Ohio Arts Council Announces 2006 Ohio Heritage Fellowships Winners
by Jami Goldstein
Each year the Ohio Arts Council in partnership with the Ohio Folk Arts Network awards up to three $1,500 Ohio Heritage Fellowships to individuals/organizations whose work in the traditional and folk arts has had a significant impact on the people and communities of the state. The folk and traditional arts grow out of particular cultures and are recognized as the artistic expressions of ethnic, linguistic, occupational or regional groups. These art forms are learned through oral transmission or hands-on experience.
The Ohio Arts Council is proud to announce the 2006 Ohio Heritage Fellowships winners: Performing Arts: Ray Sponaugle, Traditional FiddlerRay Sponaugle from Newton Falls has been playing the fiddle most of his life. He plays with some of the country’s most renowned performers, and shares his gift and his love of music with school children, retirement home residents, and at open jam sessions and other community events. Sponaugle has won the Mid-American Fiddling Contest twice. Material Culture: Bob White, Stringed Instrument Builder
Bob White from Coolville is recognized as one of the finest stringed-instrument builders in the United States. He designed and created the custom-made Gibson F model mandolin. He began playing Bluegrass music as a young man and his instrument building and repair work began soon after. White’s mandolins are renowned for their structural integrity, sound and visual appearance. Community Leadership: Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society
Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society serves the large Hungarian community in Northeastern Ohio. The Society has almost 200 members and it is involved with 42 Hungarian social and cultural organizations based in and around Cleveland including cultural gardens, music and dance groups. The all-volunteer Society operates their museum and library as a historical, cultural and artistic center. They promote public appreciation of Hungarian folk and traditional arts through exhibitions, seminars, lectures, a newsletter, oral history project, and performances involving music, dance and traditional costumes. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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