Two $50,000 grants awarded to Phila. artists

Two awards of $50,000 were made to Philadelphia artists today by a Los Angeles-based arts advocacy group.

One award went to Gabriel Quinn Bauriedel, Dan Rothenberg, and Dito van Reigersberg, the artistic directors of the Pig Iron Theatre Company. The other was made to furniture designer Matthias Pliessnig.

The unrestricted fellowships were presented by United States Artists a grant-making and advocacy organization. Since launching the program in 2006, USA has bequeathed 50 fellowships a year to artists from all over the country.

USA Fellows for 2010 hail from 18 states and Puerto Rico, the organization said, and represent virtually all disciplines. In addition to the Pig Iron artistic directors and Pliessnig, one other Pennsylvania artist received an award, given out Tuesday evening at New York's Lincoln Center - actor and director Gerard Stropnicky, one of the founding members of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.