Community foundation launches residency program for artists Community foundation launches residency program for artists (June 22, 2005)

Three recipients, a musician, a mixed-media artist, and an award-winning photographer, will each receive $25,000 from the Peninsula Community Foundation in its new artist residency program.

Selected are musician Michael Turner, who will provide free instrumental music classes to children at the Phoenix Academy in East Palo Alto; Carla Brooke, who will create mosaic and tile art work for the garden of the Peninsula Habitat for Humanity housing complex in East Palo Alto; and Marianne Thomas who will teach digital and film photography to children at the Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club in San Mateo.

One more recipient, a performing artist, will be chosen this summer.

Each recipient will work within a six-month time frame, according to Sterling Speirn, president of the Peninsula Community Foundation.

The musician's residency will culminate with a community concert by East Palo Alto children. The artist will give art classes to 300 low-income families and hold an exhibit of their work at the end of her project. The photographer will present a community exhibit at the end of her residency.

The residency program is intended to help individual artists in the community. A study by the Urban Institute shows 78 percent of local artists work more than one job, with all artists showing a yearly gross income of less than $35,000. Sixty-three percent of the artists earn less than $7,000 a year from their art.

The artists in residence were introduced at a reception held June 6 at the Atherton home of Susan and Joel Hyatt, where each made a brief presentation.

Peninsula Community Foundation donated more than $6 million to art programs in 2004.

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