The Essex County Arts Council is pleased to announce that eight North Country artists have received ECAC’s newly rebranded Sunburst Awards for individual artists.  The Sunburst micro-grants will help these artists to realize a project that will advance their career.  Artists were chosen by an independent panel of art enthusiasts, and will each receive a grant of $500 in support of their projects.

Rebecca Kelly, ECAC President, commented: “We are proud to support our community artists and pleased to invest in their creative journeys.”

This year’s Sunburst Award recipients applied for funding to support a wide range of artistic genres, including writing, photography, musical workshops and performances, comic book design, watercolors, print-making and illustration. In the coming year, you will see/hear performances and exhibits throughout Essex County that feature our Sunburst Awards recipients.

ECAC 2022 Sunburst Award recipients include:

Stephen DiCerbo, North Hudson
Heidi Gero, Au Sable Forks
Heather Loase, Lake Placid
Lauren McGovern, Wilmington
Sean Platt, Lake Placid
Matthew Pray, Keeseville
Kathleen Recchia, Saranac Lake
Lawrence Vanderburgh, Schroon Lake

Crear Farm by Lawrence Vanderburgh. Photo courtesy of the Essex County Arts Council.

Luna moth by Stephen DiCerbo. Photo courtesy of the Essex County Arts Council.

The Sunburst Awards are made possible with funds from the Stewart’s Foundation. The Essex County Arts Council also expressed thanks to the Cloudsplitter Foundation for their support of the Sunburst Awards.

Essex County Arts Council’s mission is to promote and advocate for a community rich in arts and culture.

For more information, please visit: https://www.essexcountyarts.org/