Nicole Ruiz ’02: $350 Cobey Grant to support the second year of the Adams House Drama Society’s “Evening of Farce,” featuring two 19th century farces — “The Brazilian” and “A Slap in the Farce,” as adapted by Norman Shapiro.

Immediate Gratification Players (IGP), IGP’s dinner party, Evan Macosko ’03: $300 Linker Grant for an exploration of improvisational comedy depicting a dinner party to be staged in a Harvard dining hall during Arts First weekend.

Hyperion Shakespeare Co., “Macbeth,” Deena Chalabi ’03: $500 Timothy S. Mayer Grant for a production of “Macbeth” in the courtyard of Hilles Library.

The spring 2002 grant for traditional cultural arts

Harvard-Radcliffe Chado Society, “Chado: Japanese Tea Ceremony,” Eleanore Chadderdon ’03: $50 Kahn Grant in support of a public performance of the Urasenke style Japanese tea ceremony planned for Arts First weekend. Demonstrations will run every half-hour and include a narrator to explain the history and significance of the tea ceremony to viewing members.

Chunsa Dance Troupe, outdoor performance of traditional Korean dances, Jennifer Seo ’03: $200 Kahn Grant for the performance of traditional Korean dances on the outdoor stage during Arts First weekend. Performance to include a fan dance, a royal crown dance, and a collaborative fan dance piece with the Han Ma-Eum Korean Drum Troupe.

The spring 2002 grant for visual arts

Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel Arts Committee, “Beginnings: From the Creation to the Created,” Leah Kaplan ’02: $150 Kahn grant for an exhibition of student works exploring the theme of beginnings to celebrate Arts First weekend and the inauguration of the Hillel’s new gallery space.

“Show Hard,” Julie Wecsler ’02: $100 Linker grant to produce a multimedia art show addressing the issue of confrontation in media including sculpture, photography, and video animation. Artists invited to participate include Visual and Environmental Studies concentrators, as well as members of the Harvard Photography Journal and the Harvard Advocate.