The idea was simple: Show a community how it can support deserving local artists without the cumbersome processes of most public and private foundation grants. As part of One Swallow Doesn’t Make a Summer, the Cook & Ruud-curated series commissioned by Art Alliance Austin, Milwaukee artist Paul Druecke cooked up “The Perfect Recipe,” in which proceeds from a bake sale held in Republic Square Park on April 23 would be allocated to three Austin artists selected by three panelists drawing from names nominated by the community. This writer was invited to participate, along with Mexic-Arte Museum Director Sylvia Orozco and Arthouse Associate Director Elizabeth Dunbar. We made our decisions over lunch on May 25 and presented the minifellowships three days later. Simple, indeed, and swift. The awards went to Co-Lab’s Sean Gaulager ($500), DiverseArts’ Harold McMillan ($300), and Sodalitas, the collective of Shea Little, Jana Swec, and Joseph Phillips ($200). Receiving honorable mentions were choreographer Ellen Bartel, Fusebox Festival guru Ron Berry, and printmaker Sam Coronado. Now, who’ll make this elegant idea an annual event?
This article appears in June 11 • 2010.