City of Cleveland announces Transformative Art Fund Awardees
After a little more than three months of deliberation, the City of Cleveland announced winners of Transformative Art Fund grants–seven awards ranging from $312,000 to $482,000, which together at nearly $3 million represent one of the city’s largest-ever investments directly into the local arts community.
Money for the grants came from the City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan funds from the Biden-Harris Administration. More than 560 people registered to participate in information sessions when the grants opportunity was announced in January. After a two-month application period with a March 30 deadline, the city had recieved more than 100 applications. Because it was a City-of-Cleveland program, applicants were required to have a lead artist living in the city, and both an institutional partner and the project located there.
“As the chair of the Health, Human Services & the Arts Committee – and also an artist myself – I am proud of the collective vision that brought this piece of legislation to life,” stated Councilman Kevin Conwell. “This is a dream come true for the City of Cleveland that celebrates so many forms of art within our neighborhoods.”
The City partnered with Assembly for the Arts, and with LAND Studio as technical consultants in the program.
“We are grateful to our partners at Assembly for the Arts,” added Rhonda K. Brown, Senior Strategist of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy for the City. “Without their partnership as a technical assistance partner we would not have been able to develop an artist-forward process.”
Gina Washington, artist, gallery owner, Transformative Art Fund committee member, and a member of CAN Journal’s board of directors said, “This process has taught our team two things: We have only scratched the surface of possibility with this fund. We need more money to set the stage afire. We also discovered the wealth of creativity from artists in Cleveland, and we need to protect their ideas but give them space and support to bring their visions to life.”
MEET THE AWARDEES
The following seven projects have received initial notifications of funding that are contingent upon execution of final grant agreements.
9314 Sophia Ave: A Choreographed Deconstruction and Performed Maintenance of the Built Environment
Lead Artist: Malena Grigoli
Institutional Partner: Redhouse studio
Neighborhood(s): Woodhill
Medium(s): Architecture Artist + Design Project Recycling a House
Funding Amount: $364,000
Portals of Knowing
Lead Artist: LaTecia Delores Wilson Stone
Institutional Partner: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
Neighborhood(s): Central
Medium(s): Immersive Theater
Funding Amount: $312,185
For Those Who Call Here Home: Transforming Asia Town with an Outdoor Community Space—
Lead Artist: Jordan Wong
Institutional Partner: The Sculpture Center
Neighborhood(s): St. Clair/Superior
Medium(s): Place-Making – Fabricated Installations and Sculpture
Funding Amount: $449,750
Storer Ave. Phoenix Project: Murals to Uplift the Human Spirit
Lead Artist: Ariel Vergez
Institutional Partner: Metro West Community Development Organization
Neighborhood(s): Clark-Fulton
Medium(s): Artist Renaissance – Live Garden, Murals and Handmade Sculptures
Funding Amount: $393,700
All My Babies Birthing the Afrofuture
Lead Artist: Jameelah Rahman
Institutional Partner: Cleveland Clinic—Langston Hughes Center
Neighborhood(s): Fairfax
Medium(s): Immersive Interdisciplinary Arts Experiences
Funding Amount: $482,125
IMPART216: Breathing Creativity into Community
Lead Artist: Robin Robinson
Institutional Partner: Ingenuity
Neighborhoods: Mt. Pleasant, Glennville, Cudell, Clark-Fulton, Woodhill, and Central
Medium(s): Mural Making and Breath Work
Funding Amount: $393,397
For Art’s Sake® – Empowering Diverse Creatives, Our City & the Youth
Lead Artist: Kumar Arora
Institutional Partner: Campus District
Neighborhoods: Hough, Campus District, Downtown, University Circle
Medium(s): Festivals & Activations Music, Visual Art, Fashion, Commerce
Funding Amount: $465,343
Grantees will provide quarterly progress reports once work is underway.
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