Announcing the recipients of the first phase of the
ECA ARTIST GRANTS INITIATIVE
________
Amber Black
Popup Porch Parties featuring local musicians
Audrey Hyvonen
A community-generated quilt exhibition and tour
Brandee Simone & Andrew Goulet
Variety show featuring skits, performance, and poetry by local artists
Diana Alvarez
BridgeSong Series: BIPOC Artists Manifest Futures // An artist-led virtual public convening to explore identity, culture, politics, and activism
Eric Poulin & Henry Amistadi
Photographic, oral, and social history project of Easthampton barrooms
Gail Herman
Storytelling workshop and contest
Irene I-SHEA Shaikly
“The intersections of music, culture, and survivorship through the Power of the Drum”
Jason Montgomery
A collaborative and ongoing “ekphrasis poetry project” of poetry inspired by original art
Kira Jewett
Live-streaming concert by New Leaf
Maggie Nowinski
Online exhibition of visual and literary art created during this time of pandemic
María José Giménez
Poet as Re-corder: Exploring poetry as a way to witness, record, and reconnect
Marjory Zaik
Intergenerational arts + craft kits and activities for Easthampton families
Mary Witt & Annie Patterson
Performance and community sing-alongs
Michelle Marroquin & Tony Silva
A Walk in the Orchard: a virtual performance of music and dance
Noel St. Jean
Storefront photographic exhibition of dancers interacting with Easthampton‘s public art
Rebecca Valley
Workshops in “Living Room Theatre”
Congratulations to this first round of artists! We look forward to working with you and to sharing in your art!
________
More about the Easthampton City Arts Artist Grants Initiative & How to Contribute
Easthampton City Arts (ECA) is deeply committed to our community of artists and we are actively invested in the meaning, value, and impact that arts and culture have here in Easthampton and throughout our region. For 15 years, ECA has served our community in receptive, responsive, and innovative ways and in accordance with the evolving needs of our public. Within the context of this time of pandemic, we recognize that our community of artists is more economically vulnerable than ever before and that the financial circumstances that individuals are facing are broad, complex, and diverse.
In the spirit of our ongoing commitment to our artists and our community, we are pleased to announce the Easthampton City Arts Artist Grants Initiative. This first-of-its-kind program at ECA will provide grants to individual artists in exchange for an event, workshop, or other arts-based activity that serves to engage others and inspire community. This particular approach will also serve to activate our new, shared virtual platforms during this time of social distancing with the visual arts, poetry, music, performance, and educational opportunities that we all value and appreciate so much.
ECA extends our immense gratitude to all the dedicated individuals, local businesses, and community organizations that have contributed throughout the years to creating our community of arts and culture that we all hold dear. Creating this grants program is rooted in this longstanding foundation. We see this as an opportunity for ECA to join a larger ecosystem of artist relief efforts to provide some assistance as we work together to navigate this unprecedented time. We also acknowledge Mayor Nicole LaChapelle for her leadership, guidance, and support as all of us at ECA worked to develop the ECA Artist Grants Initiative.
We Are Calling on Community to Help us give $20,000 to Local Artists
In an effort to raise additional funds toward this effort beyond the $10,000 that ECA contributed, we started a Go Fund Me page and set our goal at $5,000. We received the good news several weeks ago that River Valley Co-op is matching all funds raised through this campaign, up to $5,000.
*If we can meet our original fundraising goal, we will – all together – directly distribute $20,000 to the working artists of our community. These matching funds will extend your contributions and will increase the impact that this initiative can have.
Please consider making a contribution and/or sharing this information through your channels. Many thanks to all of you who have donated so far! And many thanks to our friends at River Valley Co-op for your ongoing generosity, partnership, and leadership!
You can also learn more about this program in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Thank you, Steve Pfarrer, for spreading the good news and for your ongoing coverage of arts, culture, and local businesses in Easthampton.
Thank you for your support!
