A panel of local business and community leaders have chosen 11 students from central Ohio to become the 2010 fellows in the Fellowship for Emerging Artists. This new program, which features alumni from Ohio State, Columbus College of Art and Design and one self-taught artist, is a part of the Arts Initiative program at OSU.

The year-long fellowship was designed to support visual artists, dancers, designers and musicians who have been out of college for at least two years, said Karen Bell, associate vice president for Arts Outreach at OSU.

“We heard from artists that once they graduated from college, they missed having a peer group and faculty support to discuss their work and the work of others,” Bell said. “The Fellowship for Emerging Artists provides a forum to meet other artists and engage in conversation about their work and career paths.”

The support doesn’t end there. Bell said the program also provides students with “access to information and resources as they establish a sustainable career in the arts.”

These resources include a variety of skills, which range from dealing with finances to the social inclusion. According to the program’s Web site, “Fellows will learn research and application prep techniques for grants, fellowships, scholarships and residency programs, as well as techniques to find and maintain partners in the community.”

Such help is learned through a series of workshops headed by program director Donn Vickers, according to the Web site.

In addition, Bell said students learn techniques through “reflection and a host of discussions, explorations and discoveries.”

Jenai Cutcher is an OSU alumna who has been awarded a fellowship.

“We look at everything,” Cutcher said. “The process of creating art, taking care of yourself, finances, health, time management. Anything and everything involved in composing a life as an artist.”

Cutcher says this all-encompassing approach is what she finds most helpful about the program.

Other fellows who are OSU alumni include Maggie Page, Ryan Agnew, Lisa McLymont, Stephanie Rond, Jacob Reed, Eric Rausch, Amanda Tirey Graham and Colleen Leonardi

“The most beneficial thing for me is the opportunities,” said Cutcher. “To [be able to] look holistically at my life and my work, to take everything into consideration and understand that one aspect of being an artist affects other aspects of being an artist.”

The strong business and social ties built from the fellowship will benefit the city as well.

“Our programs for emerging artists are designed to help creative, talented arts entrepreneurs compose their lives and create work in Columbus,” the Web site said. “[This contributes] to the economic vitality of Columbus as a vibrant, dynamic city.”

The fellowship is in its first year and will be an annual program.

For more information on the Fellowship for Emerging Artists and Arts Initiative, visit artsinitiative.osu.edu.