College of Fine Arts and Communication Department of Theater Arts Naoko Maeshiba and Juanita Rockwell each received Ruby Artist Project Grants from the Greater Baltimore Culture Alliance (GBCA). Grants from $5,000 to $10,000 are awarded to support artists that reflect a diversity of talent and creativity for projects, including experimental film, performance, outdoor aerial theatre and puppetry.
Associate Professor and MFA Director Maeshiba was awarded a Ruby to support her solo performance project “Subject/Object” that investigates the nature of “self” through deconstruction and redefinition, with the use of video, sound, poetry and clowning as the exploration tools.
Professor Rockwell’s Ruby was awarded to support the creation of the script, lyrics and music for “A Little Patch of Ground,” a darkly comic play with songs set in the bloody aftermath of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
The GBCA established the grant program in 2013 to support the local creative community of performing visual, media and literary artists. Created with the vision and initial funding from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, the Rubys provide meaningful support directly to artists. The name was inspired in part by Ruby Lerner, the visionary founder and leader of Creative Capital in New York City.
“In this second season of the Rubys, it was exciting to see so many talented applicants while at the same time seeing the projects of earlier grantees come to fruition,” said Jeannie Howe, GBCA’s executive director. “The breadth of creativity, artistic, excellence and community engagement represented in this work is extraordinary and a true sign of the Baltimore region’s position as a cultural powerhouse. GBCA is grateful to its talented and thoughtful jurors and to the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation for their support of this program.”
