Creative Renewal Artist Fellowship
In 1999, the Indy Arts Council, with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc., established the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship program. It was an innovative step to try to retain the city’s artistic talent, designed to nurture their creative exploration and rekindle their spirits.
Since then, the Arts Council has awarded close to $4.5 million in grants to over 500 professional artists and nonprofit arts administrators. They used the funding for travel, research, conferences, workshops, retreats, and other renewing experiences.
Eric Salazar traveled to San Antonio and La Ciudad de México for his Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship. Hoping to immerse himself in the music his Grandpa Salazar played for him as a child, connect with his heritage, and experience Día de Muertos, this trip delivered what he needed. Salazar said he has never felt more authentically connected to his Mexican heritage than when he was walking the streets of Mexico City. Seeing Latinos of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and nationalities existing together allowed him to accept himself as Latino without any hesitation or caveats.
“After Día de Muertos, I am more confident in myself than I have ever been and more assured that the life I have chosen to build for myself is the one I am meant to lead. I am renewed, and I am certain, now, that I am being exactly who I want to be–both for myself, and for the community here in Indy that I so deeply care about.”
Salazar said he was amazed by the mariachi musicians he met in both San Antonio and Mexico City, and learned a great deal from them through observation and conversation. As a classically trained musician, he primarily learns and performs music by reading sheet music. The mariachis he met learned and performed purely by ear. The pedagogical term for using your “inner ear” is called audiation. Salazar said he was absolutely floored, amazed, and enthralled by their method of performing. Witnessing this method had a profound impact–Salazar is finding himself thinking in music more and encouraging himself to read less and audiate more.
“By having both time and space, I found myself healing from trauma that I was unaware I had even experienced. I felt myself get back to a ‘ground zero’ state of mind. This brought me back to an equilibrium where I could be regulated and positioned for growth. I could then explore and grow, both artistically and on a personal level. After healing and exploring, I found myself growing into the musician I wanted to be and into the person I am meant to be. The recalibration to equilibrium and development into the future self is what renewal means to me.”