Wittenberg University

Wittenberg Professor One of Three Ceramic Artists
Selected for 2005 Ohio Arts Council Grant

Slide of one of Scott Dooley's recent works.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University Assistant Professor of Art Scott Dooley expects people to view his work with a critical eye. But some opinions simply mean more than others.

Dooley was one of 68 artists, writers, choreographers and composers from around the state ­ and the only one from Clark County ­ awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship for 2005 by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The Individual Artist Program “offers fellowships to artists of exceptional talent based on the quality of their work,” and a jury of between three and five panelists reviews slides of artwork submitted by thousands of applicants each year. It is a blind jury, meaning the panelists view the works and the artist’s statement multiple times during the judging process without any knowledge of the applicants or their backgrounds.

The director of the Ann Miller Gallery in Wittenberg’s Koch Hall, Dooley was also awarded $5,000 through the fellowship, which can be used for any artistic purpose he chooses. According to Jami Goldstein, communications manager at the Ohio Arts Council, less than 10 percent of the applicants are chosen each year for the fellowships.

“Being selected for the Individual Artist Fellowship is a great honor,” Dooley said. “Unlike many grants, this is not tied to a specific activity. I can use the grant money flexibly to aid in my artistic research and production.”

Dooley was one of three clay artists to earn the award in 2005 and just six in the crafts category. He is the fourth Wittenberg professor to earn an Individual Artist Fellowship since 1998 (when the OAC’s database starts), and it is at least the sixth time in that time frame that the university has received funding from the organization. Jody Rambo, adjunct instructor of English, Kent Dixon, professor of English, and Mimi Dixon, professor of English, have received grants through the same program, and Professor of Music Dan Kazez earned two different grants through the OAC’s International Program in the last seven years.

The Ohio Arts Council was created in 1965 to “foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage,” through various grant-funding programs and by providing services that help to enhance the growth of the arts. There are a total of seven different grant programs and a variety of service programs operated by the organization.