JANUARY NEWSLETTER

NEWS FROM THE FUNDERS

The Foundation provides regular, free opportunities for local nonprofits to strengthen organizational capacity through topic-focused workshops.

February 23, 2021; 10-11 am
This program is designed entirely by the audience! Participants will submit 1-2 burning questions or challenges in advance, and Jill Pfitzenmayer will cover your questions and concerns during the program. We will encourage peer-to-peer learning and may include a case study if there is time.
Audience: new and seasoned board members
Facilitator: Jill Pfitzenmayer, Vice President for Capacity Building, Rhode Island Foundation

April 1, 2021; 1-2:30 pm
This program is designed to facilitate brief connections and conversations among nonprofits seeking partners for collaboration. We’ll set up different breakout groups for shared office space, shared back office services, and other sharing opportunities. If you are looking or offering, this is a chance to meet other nonprofits.
Facilitator: Jill Pfitzenmayer, Vice President for Capacity Building, Rhode Island Foundation. For more information click here
RHODE ISLAND STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS

A request for qualifications for a new public art commission for the Garrahy Judicial Complex parking garage has been posted. Located at 1 Dorrance St., Providence, it is within the downtown historic district and adjacent to the high-visibility Providence Innovation and Design District.  

Without belying the dignity of the court, artwork that is colorful, bright, cheerful, calming and/or soothing would be appropriate. The selection panelists indicated that applicants should consider how the artwork is viewed from both inside and outside the courthouse. The Courthouse is used by approximately 3,500 people daily and has 400 employees. 

The application is free and the deadline is February 15, 2021. A public art selection panel will review the applications. The application can be found online clicking here or on CallforEntry.org

If you have questions regarding the qualifications request, contact molly.dickinson.ctr@arts.ri.gov
Public Art Online Workshops
The City of Pittsburgh’s Public Art will be hosting information sessions: 

January 28, 2021 @ 4:00 pm–February 25, 2021 @ 5:30 pm
Winter Intensive: Demystifying the Public Art Application Process (Full Series)
Zoom Video Conference. Register for all three sessions of the Winter Intensive: Demystifying the Public Art Application Process series. $12 – $20 For more information about this click here 
SouthSide Cultural Center of RI created an open air walk-thru exhibit in the Southlight building to showcase artwork created by Carlos “Mystic” Charles is a Caribbean mixed media artist and musician based in Providence, RI. Event produced by Shey 'Rí Acu' Rivera Ríos.
RHODE ISLAND COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES
Celebrate Black History Month with a Virtual Speaker Series

“THE HISTORY OF BLACK TENNIS IN RHODE ISLAND”
February 17 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Free
To learn more and register for this event click here

Despite tennis’s emphasis on singular achievement, black tennis occupied an important social and cultural space in building African American communities in Newport and Providence in the early 1900s. Black tennis clubs, along with fraternal and civic organizations, encouraged participation and arranged tournaments that reflected the politics of respectability, but also strengthened racial identity, fortified community, and showcased an innovative form of cultural and artistic expression. The program will spotlight the Old Hometown Tennis and Athletic Club, which was established in Newport in 1927 by leaders associated with all four African heritage churches, the Newport NAACP, and other civic associations. The Black tennis club hosted tournaments on backyard tennis courts as part of a broader strategy to instill “social uplift and physical culture” among the young in Newport.

“ALTHEA GIBSON AND THE HISTORY OF TENNIS AT THE SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE”
February 24 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Free
To learn more and register for this event click here

This talk will explore the gender and racial dynamics of tennis as told through the life story of Hall of Famer Althea Gibson, who broke tennis’ color barrier when she became the first African-American to compete at the U.S. National Championships. Gibson went on to win titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Nationals, and the French Nationals and be ranked world No.1. The program will highlight the resulting cultural impact of her accomplishment and of integration in tennis.
Moderated by Katrina Adams, immediate past President, Chairperson, and CEO of the United States Tennis Association.
NEWS FROM COHORT & ALUMNI
SANKOFA COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Niko Merritt holds her 2-week-old son in Sankofa Community Connection’s new location in downtown Newport. (Photo by Antonia Ayres-Brown/The Public’s Radio)

In Newport, leaders tackle the inequity of a city famous for its affluence. Interview by Antonia Ayres-Brown

NEWPORT, R.I. — To many outsiders, Newport is a pillar of American opulence. Nicknamed “America’s First Resort,” the seaside destination draws millions of visitors, who flock to the city’s cobblestone streets and colossal Gilded Age mansions. During the summer, boats pack the harbor as regattas are raced around the jagged coastline.
But many year-round residents are far removed from such luxury. Segregation, some say, was systematized in Newport through city planning, perpetuating racial and socioeconomic disparities that persist today. 

“There’s more than one Newport. And I think that’s part of Newport’s problem — that we put on a facade and a happy face,” said Niko Merritt, a decade-long resident and founder of Sankofa Community Connection, a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering Newport’s Black residents, who make up more than 7% of the city’s populationMerritt said the city can feel like an entirely different place depending on who you are and where you live. She came to this realization early on, when a salon in town turned her away, she said, telling her they couldn’t style “ethnic hair.”
Read entire article here
RIEAP INTERCULTURAL COLLABORATION SEED GRANT
The Korean American Association of Rhode Island and Teatro ECAS invite you to two nights of virtual conversations and networking.

Thursday, January 21 from 7-8 pm / Our Culture and Traditions
Thursday, January 28 from 7-8 pm / Our Community Events
To join the conversation, click on facebook, here
 
These events are supported by Rhode Island Expansion Arts Intercultural Collaboration Seed Grant, a collaboration between the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Rhode Island Foundation, and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

The Korean American Association of RI (KAARI) was founded in 1975 by a small group of dedicated Korean immigrants, who were passionate about creating a Korean-American community in RI. The purpose of KAARI is to promote friendship, welfare, and education among its members and to contribute in constructive cultural exchanges, while promoting goodwill between Koreans and Rhode Islanders. http://www.rikorean.org/

Since 1997, Teatro ECAS has worked to involve young Latinos in the arts (poetry, dance, music, and painting). This year, through ILAP Virtual, Teatro ECAS offered fun workshops that developed the creativity and confidence of students from Providence’s public schools. Support our mission to provide opportunities for personal growth and passion for the arts in the next generation of Latinos. Visit https://www.teatroecas.org

A CELEBRATION OF BLACK STORYTELLING


FUNDA MEANS -
"TO TEACH AND LEARN"
IN ZULU AND KISWAHILI
FUNDA -
OFFERS THE BEST IN
CULTURAL "EDU-TAINMENT"


Rhode Island Black Storytellers Presents

A CELEBRATION OF BLACK STORYTELLING

FUNDA MEANS "TO TEACH AND LEARN" IN ZULU AND KISWAHILI

FUNDA OFFERS THE BEST IN CULTURAL "EDU-TAINMENT"

This much anticipated and highly visible event is the flagship of RIBS programming and reaches a statewide audiences of thousands. Each January for the week of the Martin Luther King Holiday, RIBS tellers, local artists and invited national and international guests bring the best of Black Storytelling to Rhode Island and Southern New England. For an entire week, Rhode Island will experience some of the best cultural arts programming across the state for the 23rd year in a row.

The Liar's Contest is a FUNDA FEST FAVORITE!
FRIDAY, January 29th, 2021 8-10 pm
Click here for Full Festival Information.
Virtual Cultural Market
DISCOVER THE LOCAL TALENT OF RHODE ISLAND ARTISTS AND SHOP LOCAL
For more information contact: Silaphone Nhongvongsouthy serves as Program Director for Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island. As Program Director, She is a graduate of Business Administration at University of Rhode Island. Silaphone was awarded the 2019 Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities by the RI Council for the Humanities and has over 10 years of cultural programming experience. She is an alum of the RI Expansion Arts Program and has built collaborations with local, national and global cultural organizations.
Saturday, January 30, 2021, 3:00 PM  5:00 PM

We Are The Seeds has partnered with Tomaquag Museum to produce a fun year-long series of FREE monthly virtual workshops facilitated by Indigenous artists.

Through these programs, we hope to bring some joy and connection to this challenging time. Join us! All levels of experience welcome.
For more information and to register for these and other events click here
Wednesday, February 24, 2021,
6:00 PM  7:15 PM

The Literature and Culture Author Conversation series is a public discussion with authors, reflecting on indigenous life, history, literature, health and wellness, and representation. We will explore what inspired them to write, their literary interests, techniques and passions, and what they hope will be the impact of their writing. 

Join us for a discussion with Siobhan Senier as we discuss her book, Sovereignty and Sustainability: Indigenous Literary Stewardship in New England. Senier provides a thorough history of the transition for spoken to literary word in the Native communities of the Northeast and tells of how written communication impacts indigenous communities today. 
RHODE ISLAND EXPANSION ARTS PROGRAM ALUMNI
RHODE ISLAND EXPANSION ARTS PROGRAM is supported by a collaboration between Rhode Island Foundation (RIF), the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH), the Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program (RIEAP) offers funding and organizational assistance to community-based, culturally diverse arts and cultural organizations. RIEAP is committed to supporting small organizations whose programs and missions center on the cultural practices and traditions of Rhode Island’s diverse peoples. RIEAP provides the skills and tools these organizations need to grow as equal partners in the Rhode Island arts and cultural community. In seeking to build the capacity of these organizations, the RIEAP recognizes the broader role they play in strengthening their communities including cultural preservation, education, and youth development.
If you have any upcoming events in 2021 that you like to share with the
Rhode Island Expansion Arts Program and its alumni in our next newsletter
or for more information on RIEAP send an email to Elena Calderón Patiño, Director of the Community Arts Program Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Elena.patino@arts.ri.gov