Congratulations to KALEID Gallery artist Shannon Amidon on her Arts Council Artist Fellowship Grant Award!

Arts Council Silicon Valley today announced the five recipients of Artist Fellowship Grants for their ground-breaking contributions to the arts in Santa Clara County. This year’s recipients are: Shannon Amidon, San Jose, (Photography); Terry Berlier, La Honda, (Sculpture); David Perez, Campbell, (Spoken Word); PJ Hirabayashi, San Jose, (Music Performance); and, Karen Gabay, San Jose, (Choreography).

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary of recognizing local professional artists, the Arts Council annually awards Artist Fellowships to exceptional artists to enable them to continue to pursue their creative work. Fellowships of $4,000 each are awarded in up to six artistic categories. Artists were selected by experienced judges based upon the artistic quality and originality of work, community impact during the past three years within Santa Clara County, and professional development by demonstrating continued exploration of their art form. Arts Council Silicon Valley is the only funding agency south of San Francisco that awards artists unrestricted grants for career accomplishments.

“As the Artist Fellowship Program observes its 20th anniversary, we are proud to once again recognize outstanding artists who consistently strive to push the boundaries of artistic excellence in their creative pursuits,” said Nancy Glaze, Interim Executive Director, Arts Council Silicon Valley. “This year’s 2011 Artist Fellowship grantees exemplify the highest standards of this program and we are honored to help support their creative journeys.”

Read the full press release here.