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Arts & Humanities Bainbridge (AHB) is committed to nurturing our local cultural community through recognition and grants to individual artists.
Individual Artist Grants
The Individual Artist Grant likewise supports artists that live or practice on Bainbridge Island and enables them to pursue a practice that contributes to the cultural life of the community.
Amy Award for Emerging Artists
The Amy Award is presented to a young adult under the age of 35, who is or has been an island resident, has compiled a body of work in the visual or performing arts, and whose work demonstrates a sense of quality, creativity, exploration and dedication.
2021 Individual Artist Grants Winners!
Congratulations (L to R): Eileen Wold, Melody Maleitzke, Lucy Ostrander, Judith Rayl, Meg W. Hartwell, Patricia Orellana (Jury), David C. Repyak, Mary Lou Sanelli (not pictured), and Heather Griffin (not pictured)
Purpose
The Individual Artist Grant is intended to support the creation of new work by eligible artistic professionals.
Arts & Humanities Bainbridge is continuing its historical Individual Artist Grant program. In years past, AHB (then known as the Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council) supported local artistic professionals through the award of small grants. The Individual Artist Grant likewise supports artists that live or practice on Bainbridge Island and enables them to pursue a practice that contributes to the cultural life of the community.
“The Amy Award is a wonderful and giving way to bring awareness to the importance of support to the arts. I hope, as Bainbridge Island grows and grows, we will all continue to remember that we can all make a difference. I cannot thank the Anderson family, Arts & Humanities Bainbridge, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts and the Bainbridge Island community enough for their support!”
– 2012 Amy Award winner Jherek Bischoff
Amy Award
for Emerging Artists
The Amy Award is presented to a young adult under the age of 35, who is or has been an island resident, has compiled a body of work in the visual or performing arts, and whose work demonstrates a sense of quality, creativity, exploration and dedication. The Amy Award has been presented since 2001 to talented young artists who have continued to work in their chosen field including theater, dance, film, music, printmaking, jewelry making, mosaics, sculpture and photography.
The Amy Award is funded by an endowment established by David and Caren Anderson in memory of their daughter Amy. Amy Anderson was involved in the visual and performing arts and is remembered by many people today as a gifted young woman of great promise. The Amy Award is presented in her honor to provide encouragement and support to other young artists in our community.
Arts & Humanities Bainbridge manages the award program, and the honoree is chosen in alternate years by Bainbridge Performing Arts and The Art Project (formerly Bainbridge Arts & Crafts). The Amy Award winner is honored at a ceremony in late May and receives an unrestricted $4,000 cash award.
2022 Winner:
Brendan Bennett
Bainbridge Arts & Crafts and Arts & Humanities Bainbridge are delighted to announce the winner of the 2022 Amy Award for Emerging Artists; film producer, editor, and writer Brendan Bennet.
Brendan's Background
Brendan and his family arrived on Bainbridge Island when he was just three years old. After graduating from Bainbridge High School in 2016, he headed to Los Angeles to attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in their Film and Television Production Program, graduating in 2020. “I am very grateful to grow up in a place like BI and cherish every opportunity I get to come home,” he said.
His exposure to the theater and storytelling began at an early age. His mother, a theater producer, frequently took Brendan and his brother to shows, either because she was working the production, or because she felt it was something they should see. It was during those early years that he became enamored with the performing arts and began taking acting classes and working backstage. When he finally got his hands on a video camera, he started making home movies. As a high schooler, he worked at Bainbridge Performing Arts in the box office, as well as assisting to run the front of the house for Shakespeare at Bloedel Reserve. In addition, he was an assistant teacher for summer theater school classes.
Brendan’s work has screened at prestigious festivals throughout the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, France, Denmark, and Greece, by more than 11 million people online. For more information, visit his website: bennettbrendan.com.
Previous Amy Award Recipients
The Amy Award has been given annually since 2001 to an emerging artist from Bainbridge Island, under the age of 35, whose work demonstrates “a sense of quality, creativity, exploration, and dedication.” Managed by the Arts & Humanities Bainbridge, the award is funded by an endowment established by David and Caren Anderson in memory of their late daughter, Amy, who was deeply involved in the visual and performing arts. Bainbridge Arts & Crafts and Bainbridge Performing Arts select recipients in alternating years.