Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre’s Director of Music and Education, Brent E. Marty, has been named Creative Renewal Arts Fellow by The Arts Council of Indianapolis. Marty was awarded a $10,000 grant in the theatre arts category.
“I couldn’t be more excited, humbled, honored or proud to have been selected as a 2015-2016 Creative Renewal Fellow!” said Marty. “Beyond that, though, I am looking forward to the other end of the program when I can share and employ my experiences with the organizations I work for and with. What a great thing that the Arts Council provides this opportunity for artists in Central Indiana to strengthen their connection to their work and share that with the community at large!”
Out of more than 220 applications from professional artists and arts administrators, Marty was chosen as one of 40 recipients for the fellowship. He plans to allocate his grant money by attending the Music Professionals Directon Intensive at the Goodspeed Musical Theatre Institute in early 2016, as well as a theatre/arts tour in London later that year.
Marty has been actively involved in the Indianapolis arts community for many years working with several local organizations as a director, musical director, performer, instructor and accompanist. He has served as music director for over 75 productions throughout his career and currently serves as Director of Music and Education for Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre where he administrates all education programming and oversees all “musical” aspects of production. Local audiences may recognize Brent from onstage appearances in many productions includingHow I Learned to Drive, Die! Mommy! Die!, Miss Gulch Returns and that old chestnut, The Rocky Horror Show. Brent is a graduate of Ball State University and was the first graduate of its nationally-recognized Musical Theatre program. He frequently freelances as an audition consultant and vocal coach and recently launched a series of open-mic cabaret events in Indianapolis entitled That’s Brentertainment!
Launched in 1999 by the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship program allows artists and arts administrators the opportunity to reinvigorate their work by renewing and refreshing their creativity. Fellows are awarded a $10,000 grant that they may use toward activities they believe will refresh their creativity and recharge their work. Grants are awarded on a biennial basis and funded through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
An impartial panel of national arts professionals made fellowship recommendations to the Arts Council’s Board of Directors. They took into consideration how each proposed fellowship experience would enhance the creativity, the work of the artist or administrator, and how the fellowship would enrich the artistic and cultural community of central Indiana.
