Miami University fashion student receives ArtsWave Inspire Artist Grant
Andrea Bryant becomes first fashion designer selected for ArtsWave grant
Miami University fashion student receives ArtsWave Inspire Artist Grant
Andrea Bryant, a Miami University College of Creative Arts student pursuing a BA in Art with a Fashion concentration, has received an ArtsWave Inspire Artist Grant for a fashion design project that brings history to life through wearable art.
ArtsWave’s Inspire Artist Grant program supports artists in the Greater Cincinnati region creating projects that authentically reflect the lived Black and Brown experience. The program provides funding as well as professional development opportunities designed to support artists as they develop and present their work.
For her project, Bryant partnered with the John Rankin House, a National Historic Landmark in Ripley, Ohio, with the goal of translating history into a visually compelling fashion design. Her dress draws on historical research and the significance of the Rankin House while using fashion as a medium for storytelling.
“I wanted my project to be the focal point of history displayed in a creative way I call fashion installation,” Bryant said. “I partnered with The John Rankin House to create a design that would be visually appealing and have great historical accuracy and significance.”
Bryant is also the first fashion designer to be selected for the Inspire Artist Grant program, according to Bryant.
The recognition came after persistence on Bryant’s part. She initially applied for the grant the previous year but was not selected. After seeking feedback, she refined the scope of her proposal and applied again with a stronger understanding of the program’s goals and requirements.
Her selection places her among artists working across a range of creative disciplines through the Inspire Artist Grant program, which ArtsWave established to support artistic development and strengthen the sustainability of artists advancing arts and culture in the Cincinnati region.
You can learn more about Bryant and her work on her website: DreaLabelle.com.