Cultivating Connections: Tamarack’s Emerging Artist Fellowship

By Emma Pepper

Rosalie Haizlett and Hannah Lenhart represent the top emerging creative talent coming out of West Virginia’s communities today. Selected by a committee of creative professionals working at the top of their fields, they are the first artists to be chosen for the new Tamarack Foundation for the Arts Emerging Artist Fellowship program.

Design by Rosalie Haizlett

Haizlett is a graphic designer and illustrator who graduated from West Liberty University in December 2016, and Lenhart is a potter who will graduate from Fairmont State University in spring 2017. They are at the very beginning of their careers and looking to build their own creative businesses while living in West Virginia.

The results of the first West Virginia Creative Entrepreneur Study, featuring 500 professional, West Virginia-based artists working in a range of disciplines, were released in 2016. In response to an open-ended question about the pros and cons of working in the state, one in four artists directly stated, “West Virginia is not a good place to be a creative entrepreneur.”

From a national standpoint, arts and culture production is valued at $704.2 billion, or 4.23 percent of GDP, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is a greater contribution than the tourism, agriculture or transportation sectors.

There is significant potential with room to grow for this sector in West Virginia’s economy, and Haizlett and Lenhart are model entrepreneurs. They have creative talent and an aptitude for business success that has been endorsed by top-performing creative professionals.

However, like many entrepreneurs just starting out, Haizlett and Lenhart are in need of critical business skills and a broad professional network. Since being named fellows, the two emerging artists have had access to coaching and training in key skills for their future such as goal setting, project management, pricing, grant writing and budgeting.

“I have a better understanding of what it takes to be a successful artist in the real world outside of school,” says Lenhart. “I feel that I’ll have a running start once I graduate because I’ve been given the tools needed to survive in this market.”

Pottery by Hannah Lenhart

As part of their fellowship, Haizlett and Lenhart will engage with professional artists from across the state who will help impart the day-to-day skills needed to further their careers. Most notably, the fellows have made plans for an ambitious project for 2017. The motivation for the project is to demonstrate the pride they have for the state of West Virginia and create a way to communicate this pride that will appeal to people from their generation.

The fellows will be traveling to five regions of the state to meet with people from the arts and humanities to capture the identity and heart of West Virginia communities. The artists will create works inspired by the conversations they have. The process will be documented on the artists’ social media profiles, and the resulting 10 artworks will be presented in a joint exhibition.

“During my time as a Tamarack Foundation fellow, I’ve learned that there are way more artists and supporters of the arts in our state than I had previously thought,” says Haizlett. “This realization has encouraged me immensely. I’ve learned that we have a great network here that is just waiting to be tapped into. I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve already made, and I can’t wait to continue to get to know other inspiring creatives around the state.”

This article is part two of a three-part series. To read part one, visit www.wvexecutive.com/fostering-creativity-tamaracks-emerging-artist-fellowship/.

About the Author

Emma Pepper, a native of Charleston, WV, received her bachelor’s degree in political science from West Virginia University. She returned to her home state after building her career in Washington, D.C., and Berkeley, CA. Pepper is the program director for the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts. Prior to her work with the foundation, she worked as an arts-focused marketing and public relations professional, gallery director, creative consulting agency owner, design agency manager, freelance writer and AmeriCorps VISTA. In addition to her work at the foundation, Pepper serves on the marketing committee for Charleston Main Streets. She also pursues her own art and is a published writer and essayist.