2009 Leeway Transformation Awards Announced
Philadelphia—14 artists representing six counties in the Delaware Valley have been named 2009 Leeway Transformation Award recipients, the foundation announced today.
"This is the fifth cycle of the Leeway Transformation Award, and each year we continue to be amazed and inspired by the caliber of applicants who compete for this award,” says Program Director Sham-e-Ali al-Jamil. “This year's awardees are especially accomplished and committed to social change. They set a strong example for the range of the kind of work that rests at the intersection of arts, culture and social change in their communities locally and nationally.”
The Transformation Awards are granted annually to women and trans artists who have a demonstrable practice of art and social change. The 2009 awards were made to a diverse group of artists working in a wide range of disciplines including printmaking, folk art, and documentary filmmaking. The $15,000 award is unrestricted—no project is required.
The goal of Leeway's Transformation Award is to recognize women and trans artists who create art for social change that impacts a larger group, audience, or community; and have been creating art for social change for the past five years or more, indicating a long-term commitment to this work.
A national panel consisting of artists and cultural workers convened to review applications and work samples in two stages. The 2009 panel consisted of writer, curator, and multimedia artist Dara Greenwald; theater director, performer, and music producer D’Lo; vocalist and composer Imani Uzuri; dancer and choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar; and multimedia performance artist Michelle Posadas (LTA '07). Distinguished writer, singer, and organizer Adrienne Maree Brown facilitated the second stage.
The 14 Transformation Awardees, selected out of 48 finalists, are:
A. M. Weaver of West Philadelphia, Visual Arts & Literary Arts
Bahamadia of Mantua, Music & Performance
Beth of Mantua, Visual Arts
Beverly Collins-Roberts of Camden, Visual Arts & Media Arts
bex* of Nicetown, Media Arts & Visual Arts
Brenda Dixon Gottschild of Chestnut Hill, Performance & Literary Arts
Heidi Saman of Fitler Square, Media Arts
Janice “Jawara” Bishop of Wyncote, Performance & Folk Art
Jax Peters Lowell of Bella Vista, Literary Arts
Jeri Lynne Johnson of Bryn Mawr, Music
Lois Fernandez of Southwest Center City, Folk Art
Lovella Calica of West Philadelphia, Multi-disciplinary
River Huston of Bridgton Township, Performance & Literary Arts
tiona.m. of North Philadelphia, Media Arts & Visual Arts
The Leeway Foundation's grant making programs honor women and transgender artists for their ability to create social change through their artistic and cultural work. The foundation is committed to art making as an integral part of social change, movement building, and anti-oppression work where Leeway is accountable, accessible, part of, and governed by the communities Leeway's programs support.
For more a detailed list of the awardees, please contact Maori Karmael Holmes, Communications Director, at (215) 545-4078, ext. 14 or maori@leeway.org. For more info on the foundation and its grantmaking visit leeway.org.
