The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts has announced the recipients of $224,663 in grants that aim to advance arts and cultural activities throughout the state.
The 71 awards were made in two cycles of grants, with the next cycle opening on Feb. 1. The application period for the next cycle will open on April 1, and eligible organizations can apply for grants of up to $224,663.
“Today’s announcement by the Arts Council reminds us of our state’s national reputation as an arts and cultural destination,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. “The arts play a vital role in our lives including bringing audiences to our town and city centers, and helping to fill our restaurants and shops, educating our young people, and contributing to the health of our communities.”
The arts scene in Rhode Island is supported by a variety of programs funded by the state, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the state’s general fund. In 2023, the state invested nearly $2.8 million in grants to arts organizations and artists, supporting more than 800 arts entities.
According to a press release from the state, the grants aim to fund projects that include the creation of large-scale shadow-like silhouettes, free bi-monthly ukulele sessions, a free outdoor block party featuring traditional Korean food, costume-wearing and music performances, and a 5-week felting workshop for ages 10-12.
Some examples of this cycle’s arts grants include (In alphabetical order by town):
- Amy Lovera, Barrington, to create large-scale shadow-like silhouettes that will examine moments of family life, including the play-words of children and the daily struggles and joys of parenting.
- Jayme and Megan Hennessy, Block Island, to lead free bi-monthly ukulele sessions at the B.I. community center. The sessions will review chords and strumming patterns while playing folk and popular music. Open to all levels.
- Korean American Association of Rhode Island, Cranston, to host a free outdoor block party featuring traditional Korean food, interactive games, costume-wearing and music performances.
- Robin S. Spears Jr., Charlestown, to create, with an apprentice, traditional tools made from natural materials. This traditional artform is done by only a few local Indigenous people.
- Hollis Hickerson, East Providence, will provide a free 5-week felting workshop for ages 10-12. The mission is to instill creativity and resilience through fiber at the Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island.
- The Met East Bay (High) School, Newport, is the setting for art students to have hands-on experience in a ceramic’s studio to study the medium, create artwork and learn about clay as a career. Works will be showcased at the Newport Art Museum School and East Bay Met School.
- Newport Historical Society, Newport, to launch a 2024 exhibition illustrating the biographies of five African Americans who lived in the city between 1639 and 1842.
- Lois Harada, North Providence, to complete the final four of 10 posters inspired by Works Progress Administration (WPA) from tourist destinations to sites of Japanese American incarceration.
- Nadar Molina Figueroa, Pawtucket, a folk dancer and choreographer, to continue the artistry and preserve cultural roots of Colombian folk dancing.
- Heather McMordie, Providence, and soil scientist, Edward Landa examines long-term impacts of early 1900s mosquito control ditches on Northeast coastal wetlands for an installation of screen prints on mosquito mesh and a projection of historical marsh-scape.
- Phebe Campsey will create artworks with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities culminating in two month-long exhibits in Westerly.
- Rhode Island Stage Ensemble, Woonsocket, will provide a free youth drama education program culminating in a production of Disney’s Descendants.
Click here for the full list of this cycle’s grant awards
The grantees received grants from the following programs:
- Community Engaged Project Grants offer funding to artists or groups of artists to create arts and culture projects that are directly and actively engage Rhode Island residents. $28,215.
- Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships are designed to foster artistic skills between a mentor and an apprentice. The program creates an opportunity specifically for individuals who share a common cultural heritage.$42,000.
- Folk and Traditional Arts Fellowships support individual artists who demonstrate the highest level of skill and accomplishments in their craft. $10,000.
- Make Art Grant provides grants to artists or groups of artists to create or continue specific artwork in any discipline. Projects have specific goals, although completion and public showing of the art is not required. $47,418.
- Project Grants in Education support schools, nonprofit organizations, arts educators and teaching artists. Recipients engage students in rich and meaningful artistic experiences in dedicated learning environments. $49,200.
- Project Grants for Organizations provide support to arts and culture projects that are relevant and meaningful to R.I. communities. $47,800.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.