ArtsLAUNCH! Grant Competition
Research and Creative Activity are vital for the advancement of any discipline, and to encourage new and innovative ideas in the arts and arts entrepreneurship. ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University College of the Arts, in partnership with the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship and LaunchNET, established ArtsLAUNCH! in late 2021. This annual grant competition is designed to promote new art and new arts ventures that will positively impact the arts economy.
The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University. While cross-campus collaboration with disciplines that intersect with the arts are encouraged, it is not required.
Students may submit grant proposals in one of two categories to facilitate
1) the creation of new art, or
2) the creation of a new venture that will benefit some aspect of the arts economy.
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Judges
Jane Chu
Jane Chu combines her academic research and professional practice in the arts, philanthropy, and business administration. In 2014, she was appointed to serve as the eleventh chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts, completing her term in June 2018.
During Chu’s four-year tenure at the National Endowment for the Arts, Chu traveled to 50 US states and four countries, 200 communities and made more than 400 site visits to meet with artists and arts leaders, government and civic leaders, philanthropists and the general public. The NEA awarded $430 million over the four years to support the arts in 16,000 communities covering 50 states, US jurisdictions, and in every Congressional District. In 2016, the NEA was ranked number one in the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government for small agencies.
Jane Chu straddles multiple cultures, having been born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She received bachelor’s degrees in piano performance and music education from Ouachita Baptist University, as well as a master’s degree in piano pedagogy from Southern Methodist University. Additionally, Chu holds an associate degree in visual arts from Nebraska Wesleyan University, an MBA from Rockhurst University, a Ph.D. in philanthropic studies from Indiana University, and six honorary doctorate degrees.
A practicing visual artist, Chu lives in New York. Her artwork can be found at
Brian Raitman
Brian Raitman’s introduction to the world of fine art came at an early age. When he was seven, he fell so in love with a painting of a boy walking his dog on a boat dock that he threw a tantrum until his parents brought him back into the gallery weeks later to purchase it. His introduction into the business world began when he was only fifteen, as he founded a record label and brought the bands he played in and managed to international acclaim. In 2007, along with his family, Raitman founded Art on a Whim Galleries and later changed the name to Raitman Art Galleries. Raitman has become known throughout the world as a refined curator and dealer of unique, one-of-a-kind works of fine art. He has represented artists both at the beginnings of their careers and artists who are featured in esteemed museum collections throughout the world. Raitman Art Galleries represents over 40 artists through three spaces located in Breckenridge and Vail, Colorado. The galleries have grown from humble beginnings into 8,000 square feet of space and millions of dollars in art sales every year.
Ross Raitman
Ross Raitman's passion for art began in childhood, though his academic path led him to pursue architectural engineering and a master's in civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009, while completing his master's thesis, Ross moved to Breckenridge and began assisting part-time at his family's art gallery, then known as Art on a Whim. This experience reignited his love for the art world, prompting a career change to join the gallery full-time.
As the gallery gained recognition for high-quality fine art, it was rebranded as Raitman Art Galleries. The galleries have expanded from modest beginnings to encompass 8,000 square feet across three locations in Breckenridge and Vail, Colorado. Ross Raitman is now internationally recognized as a discerning curator, dealer and installer of exceptional fine art, representing artists from emerging talents to those featured in prestigious museums and private collections worldwide.
Announcement of Winners
ArtsLAUNCH! finalists will be notified by October 1, 2025, and their video proposals will be displayed throughout the day at the Art Without Limits event on October 8, 2025. Winners will be announced between 1:00 and 1:05 p.m. in the University Auditorium at Cartwright Hall during Art Without Limits.
Past Winners
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College of the Arts Announces ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Winners
The College of the Arts is thrilled to announce the winners of the ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Grant Competition, co-sponsored by the John S. And Marlene J. Brinzo Center For Entrepreneurship and LaunchNET ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì
The competition was open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University. Applicants were asked to submit proposals in one of two categories: 1) the creation of new art demonstrating creativity and uniqueness or 2) the creation of a new art venture that would positively impact the arts economy.
Congratulations to our 2024 ArtsLAUNCH! winners Aniaya Dykes (New Art, Undergraduate) for "Strangers on Campus," Nicole Malcolm (New Art, Graduate) for "Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper," Van Weinmann (New Arts Venture, Undergraduate) for "Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art."
The proposals were judged by a panel consisting of Sarah Spinner Liska, director of the KSU Museum, Cheryl Petrovic, president and CEO, Therm-Equip and Brian and Michael Raitman, co-founders of Raitman Art Galleries.
ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Winners
Aniaya Dykes
Program of Study: Fashion Merchandising
Category: New Art, UndergraduateProject: "Strangers on Campus"
Video Submission
Nicole Malcolm
Program of Study: Print Media and Photography
Category: New Art, GraduateProject: "Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper"
Video Submission
Van Weinmann
Program of Study: Fashion Design
Category: New Arts Venture, UndergraduateProject: "Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art"
Video Submission
Congratulations to All Our ArtsLAUNCH! 2024 Finalists
New Art Category, Undergraduate Level
Aniaya Dykes, Strangers on Campus
Max Loudenslager, Iris: A Series of Fashion Photographs
New Art Category, Graduate Level
Nicole Malcolm, Possibilities/Posibildades: Bridging Print and Paper
New Arts Venture Category, Undergraduate Level
Charlie Davis, The Reed Baron
Van Weinmann, Beautifying Kent: Engaging the Community to Create Public Art