Welcome from Karen Bell

Community. Connection. Collaboration. These values are at the core of the Arts Initiative at Ohio State. Over the summer, we saw the values converge as we introduced 20 Ohio public school teachers to the magnificent educational training programs of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK. Along with faculty from Theatre and Education, we spent a week immersed in the experiential philosophies and performance expertise of the RSC educators and actors. See how this groundbreaking program focused on ensemble/collaboration will impact 1,700 Ohio school children this year.

And it is the impact of individual artists on and in our community that we will nurture in our new Arts in the Alley and Program for Emerging Artists initiatives.

The Arts Initiative and South Campus Gateway are working together to form an arts and entertainment district in the alley at Gateway, near the OSU campus. Our goal is to provide an incubator for new work by emerging artists by establishing an arts laboratory focused on unconventional pairings and innovative exhibitions and performance work. We’re also happy to welcome the Ohio Art League and Couchfire Collective to Arts in the Alley—with their partnership, we look forward to building a dynamic arts community that enriches the cultural life of the university and Columbus community.

Coming up this fall is the launch of our new weekly radio feature produced in collaboration with WOSU. The short program featuring local emerging artists will air on WOSU’s new Capital City Radio station and be podcast on our website. More to come.

In 2010, we will embark on our Fellowship for Emerging Artists. The 12-month program for promising local visual and performing artists will offer consultation and workshops, designed to support them as they compose a life—and a career—in the arts.

Our initiatives continue to take shape and to impact the lives of teachers and school children, Ohio State students, emerging artists and our community. Check back often for updates on our activities, and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Warmly,

Karen A. Bell
Associate Vice President, The Arts Initiative