Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants, Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants, Engaging the Arts to Build Vaccine Confidence
September 15, 2021
VCA Presents: A Virtual Artist Showcase
In fall 2020, in a virtual Leadership Listening Session with performing artists from all across the Commonwealth, when asked what they needed or wanted most, artists responded with “We want to perform and connect with audiences. We want to keep our work out there, no matter what. We would love to do a virtual concert.”
That began months of planning among the VCA team and a Working Group of venue leaders and performing artists (who are part of our Performing Arts Tour Directory) to create VCA Presents: A Virtual Artist Showcase. There are three primary goals for the project:
Promote a sampling of the 60 varied and diverse performing artists and ensembles who make up the VCA’sPerforming Arts Tour Directory
Promote the many treasured venues located across the Commonwealth
Encourage citizens from across the Commonwealth to support their local artists, support their local venues and visit the rich, artistic and cultural regions across the state
The VCA's Virtual Showcase will stream over several weeks beginning in October, in conjunction with National Arts and Humanities Month! This event will mark the first time the Commission has presented artists and their work directly to the public, as we continue to provide grants for Touring Artists to perform in venues across the Commonwealth.
Get ready for an exciting launch of the performing arts season, and be introduced to performers and venues you likely never knew! COMING IN OCTOBER!!!
The arts are open for business in the Commonwealth!
Studio Two Three announced the inclusion of two pieces in the new time capsule installed in the base of the former Robert E Lee monument at Marcus-David Peters Circle.
This new time capsule, commissioned by Governor Ralph Northam’s office, includes 39 items from community members, artists, activists, educators, civic leaders and public officials from across the state of Virginia. The time capsule includes objects related to the Covid-19 crisis and the 2020 uprising to defend Black lives, an activist and community-led movement calling for the removal of Richmond’s white supremacist monuments and for broad, systemic change.
This time capsule was created in response to one made in 1887, presumably placed in the monument plinth before the sculpture was installed in 1890. Local historians have pointed to a document containing a summary of 60 items included–– many of which relate to the Confederacy or Lee himself.
"As an organization that provides a home for over 130 artists, we recognizes the powerful role that symbols play in our cultural, social and civic landscape. We are pleased to be included in this small first step and look forward to the long-haul march toward a healthy, equitable and just Richmond." - Ashley Hawkins, MPA, Executive Director, Studio Two Three
Rumors of War Wasn’t a Rumor, a collaged photographic piece by artists Marshal Turner and Jade Giddens, featuring an image artist & activist Cliff Chambliss at Marcus-David Peters Circle holding a sign that reads “Rumors of War Wasn’t a Rumor.” In June 2020, Studio Two Three partnered with the artists to produce 1,000+ risograph copies of this print to distribute to the community at large, alongside large scale banner installations at Virginia Union University, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Institute for Contemporary Art and the Valentine Museum. We also sold a limited edition of these prints, with all profits going to the artist and the Richmond Mutual Aid fund. Chambliss’ sign was purchased by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for inclusion in their permanent collection. The version of the piece included in the time capsule is a 3x4” photographic lithograph plate with an oil-based ink and sealant. This piece was made to replace what historians believe is a photograph or lithographic print of Abraham Lincoln in his casket alleged to have been included in the 1887 capsule.
The second Studio Two Three piece is a You are Not Alone risograph poster, created by the studio’s Executive Director Ashley Hawkins. These prints were distributed throughout the city during the 2020 uprisings to defend Black lives. The print included in the capsule was found on Broad Street in front of the Institute of Contemporary Art on May 30th, 2020 after a night of protests. The print was submitted by Councilwoman Katherine Jordan and her family.
NEA Announces Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants to Provide Arts Programming for Military-Connected Individuals Nationwide
Guidelines for new grant program now available
The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, is pleased to announce the launch of a new grant program as part of Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. The Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants will support arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations and family members, providing opportunities for creative expression and strengthening resilience.
Creative Forces is an NEA initiative in partnership with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs which seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. The deadline to apply for these new grants is December 15, 2021.
For the complete guidelines and to apply for a Creative Forces Community Engagement grant, visit www.maaa.org/creativeforces.
Artists in need who are practicing in the disciplines of visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, or choreography and living in the U.S., Tribal Nations, District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories who are seeking support for medical, dental or mental health-related emergency expenses: the Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent emergencies. This program, supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), is designed to serve artists in financial need who otherwise may delay critical treatment or incur substantial and perhaps overwhelming debt. The current cycle is open now through October 4 for emergencies occurring January 1, 2021 and later.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks applications from arts and culture organizations interested in improving vaccine confidence and acceptance through their chosen art form(s) in communities with low COVID vaccination rates. The CDC Foundation will provide grants up to $75,000 each to an estimated 30 organizations that have a proven track record of successfully creating impactful, educational work.
Response Due Date: Thursday, October 14, 2021 by 12:00 p.m. ET (Noon)
ICYMI: $5,000 Artist Fellowships to be Awarded in Literary Arts: Poetry
The Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) has announced the opening of its 2021-2022 Artist Fellowship program, this year highlighting Literary Arts, and most specifically, POETRY. All eligible Virginia-based poets are encouraged to apply.
Five (5) Artist Fellowships in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded by the Commission to recognize the creative merit of individual Virginia artists and to support their pursuit of artistic excellence. The application deadline is October 1, 2021, at 5 PM