January 12, 2012 – Isabelle Jenniches and the artist collective Encyclopedia Pictura (Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch) were selected by the Foundation to receive Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship awards for 2012.
For 2013, the fellowship recipients are Ian Everard and Rocky Lewycky.
 | Pictured from left are Isabelle Jenniches, Isaiah Saxon of Encyclopedia Pictura, Lance Linares, Daren Rabinovitch and Sean Hellfritsch of Encyclopedia Pictura, Ian Everard and Rocky Lewycky. |
"At times like this, with so much economic uncertainty, it's easy to overlook the valuable role the arts play in community life," said Executive Director Lance Linares. "Our ability to award these fellowships exemplifies the vision Roy and Frances Rydell had in creating this fund to support the arts in Santa Cruz County in perpetuity," Linares said.
Seventy-nine Northern California visual arts organizations were invited to nominate Santa Cruz County artists for the fellowship awards.
Twenty-nine of the arts groups nominated 51 artists. Of those nominated, 42 submitted applications.
In November, a panel of three arts professionals came to the Foundation to review and select the 2012–2013 fellows.
They were Elizabeth Neilson Armstrong (Curator of Contemporary Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts), Elyse Gonzales (Curator of Exhibitions at the Art, Design and Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara) and Gilbert Vicario (Senior Curator at the Des Moines Art Center).
Jack Walsh is the project director, managing the fellowship program on behalf of the Foundation.
 | Andrea Borsuk (right center), Victoria May (left center), Tim Craighead (left) and Andy Ruble (right) were selected by the Foundation to receive Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship awards for 2010 and 2011.
| An exhibition of their work is currently on view (through March 18) at the Museum of Art & History @ the McPherson Center.
The artwork of past and present Rydell fellows is on view (through February 12) at the Pajaro Valley Arts Council. |
 | The fund was created by the late Roy and Frances Rydell to promote Santa Cruz County artists and arts organizations.
In 2002, local artists, arts professionals and friends of the Rydells helped the Foundation create the Rydell Fellowship Program.
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The fellowships are awarded solely on the merits of the artists' work. Each of the fellows selected to date received a $20,000 award.
Eligible artists are nominated by regional visual arts organizations and final selection made by a panel of arts professionals.
Nominees are limited to working artists, 25 years of age or older, who reside in Santa Cruz County and are not enrolled in a degree program.
Interested artists should view the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
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