Interview With Jessica Zawadowicz

June 11, 2019

We promised to share updates on the students who were awarded Corzo Fine Arts grants and we are excited to keep that promise. Meet Jessica Zawadowicz, a 2019 Fine Arts graduate, who received one of the three Fine Arts grants awarded. Jessica explains how she came to apply for this grant, what it’s allowing her to do, and her next steps.

What made you apply for the Fine Arts Grant?

I have a lot of ideas, and I have a lot of ideas that I am passionate about and want to pursue. Often I am trying to find pathways where I can facilitate and manifest my excitement. I applied for the Fine Arts Grant because it was an opportunity that offered support and to expand the beginnings of ourselves as artists and our creative careers.

How did you go about writing your proposal? Any tips?

I do my best to answer any questions as honestly and truthfully to myself as I can. Stream of consciousness is a method I use to get my intentions in writing as fluidly as possible, and then I then go back to clarify my ideas and wording.

I would suggest to be clear with yourself on your ideas and intentions, what you want your proposal to lead to and possible future images, and to full out trust yourself and be excited about your ideas.

What did this grant allow you to do?

This grant has allowed me to attend the Common Field Convening Conference in Philadelphia this past month. As stated on the conference website, this conference is an “itinerant gathering that bringing together 400+ organizers nationwide to share resources, knowledge and methods for artist-led, run, and centered projects, spaces and practices.”

During the conference, I attended various lectures, talks, and workshops hosted by different art organizers from Philly and throughout the Country (and Canada.) I was able to have insight into the current world for each art organization and their goals, intentions, issues they’ve faced, and images of how they would like their program to look going forward. It was an event to connect, learn, listen, and hear from one another coming from a common field of interest. (Pun Intended.)

Can you explain how it will affect your work as an artist?

I received funding to attend this conference as I originally proposed the creation of a larger artist collective/platform/online network that can move beyond a locked in physical location- one that can travel and reach people globally and internationally and help connections and garner awareness of the other that would be otherwise not be possible. I am interested in using creativity to establish a fabric of interweaving connections among people, in order to create new social systems that uplift and consciously support the individual and the collective. This is a larger project than the 3 months that this grant’s timeline allowed for, but attending this conference as given me new understandings of the various conversations people are having within the art collective network as well as how a conference of bringing people together was organized.

Did your goal evolve from what you originally proposed?

I believe that my originally proposed goal is a naturally ever-changing and fluid phenomenon that will take form with the new locations and people’s that I encounter throughout my life. It feels that my ideas are already beginning to change and possibly lead me in new directions to create this idea of a large artistic collective.

To stay updated on Jessica and her work, follow her on Instagram at @jdowicz_artwork