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Creative City Has Funded 46 Projects, Granting $445,000 in Allston, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, Roxbury, and South End
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[Boston, MA] The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) announces the fifth round of artist grantees for its Creative City program, which supports art projects of all genres that engage directly with Bostonians in their neighborhoods. Round five awards were made to 13 new artist projects that will take place throughout 2018 totaling $126,500.
| Project Title/Artist(s) | Genre | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|
|
Acentos espesos/Thick Accents |
Literary Arts | Jamaica Plain |
| American Dreamers Write: Reclaiming Our Stories Jennifer De Leon |
Literary Arts | Jamaica Plain |
| Breath and Balloons Chavi Bansal |
Dance/Movement | Roxbury |
| Code Listen 3.0 Shaw Pong Liu |
Music/Visual Art | Various |
| Life Lines Azia Carle |
Visual Art | Dorchester |
| Movements to Move the Marginalized from the Margins Kerry Thompson |
Dance | Roxbury |
| New Urban Monuments L'Merchie Frazier |
Visual Art | Dorchester |
| No Others Here Peter DiMuro |
Multi-Media | South End |
|
Our Land: Our Community |
Visual Art | Dorchester |
| Sweat it Out Heather Kapplow, Caitlin Foley, and Misha Rabinovich |
Visual Art | South Boston |
| Teens WRITE (Writing, Reading, and Investigating Theater Everywhere) Fabiola R. Decius |
Theater | Hyde Park/ South End |
| the SOUND Beau Kenyon |
Multi-Media | Various |
| The Way We Live Now (2018) Maia Dolphin-Krute and Jesse Erin Posner |
Multi-Media/ Theater | Fenway |
Creative City art projects extend into Boston neighborhoods featuring creative expression of many disciplines, including theater, music, dance, visual art, spoken word, and more. Programs offer a variety of opportunities for community participation, including performances, workshops, panel conversations, and interactive storytelling.
Creative City was launched in 2015 by NEFA to support individual artists to enliven neighborhoods and engage communities through socially engaged art. The grant program has awarded $445,500 to 46 projects in five rounds of applications. In addition, Creative City has also awarded $27,000 to 27 community partners ($1,000/each) to collaborate with the individual artist project (more partner applications are in process now). For grant eligibility and criteria, visit /creative-city-grant. Creative City is made possible by the Barr Foundation with additional funding from the Boston Foundation.
“Artists are important voices in community life, and it’s wonderful to recognize the imagination and vision of these creative leaders,” said Cathy Edwards, NEFA executive director. “We are proud that Creative City has supported over three dozen projects including public art installations, bilingual theater, murals, urban dance, story-telling, music composition/performance, web television series, and more--that animate neighborhoods including East Boston, South Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, Roxbury, Allston, and others.”
San San Wong, Barr Foundation’s Director of Arts & Creativity, noted that, “Creative City is supporting artists to work directly with communities. Together they are creating platforms for connection, reflection, and conversation on vital topics like immigration, religious tolerance, and gentrification. Having already reached more than half of Boston’s neighborhoods, we are excited to see this model replicated in other parts of Boston.”
Learn about previous Creative City artist grantees and community partners.
About Creative City
Creative City supports individual artists, artist collectives, and artistic collaborations in all disciplines and with roots in diverse cultures, forms, and aesthetics. Grants range from $2,500-$10,000, and an additional stipend will be available for community partners to help support presentation costs. Creative City is made possible with lead funding from the Barr Foundation with additional support from the Boston Foundation. For more information about funding priorities, eligibility, and criteria, visit www.nefa.org/creative-city-grant.
About New England Foundation for the Arts
The New England Foundation for the Arts invests in the arts to enrich communities in New England and beyond. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Visit nefa.org for more information.
About the Barr Foundation
The mission of the Barr Foundation is to invest in human, natural, and cultural potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally, and selectively engages nationally to elevate the arts for vibrant, vital, and engaged communities; to advance solutions for climate change; and to expand educational opportunity. For more information, visit www.barrfoundation.org.
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CONTACT: Ami Bennitt | 617.797.8267