The Fierce Urgency of Now

Microgrants

Creative Sanctum stands in solidarity with the fight against systemic anti-Black racism and white supremacy.

We are deeply disturbed by continued violence against Black lives, police brutality, and the state of our fragile democracy. We support those demonstrations and protests calling for reforms, for the simple act of fighting for the right to live.   

We thank those who labor endlessly to build societies based on justice and equity.  And because we recognize “creativity is an act of defiance,” —with the power to inspire more than you can imagine—we’re launching a series of microgrants to support artists who are creating in response to the fierce urgency of this moment. We support artists using their creative work to inspire action against racism; artists who create work boldly imaging a better and equitable future. 

The Details

Our microgrants ($250-$300) will be awarded to at least 5 artists who seek to create creative works supporting Black Lives Matter and address lessons learned from the Covid-pandemic.  For example, per the AMP Research Lab, “If everyone died of COVID-19 at the same rate as White Americans, about 13,000 Black Americans, 1,300 Latinx Americans, and 300 Asian Americans would still be alive.” 

 We’ve been inspired by art work from Monyee Chau (“Black Lives Matter: We Stand in Solidarity”), Kerri Edge, Omar Edwards, and Baakari Wilder’s reflections via the language of tap and dance (4 Little Girls/ FreedomTap NYC), and numerous beautiful drawings calling for Justice for Breonna Taylor (@ArielSinha pictured below).  We admire The Movement for Black Lives’ recent invitation for artists to produce works imagining a future world without policing. And because we understand how the pandemic has disrupted the financial stability of artists, we will prioritize grants to currently non-salaried and financially disrupted artists living in NYC.

At Creative Sanctum, we support those who add their voices and actions to address systemic inequity. We are proud of artists who reflect on these times, ready to act to address a world on fire. We know the power of the arts to shift the global consciousness, to inspire action, and to boldly imagine a better future. We know artists are essential and we will continue to amplify the voices of those fighting for an anti-racist future. We look forward to our work together.

To apply for our microgrant and view eligibility requirements, click here.

Applications due June 14, 2020 1:00pm EST.

Eligible Mediums: Visual Art (including video media), Music, & Dance

Thank you for understanding the fierce urgency of now.

Lastly, if you want to fiscally support this effort, please reach out. We’d love to offer more microgrants. Grant recipients who choose to award their grants directly to a related non-profit will also be eligible for a grant increase.