OAC Welcomes New Members of Ohio Legislature

Todd Book (D), 89th House District, McDermott
John A. Carey Jr. (R), 17th Senate District, Wellston
Kathleen Chandler (D), 68th House District, Kent
David T. Daniels (R), 86th House District, Greenfield
Marc E. Dann (D), 32nd Senate District, Liberty Township
John Domenick (D), 96th House District, Smithfield
Clyde Evans (R), 87th House District, Rio Grande
Teresa Fedor (D), 11th Senate District, Toledo
Bob Gibbs (R), 97th House District, Lakeville
Sandra Stabile Harwood (D), 65th House District, Niles
Ray Miller (D), 15th Senate District, Columbus
Scott Oelslager (R), 51st House District, Canton
Thomas F. Patton (R), 18th House District, Strongsville
Larry Price (D), 26th House District, Columbus
Jim Raussen (R), 28th House District, Cincinnati
Timothy J. Ryan (D), 17th Congressional District, Warren
Robert Schuler (R), 7th Senate District, Cincinnati
Kirk Schuring (R), 29th Senate District, Canton
John M. Schlichter (R), 85th House District, Washington Court House
Michael J. Skindell (D), 13th House District, Lakewood
Dan Stewart (D), 25th House District, Columbus
Jimmy Stewart (R), 92nd House District, Athens
Mary Taylor (R), 43rd House District, Uniontown
Michael R. Turner (R), 3rd Congressional District, Dayton
Earl Ujvagi (D), 47th House District, Toledo
Jeff Wagner (R), 81st House District, Sycamore
Kathleen L. Walcher (R), 58th House District, Norwalk
Chris Widener (R), 84th House District, Springfield
Tyrone K. Yates (D), 33rd House District, Cincinnati

Iris Bieri, Louise Smith, Willa Davis, in the short film Gravel. Photo credit: Julia Reichert

OHIO FILM GOES TO SUNDANCE

The 2003 Sundance Film Festival will showcase some of the biggest names in independent cinema from January 16-26, in Park City, Utah. Ohio director Steven Bognar and collaborators Julia Reichert, Louise Smith, Michael King, Bruce Cromer, Ed Radtke, Iris Bieri, Latham Zearfoss and John Mays will be among them. Their film, Gravel, is one of 60 short films chosen from more than 4000 submissions for presentation to an audience of more than 20,000. An Ohio Arts Council Artists Projects grant funded the production phase of the film.

Gravel unfolds in urban Appalachian communities in Southern Ohio where economic vibrancy has come and gone, but human resilience hangs on in dogged, unassuming ways. The plot centers around a single mom with an infatuation for an ex-convict, who drags her daughter and her skateboarder friend on a road trip to meet him. The film examines the relationships among the foursome as memories of the young girl1s dead grandmother hover over the story. The film was shot on location in and around Dayton, Springfield, Yellow Springs and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. Gravel has a strong connection to landscape and place and explores how place shapes character.

Gravel joins a growing list of nationally-recognized documentaries,
shorts and feature narratives created by the filmmaking community of Dayton.

through sustained dedication to artistic excellence. The Irma Lazarus Award is presented at the discretion of the Ohio Arts Council Board.

Governor's Award Winners will receive an original work by Will Reader, an artist from Portsmouth. More information about the Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio, including a full list of past winners, is available on the Ohio Arts Council website at www.oac.state.oh.us.