Tim Kelly
Chair, Grants & Fellowships Committee

Last March in Toronto was exciting for USITT with the opening of the World Stage Design exhibition, a record breaking Stage Expo, the extraordinary inventiveness shown in Tech Expo and many informative seminars.

The creativity didn't stop there either. The Grants & Fellowships Committee received and reviewed nine grant applications requesting funding for a wonderful variety of projects. After many e-mail discussions and then a face-to-face meeting in Toronto, the Committee recommended the Board of Directors fund four exemplary projects. The quality of the grant requests was such that the Board saw fit to allocate a total of $19,000 in funding.

Lee Boyer was awarded $1,500 to develop scenic artist techniques for touching up computer printed scenery. As computer printed scenery becomes more common, problems with large format printed images often cause unanticipated headaches. This project will evaluate materials and techniques scenic artists could use to correct printed images.

LaVahn Hoh was awarded $6,000 for his work in a digital media project on the history of the American Circus. The overall goal of this project is to promote research and education about the significant role the circus played in forming, reflecting, and influencing the growth of American society and culture.

Ron Naversen was awarded $9,000 to assist with the digital preservation of Mordecai Gorelik's papers. This project will digitally scan or photograph sketches, colored renderings, drawings, models, and scrapbooks of this Broadway designer.

Del Unruh was awarded $2,500 to assist in research he is doing on the life and career of Ming Cho Lee. His work will place Mr. Lee's career in historical perspective by focusing on his most important productions.

These awards, given in 2005, are presented on the 20th anniversary of a program which has provided financial assistance to work as diverse as research into Chinese scene design, LED lighting, Japanese cloth dyeing, a workshop in Zimbabwe, and many others. It is the mission of USITT "to actively promote the advancement of the knowledge and skills of its members," and the Grants & Fellowships Program is a clear example of how the Institute furthers that cause.

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Tim Kelly announces the $19,000 in grants which USITT awarded at Annual Conference in Toronto during March 2005.

Photo/Tom Thatcher