March 2012 Art and Change Grants Announced
The Leeway Foundation announces today $49,010 in grants to 22 women and transgender artists living in the six-county Philadelphia area (including Camden, NJ) to further their work integrating a variety of arts disciplines and social change.
The Art and Change Grant provides project-based grants of up to $2,500 to women and transgender (which includes those who identify as transsexual and genderqueer) artists who: have art and social change projects or opportunities that impact a larger group, audience or community; have financial need; and live in the Delaware Valley area. One of the more unique aspects of the Art and Change grant is its requirement for projects to be supported by a Change Partner—a person, organization, collective, or business, that supports the project in some way.
The March deadline was the first cycle for 2012. Of the 22 recipients, only eight artists previously received funding from the organization. The grants awarded went to artists working in a variety of fields including audio documentary, printmaking, traditional klezmer music, ceramic sculpture, and historical gardening.
This cycle’s grantees, selected out of 71 applications, are:
Anne-Marie Mulgrew, Multi-disciplinary, South Philadelphia, $2,200
Beth Patel, Media Arts, Walnut Hill, $2,500
Cymande M. Lewis, Performance, Germantown, $2,500
Eli J. VandenBerg, Visual Arts, South Philadelphia, $2,500
Emmett Ramstad, Visual Arts & Media Arts, West Philadelphia, $2,500
Germaine Ingram, Performance, Francisville, $2,500
Kishwer Vikaas, Media Arts, Society Hill, $2,500
Leila Ghaznavi, Performance, West Philadelphia, $2,400
Madhusmita Bora, Performance, Germantown, $2,500
Mama Kariamu, Multi-disciplinary, Glenside, $2,400
Melissa Beatriz Skolnick, Joanna Siegel, and Kate Zambon of West Philadelphia, Multi-disciplinary, $2,500
Michelle Angela Ortiz, Visual Arts & Media Arts, Bella Vista, $2,500
Nancy Lewis Shell, Crafts and Textiles & Visual Arts, Crescentville, $2,500
Sarah Mitteldorf, Performance, East Falls, $2,500
Shaily Dadiala, Performance & Folk Arts, Fishtown, $2,500
Susan Lankin-Watts, Music & Performance, Ardmore, $2,010
Syd Carpenter, Visual Arts, West Mount Airy, $2,500
Takeya Trayer, Media Arts, South Philadelphia, $2,500
Vashti DuBois, Multi-disciplinary, Germantown, $2,500
The Art and Change Grants are distributed twice per year and evaluated by an independent peer review panel. The March 2012 review panel consisted of visual artist and educator Betsy Casañas (LTA ’08), visual and media artist Caroline Savage, and writer and activist Che Gossett (ACG ’11, ’10).
Applications are made available on the Leeway website and outreach events are held throughout the year. The next Art and Change Grant deadline is August 1, 2012.
Foundation staff members are available (by appointment) to provide support to potential applicants via workshops and advisory sessions. Applications may also be obtained by calling (215) 545-4078 or emailing info@leeway.org.
Press inquiries should be directed to Maori Holmes at maori@leeway.org or Sham-e-Ali Nayeem at sham@leeway.org.
