Each year, for more than a decade, the Arts Council Silicon Valley has awarded cash grants to local artists through its Artist Fellowship Grants. Works by the seven recipients of the 2004 fellowships are on exhibit through July 25 at the Triton Museum, 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara.

Fellowships are given in two different arts categories each year. Usually one medium is selected from the visual arts category while the other category alternates between literary and performing arts disciplines. The 2004 categories were photography and poetry. Next year, the categories will be glass or ceramics and choreography.

The Arts Council's fellowships are unusual in that the money is given not to arts organizations, but to individual artists. Also unique is the fact that grants awarded to artists are "unrestricted," which means that money is not earmarked for a specific project. Artists can use the funds however they feel will best benefit their work, which could include anything from purchasing supplies to traveling for research.

Five of the 2004 fellowship winners received grants of $4,000 each, with two honorable mention winners receiving $2,000 each. Photography category recipients are Binh Tai Danh, Kathryn Dunlevie and Terri Garland. Danh has created a new photographic technique, printing images on leaves using the natural process of photosynthesis. Dunlevie creates collage-like photographs by juxtaposing images and painting over them. Garland is known for works that explore political, social and environmental issues.

Winners in the poetry category are Al Young, Robert Pesich, Sally Ashton and Kat Meads. Young's work builds on the idea of poetry as a foundation of human expression, but also as a medium that constantly reinvents itself. Pesich sometimes draws on his other job, as a scientist, for inspiration in his writing; he also serves as the poetry editor for the literary journal The Montserrat Review. Through her poems, Ashton often explores themes of heroism. She is very active in teaching poetry and hosting readings. Meads, whose work looks inward at the range of human emotions, also teaches and has coordinated a public readings program for female writers.

The artist fellowship exhibit at the Triton will include photographs and writings by all seven fellowship recipients.

The Arts Council Silicon Valley also supports many small and midsize local arts organizations through a number of grants and programs.

Admission is free. For more information, call 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.