News in Brief

Grant Opportunities for Individual Artists

ArtsWestchester supports individual artists in Mount Vernon and Yonkers. The Mount Vernon Arts Initiative grant is open to Westchester-based individual artists for the creation of a new Mount Vernon-based work of art or a community-engagement project that will take place in Mount Vernon, such as a workshop or mural. The Yonkers Arts Initiative Grant is open to individual artists who must be based in Yonkers. Artists may apply for support for the creation of a new Yonkers-based work of art or a community-engagement project that will take place in Yonkers, such as a workshop or mural. The submission deadline for both grants is April 30 at 11:59pm. For more info, contact Lauren Brady at lbrady@artswestchester.org. For full guidelines, visit artsw.org/grants.

Clive Davis Arts Center at Bedford Playhouse

The Bedford Playhouse (BPH) recently announced that legendary music producer Clive Davis has pledged support for the capital campaign that will transform its space. His gift will establish the “Clive Davis Arts Center at Bedford Playhouse,” which will encompass all arts programming that is offered beyond film, including music, theater, art exhibits and stand-up comedy. BPH Founder John Farr says: “The Arts Center will help us to convey that we’re not just a beautifully renovated movie house, but also a vibrant cultural center.” BPH will name a forty-seat theater after the music mogul, and its exterior sign will read “Bedford Playhouse, home of the Clive Davis Arts Center.” The Playhouse plans a partial opening later this spring and a full opening projected for later this year.

Pelham Art Center Appoints Executive Director

Pelham Art Center has appointed Charlotte Mouquin for the role of its Executive Director. Her goal, according to the Center, is to “enhance community through art experiences that highlight our humanity as global citizens.” She said of her new position: “The Pelham Art Center resonates strongly with my principles about bringing art to the public, being a place to engage and educate people about art, and have diverse people and cultures coming together.” Previously, Mouquin was Director of Rush Arts Galleries at Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation for seven years. The curator and artist will succeed Lynn Honeysett, who has retired.

Library Welcomes Return of Rockwell Painting

New Rochelle Public Library (NRPL) recently welcomed home a painting by iconic American painter Norman Rockwell. Rockwell, who lived and worked in New Rochelle for 25 years, was a long-time supporter of the library. While living in the town, Rockwell was the top cover artist for Saturday Evening Post. His first two-page illustration for the national magazine was The Land of Enchantment. He donated the painting, a tribute to children’s literature, in 1934. It was on display in the library’s children’s room until 2014, when the library was under renovations and the painting was undergoing conservation treatments.

Artist Opportunities

ArtsWestchester’s “Artist Opportunities” lists working opportunities for artists that are available in the area. Below is a sampling of some of these upcoming opportunities.

• Yonkers Film Fest Submissions Submitted by: Yonkers Film Festival (YoFiFest). Accepting film submissions to be shown during this year’s festival. Receive a 20% discount with code “AW20” when using FilmFreeway. Deadline: June
• Threadworks Submitted by Blue Door Art Center. Seeking fiber art submissions from artists whose work incorporates thread, fiber, cloth and more. Deadline: June 1
• Spoken Word Entries Submitted by New Rochelle Council on the Arts and The Friends of the NRPL. The literary forum READ 650 is accepting 650-word entries for a live reading of works about “Summer Jobs.” Deadline: May 1

For more info, a full list of opportunities, and to sign up for email alerts, visit: artsw.org/artistopps.

A version of this article first appeared in the April issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.