UGA Arts Lab Cluster

In 2021 the University of Georgia Arts Council spearheaded a three-year initiative to enhance research, practice and community engagement in the arts.

The Arts Lab Cluster included Arts Lab Faculty Fellowships for faculty to facilitate faculty research and practice projects, and new fellowships for graduate students.

The Arts Lab Cluster also housed a community-engaged music project known as the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic, which UGA faculty, students and local Hip Hop artists together to collaborate in a series of community performances.

In addition to the Office of the Provost, the Office of Research, Graduate School, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and the Willson Center provided funding for the initiative.

 

Faculty and Graduate Fellowships

The Arts Lab Cluster grew out of the work of the 13-member Task Force on Arts Research and Practice that was convened in 2020-21 by the Arts Council and explored a range of issues with an eye toward increasing the university’s national and international reputation as a premiere institution for the creative disciplines. The task force report noted that success in research and artistic practice undergird all other aspects of program development, including recruitment, teaching and alumni engagement.

The Arts Lab initiative included Arts Lab Faculty Fellowships for teaching and performance intensive faculty in the arts who are interested in developing practice, research, and curriculum in the arts. Arts Lab Faculty Fellowships provided one course release and support funds up to $2,000. The first Arts Lab Faculty Fellowships were awarded to Marni Shindelman (Lamar Dodd School of Art) and Aruni Kashyap (English).

To recognize graduate students in the arts exhibiting extraordinary potential, a series of graduate fellowships were awarded to existing or incoming students in units represented on the Arts Council. The initial graduate fellowships were awarded to Zaira Castillo-Ramos  (MM candidate, Hugh Hodgson School of Music) and Sayantika Mandal (PhD candidate, English and creative writing).

 

Community Engagement

In coordination with the Willson Center and Ideas for Creative Exploration (now the UGA Arts Collaborative), the Arts Lab Cluster housed the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic. The community engagement project was led by Connie Frigo, then associate professor of saxophone in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, who developed it in collaboration with Athens Hip Hop artist Mariah Parker and promoter Montu Miller.