Breanna Cooper, a junior Journalism and Film Studies double major, has been named an Arts Journalism Fellowship recipient by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Cooper will receive a $1,500 fellowship and has started work at NUVO, where she has reported on various mediums of art: visual, comedy, theater, film and music.
"I applied [for the fellowship] because I saw it as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of the Indianapolis arts scene beyond our great music, as well as a chance to work with a really great and experienced staff," said Cooper. "I've covered the Indy music scene from the time that I joined The Campus Citizen [IUPUI's independent, student-run online news publication], and I love speaking with all the local artists, venue staff and festival organizers that share their talents and passions with our city."
After applying, Cooper went through an interview process. "I was really nervous before and during the interview, and I felt both surprised and honored to be chosen to participate in the fellowship," she said. "I was really excited."
The fellowship began in August and will run through May 2018. According to the Arts Council of Indianapolis website, the Arts Journalism Fellowship Program is a partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis and media partners The Indianapolis Star (IndyStar) and NUVO to promote and increase arts coverage. The fellowship program seeks to introduce and provide students with connections, and to build relationships with professional journalists and artists in central Indiana, the site says.
The council also awarded a fellowship to Susie Schmank, who is working for IndyStar.
Cooper works at NUVO about 10 hours per week. "I work with the arts editor, Dan Grossman, very closely, and it is a balance of him assigning stories and pieces that I pitch," she said. "On Wednesdays, I am able to sit in on editors' meetings, which I enjoy very much, because it allows me to see how the staff works together to put out a weekly issue."
Cooper is also the editor of the Campus Citizen this year. "Classes, the fellowship and the Campus Citizen is definitely a difficult balancing act, at times," said Cooper. "I didn't plan it this way, but I don't have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I'm not rushing to get to class after I leave NUVO. In terms of The Citizen, every member of the editorial staff helps me greatly to keep everything straight. I'm very thankful to work with such a dedicated staff."
Are you interested in this fellowship? The 2018 fellowship term runs from August 2018 to May 2019. For more details, visit https://indyarts.org/grants/grants-for-individuals/arts-journalism-fellowship.
