Arts Administration Announces

2016-17 Microgrant Recipients

The Arts Administration Program (ARAD) at Teachers College, Columbia University is pleased to announce recipients of the 2016-17 Microgrant for Student Professionalization.

Through the Microgrant Program, ARAD proudly supports student professionalization activities on campus and beyond. This award champions special projects proposed by Teachers College student groups (with ARAD student membership), as well as conference attendance for individual students in the ARAD program. Applications were invited through an open call process, and selected by ARAD faculty.

ARAD congratulates the following individuals on their 2016-17 academic year awards:

Mari Ogino graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Following graduation, she held positions at a contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles, the FIDM Museum, and the Wildwoods Foundation. Additionally, she volunteered with Oakgrove as the event and site coordinator. Mari is researching visible and invisible barriers that prevent some children from accessing arts education. She also advocates to make arts education accessible to all children. Arts accessibility is the driving force behind her decision to pursue an M.A. in Arts Administration; she wants to ensure that arts programs are fully funded and sustainable.

The ARAD Microgrant will support Mari’s attendance at the National Arts Marketing Conference in Austin, Texas. The conference will provide her with professional development and networking opportunities, as well as access to presentations and workshops on best practices in arts marketing.

Kelly Olshan graduated Valedictorian from UNC Asheville, where she received her BFA in Painting and a minor in business management As an undergraduate, she served as President of the University’s arts organization. Before enrolling in the Arts Administration program, she served as the Local Arts Advancement intern for Americans for the Arts. As both an arts administrator and practicing artist, Kelly owns and manages her own fine art business. After graduation, she is invested in establishing more fiscal and educational resources for contemporary artists.

Funding from the ARAD Microgrant will support Kelly’s participation in the Conference on Social Theory, Politics and the Arts in Montreal, Quebec. The conference convenes arts 
managers, researchers, and cultural practitioners to discuss key issues in the field. Kelly presented her ARAD thesis, After Art School: Professional Development Training in Nonprofit Organizations.

Gina Tribotti graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts (Media-Film/Video). She has worked as a stage manager, projectionist, and playwright. From 2010 to 2012, Gina served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, where she developed arts curriculum for hearing impaired children, taught participatory theater, and led development initiatives. Her current work at Sotheby’s Institute offers an opportunity to explore how markets shape the global art world. She hopes to work on implementation of site-specific and community-based projects with arts organizations throughout New York City.

The ARAD Microgrant will support Gina’s participation in the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association Annual Conference. She will be presenting a paper on the tensions of culture-led redevelopment. The conference will help her explore ways in which academic settings can help frame and develop her ideas.