Grants Funded

2014

Kent State University College of the Arts – Interdisciplinary Collaborative Grant – COTA Catalyst Grant – $5,500
Grant awarded to Margarita Benitez, FDM and Dr. Bjorn Lussem (Physics) supporting student involvement in both design and creation of OLED integrated fashion and accessory designs.


Liquid Crystal Fabric Postdoc Research Award – $50,000
Grant awarded to Dr. John West, Trustees Research Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Liquid Crystal Institute, in collaboration with Margarita Benitez, FDM, and Dr. Jill Kawalac, Associate Professor and Division Head, Research, Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine. Project was awarded funding for one postdoc to research the project to create of liquid crystal textiles for use in both aesthetic and functional applications. Kent State University.


The University of Akron Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center Initiative (BRIC) Research Incentive Grant 2014 – $10,000
Awarded for the project: {skin d.e.e.p} – digital ephemeral epidermal patterns by //benitez_vogl
Principle Investigator: Markus Vogl, Co-Investigator, Margarita Benitez.


The University of Akron Faculty Research Summer Fellowship – $10,000
Awarded for the project: {skin d.e.e.p} – digital ephemeral epidermal patterns  and versus 0.002 by //benitez_vogl
Principle Investigator: Markus Vogl, Co-Investigator, Margarita Benitez.


The University of Akron Myers School of Art – Folk Grant – $2,500
Awarded for the project: {skin d.e.e.p} – digital ephemeral epidermal patterns  and versus 0.002 by //benitez_vogl
Principle Investigator: Markus Vogl, Co-Investigator, Margarita Benitez.


Kent State University’s University Teaching Council Summer Teaching Development Grant – $6,500
For the course: TechStyleLAB: Digital Design and New Media in Fashion Culture


2013

Kent State University College of the Arts – Interdisciplinary Collaborative Grant – COTA Catalyst Grant – $5,500
Grant awarded to Margarita Benitez, FDM (with Co-Investigator Markus Vogl, UA) and Kim Karpanty (TD) supporting student involvement in both costume creation and performance for the project: s.a.r.a. – synesthetic augmented reality application.


The University of Akron – Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences Seed Money grant – $6,000
Grant awarded to Markus Vogl (Co-Investigator Margarita Benitez) for //benitez_vogl’s – s.a.r.a. project supporting the performances and costume creation.


Ingenuitylabs matching grant – $6,000
Ingenuityfest’s incubator grant awarded to S.A.R.A. project
//benitez_vogl collaboration with Markus Vogl, University of Akron and Kim Karpanty, Kent State University and Travesty Dance Group.


2012

NEA ARTWORKS in Design Grant for Shifting Paradigms of Identity: Creative Technology and Fashion – $35,000
Kent State University Museum. Curated by: Margarita Benitez & Noel Palomo-Lovinski. September 2013 – June 2014.
Principle Investigator: Margarita Benitez Co-investigator: Noel Palomo-Lovinski.


NEA Media in the Arts Grant for S.A.R.A.: Sensory Augmented Reality Application – $40,000
Principle Investigator: Markus Vogl. Co-investigator: Margarita Benitez.


Advanced Digital Capture Systems to Enhance Classroom Demonstration and Learning – $31,000
Development of proposal with J.R. Campbell.
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.
$31,000 asked, received 50% match


2010 – 2012

Farris Family Innovation Award 2010-2013 – $24,000 total ($8,000 a year)
OSLOOM: open source loom
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio


2011

Ingenuity Fest 2011 Artist Grant – $900
For the projects: i<3 and currents by //benitez_vogl
Ingenuity Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio


2009 – 2010

Interdisciplinary Team Teaching Grant
For the course: E-Textiles: Interactive Projects for the Jacquard Loom
(team taught with Christy Matson and awarded twice, 2009 and 2010)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois


2005

2005 Tigertail Productions Artist Access Grant – $1,000
Grant allowed the participation of a 10 day workshop at the Jacquard Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Tigertail Art, Miami, Florida


Research Culture Fund Grants – The Fashion School

2015

Smart Fabrics 2015
Hacking the TinyScreen workshop
San Francisco, California.


SXSWedu 2015
TES Global Innovation Scholar
Austin, Texas.


2014

ITAA 2014 Live Gallery Design Exhibition
s.a.r.a. – synesthetic augmented reality application + performance
open thread :: wien – dress
International Textile and Apparel Association Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina.


Digital Technologies for an Analog Praxis Panel at SECAC
Co-Chairing Panel with Markus Vogl
SECAC – Southeastern College Art Conference, Sarasota, Florida.


ISWC 2014 + Ubicomp 2014
Joint workshops and conferences: International Symposium on Wearable Computing and Ubiquitous Computing
Seattle, Washington.


Shapeshifting: A Conference on the Transformative Paradigms in Fashion and Textile Design
S.A.R.A.: synesthetic augmented reality application
Paper Presentation
AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand.


2013

2013 Fulbright Fellowship Artist-in-Residence at MuseumsQuartier | quartier21
open thread :: wien
Vienna, Austria.


Digital Fashion Conference
Open Source Tools for Artists and Designers in a Closed Source Environment
Paper presentation
London, United Kingdom.


SXSW Interactive 2013
Open Source in Collaborative Arts Praxis
Panel Picker Session Presentation
Austin, Texas.


2012

2012 ITAA Annual Conference
Balenciaga in Hawaii Competition
Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.


2012 BIFT/ITAA Joint Symposium
CODED :: FASHION
Design Research Exhibition Presentation at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and International Textile and Apparel Association
Beijing, China.


fash-uh-n tek-nol-uh-jist
New Media Caucus Artist Presentation at CAA 2012: College Art Association
Los Angeles, California.


Smart Fabrics 2012
Presenting: TechStyleLAB: Explorations with interfacing with digital fashion technologies
Miami, Florida.


2011

MCPC 2011
Mass Customization and Personalization Conference
San Francisco, California.


2010

2010 ITAA Annual Conference
Montreal, Canada.


Alternative Sources of Funding

2010

Kickstarter.com
OSLOOM: open source jacquard loom project
Crowdfunded $10,000


  • 16 Grants Funded

  • Over $200,000 Awarded

  • 2 NEA Grants

  • 15 travel grants