SHELLEY SAVREN WINS CULTURAL FELLOWSHIP
Oxnard College English instructor Shelley Savren was named the recipient of a $5,000 Literary Artist Fellowship grant from the City of San Buenaventura's Cultural Affairs Commission on August 26.
"It's been a very good week," said Savren, whose book of poetry, The Common Fire, was just published by the Los Angeles-based Red Hen Press. Savren, who has taught at Oxnard College since 1992, is the recipient of nine California Arts Council Artist in Residence grants, two National Endowment for the Arts regional grants, and two previous artist fellowships from the City of Ventura. She also received first place in the 1994 John David Johnson Memorial Poetry Award and a nomination for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.
Ms. Savren said that the grant will make it possible for her to write poetry during an upcoming sabbatical from teaching at Oxnard College. During her sabbatical she also plans to travel to New York City and her alma mater, Central Michigan University, as part of a poetry-reading and book-signing tour that will include various college campuses.
The Ventura City Council Cultural Affairs Division awarded about $41,000 for established artists and emerging artists in the areas of literary and performing arts. Ms. Savren was one of five established artists awarded in the 2004-2005 fiscal year Cultural Funding Program. The awards were open to artists residing in the City of Ventura through a competitive process that required them to submit audio/visual samples and documentation of their professional artistic achievements.
As a faculty member, Ms. Savren is the driving force behind the Oxnard College Scholars’ Lecture series which for more than five years has offered an impressive list of lecturers, musicians and artists presenting programs each Wednesday at noon free to the college community and to the public.
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