Creative Washtenaw awards $2,500 grants to four local artists

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Four creatives in Washtenaw County have been given $2,500 by Creative Washtenaw to support their work serving their communities.

Each grantee was randomly selected by Creative Washtenaw’s board chair Tina Walther from a group of 25 candidates around the county.

The winners all use their art and skills to strengthen local art through a racial focus lens and who work with “priority populations.”

Money for the awards came from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, who defines a “priority population” as a group with specific demographics including location, income level, gender, race or ethnicity, income or sexual orientation.

Here’s a bit about each winner:

Kris Keller | Ann Arbor

• Keller works with Black Note Graffiti, a Washtenaw County rock band that makes music with themes of identity, resilience and empowerment and cuts through a genre predominately led by white men.

Thor Sigurdson | Ann Arbor

• Having had a 35-year-long cello career, Sigurdson teaches in Tree Town and often loans out instruments to his students when needed. He takes his music to Washtenaw County churches to unite residents and break down cultural barriers.

Rachel Keown | Chelsea

• Not only is Keown a playwright, but she also directs, acts and develops new plays around difficult themes like mental health, gender roles and rape.

Thomas Robertson | Ypsilanti

• A Detroit native, Robertson uses his art to uplift Black culture and encourage audiences to examine racial biases. His work has been exhibited at Ypsilanti’s Riverside Arts Center during Black History Month.

Grants were given to the winners in April during the Creative Washtenaw Happy Hour at The Owl, Morning ‘Til Night in Milan, Michigan.