Twelve local artists will create original productions, exhibitions, and more in 2022 through a grant program funded by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) and administered by Culture Works.

The Artist Opportunity Grant program empowers Montgomery County artists to build their careers through the creation of new works and participation in professional development opportunities, such as workshops, residencies, and apprenticeships. The independent grant panel that reviews applications and makes funding recommendations awarded $34,163 to this year’s artists to support projects happening now through the end of December.

“Montgomery County is proud to support the development and growth of artists who contribute to the quality of life in our community,” said Matt Dunn, MCACD Executive Director. “These artists could live anywhere to practice their craft and create their work, yet they make the Dayton area their home and we are better because of it.”

Including this year’s grantees, the Artist Opportunity Grant program has nurtured the careers of 76 local artists and awarded over $190,000 in funding since launching in 2016. “The Dayton Region is home to a vibrant, collaborative, and generous community of artists,” said Lisa Hanson, President & CEO of Culture Works, the united arts fund and arts agency that administers the program. “Our community benefits immensely from local artists’ creativity and vision, and we’re proud to work alongside Montgomery County to invest in their continued growth.”

Many of this year’s funded projects stem from the artists’ commitment to and love for their community. D. Tristan Cupp will use the art of puppetry to create a theatrical production inspired by “The Peace of Wild Things,” a poem by Dayton Literary Peace Prize honoree Wendell Berry. Describing the intent behind the project, Cupp writes, “This production will help increase hope in our community by creating a visual opportunity for public reflection on the relationship between peace and nature.” Visual artists Sarah Maxwell and Misty Thomas-Trout create art that raises awareness of important issues and inspires viewers to action. Maxwell will complete a body of work that uses paintings of endangered animals to convey the experience of having dyslexia, while Thomas-Trout will expand the reach of her Atlas of Dayton Herald, which educates readers on the inequities that have shaped local neighborhoods.

Dayton hip-hop artist Kameron ELIJAH Seabrook, who will create an album with Billboard charting producer Tyrice Jones, summarized his artistic purpose this way: “I believe in this city, I believe in its people, and I believe in the community that raised me here. Musical expression is simply the messenger of choice.”