Grantmakers in the Arts

"Conventional banking hasn't worked for businesses owned by people of color. But a new network is designed to get money flowing fairly to BIPOC economies." Common Future’s CEO, Rodney Foxworth, speaks with Yes! Magazine about their strategy to disrupt traditional lending models, which are neither racially neutral nor adequate for BIPOC communities or businesses.

"After the catalyzing uprising in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, many cultural institutions have sought to represent themselves more equitably — that is to say, more diversely — to the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community at large," reports Frederica Simmons in Hyperallergic. "This pursuit of equity has fallen heavily on the shoulders of BIPOC cultural workers, as institutions rush to communicate their inclusivity to majority White audiences."

Last November, Memphis Music Initiative (MMI)’s Director of Grantmaking and Partnerships, Dr. Rychetta Watkins, attended the 2021 annual Grantmakers in the Arts Conference, which took place in the virtual world for a second year due to the ongoing pandemic. Dr. Watkins, along with MMI Executive Director Amber Hamilton, developed and hosted a panel on the topic of intermediary funders in the grantmaking space, centering the unique perspective of intermediary funders. Dr. Watkins shares a reflection following their conference session including the context in which intermediary funders operate, the benefits of this model, and the lessons traditional funders can learn from intermediaries.

"I’ve witnessed how public art can draw attention to issues of community safety, awaken empathy, mobilize a community, and even generate dialogue between people holding differing opinions," writes Mallory Rukhsana Nezam, guest editor for Issue 3 of FORWARD, focused on community safety.

"For those of us who have participated in a half-century of powerful activism by people with disabilities, a familiar slogan summarizes our call to action: Nothing about us without us." Nikki Brown-Booker writes in the Winter 2022 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Cameron Shaw, new executive director at the California African American Museum (CAAM) shares her perspective and strategy as the museum's new leader, "she is committed to creating 'a workplace that is safe and supportive where I show up with integrity, empathy, generosity, and clarity. And I’m a person in progress working toward those things.'”

A new program spearheaded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will provide guaranteed income and jobs for up to 2,700 artists living throughout New York State reports Hyperallergic. "The $125 million initiative, Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), will issue monthly, no-strings-attached payments to up to 2,400 artists with financial need over the next three years."

"As the nation recognizes Black History Month, it is an opportunity to lift up the power of the arts while celebrating the contributions of Black artists to the collective tapestry of our nation," writes National Endowment for the Arts Chair Dr. María Rosario Jackson in a statement this month following her confirmation. Jackson is the first African American and Mexican American woman to serve as chair of the NEA.